Comments on: The Dalston Mulberry https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/04/27/the-dalston-mulberry/ In the midst of life I woke to find myself living in an old house beside Brick Lane in the East End of London Sun, 06 Aug 2017 16:22:15 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 By: Geoffrey Bolland https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/04/27/the-dalston-mulberry/#comment-946232 Mon, 27 Apr 2015 22:09:29 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=133253#comment-946232 Then there are the 2 mulberries planted in Fountain Court, Middle Temple in 1887. My secret lunch spot is one of the stone benches underneath…but don’t tell anyone!

]]> By: Caroline Bousfield https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/04/27/the-dalston-mulberry/#comment-946051 Mon, 27 Apr 2015 16:09:41 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=133253#comment-946051 well street common user group planted two mulberry trees about 5 years ago, as part of a 15 tree orchard on the Common. They have not fruited yet but are just coming into leaf. I gather that they sometimes take up to 15 years to bear fruit so we await patiently!
I remember keeping silk worms as a child and having to walk quite a distance regularly in the right season to pick leaves for them to eat; we were fascinated by the process from chrysalis to worm to butterfly (moth?) but never got as far as actually making anything from the silk cocoons.

]]> By: Anna https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/04/27/the-dalston-mulberry/#comment-946032 Mon, 27 Apr 2015 15:48:18 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=133253#comment-946032 Not in east London, but there’s a splendid mulberry outside Hogarth’s house in Chiswick, which dates back to his times, but may date back even further.

]]> By: Linda G https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/04/27/the-dalston-mulberry/#comment-945931 Mon, 27 Apr 2015 12:05:57 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=133253#comment-945931 In a time when we usually read of neighbours arguing about property lines and who-owns-what it is refreshing to see that the two women worked together to preserve the tree and its history.
“Good fences make good neighbours” indeed!

]]> By: Paul Wilson https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/04/27/the-dalston-mulberry/#comment-945904 Mon, 27 Apr 2015 11:33:28 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=133253#comment-945904 There’s also a fine and productive Mulberry in the grounds of the former St Clements Hospital in Mile End.

]]> By: Tamara https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/04/27/the-dalston-mulberry/#comment-945851 Mon, 27 Apr 2015 10:07:24 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=133253#comment-945851 To the lady who asked why you don’t see mulberries in supermarkets, they are the most gloriously anti-corporate fruit and have resisted just about every attempt at industrialisation – they can take decades to mature enough to fruit; the branches are so delicate they’re impossible to climb, even just shaking the tree can damage them permanently; the fruit turns to mush almost instantly upon leaving the tree. It’s almost impossible to pick them and take them home or to market, let alone to a supermarket. You can barely run up the garden and throw them in a pre-prepared jam pot!
I pick and eat them every year two streets away from my house, it’s a glorious few days (oh yes, and the season is very short and they won’t ripen artificially!) sitting on a wall watching the world go by.

]]> By: joan https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/04/27/the-dalston-mulberry/#comment-945825 Mon, 27 Apr 2015 09:28:46 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=133253#comment-945825 We are enjoying this series in this household since about 7 years ago we planted a very small King James’ mulberry in our Stratford garden purchased from the wonderful Habibi family run Keeper’s nursery in Kent. We were warned that it would be several years before it produced any fruit and that has proved to be true. Every year we peer in expectation that fruit will appear but so far there has been none, although the tree is growing very healthily and so hope remains. In the meantime we content ourselves with regular visits to the mulberry in Bunhill Fields.

Best wishes,

Joan

]]> By: Lisbeth Ehlers https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/04/27/the-dalston-mulberry/#comment-945813 Mon, 27 Apr 2015 09:07:20 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=133253#comment-945813 Dear Gentle Author,
You asked for other gardens with Mulberry Bushes. The garden in Throgmorton Avenue of the Drapers’ Company is home to both an old and new mulberry trees.
Best regards
Lisbeth

]]> By: Kate Britt-Hazard https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/04/27/the-dalston-mulberry/#comment-945795 Mon, 27 Apr 2015 08:46:26 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=133253#comment-945795 The story goes that King James the Sixth and First (under the influence of William Stallenge) wanted mulberry trees planted in order to develop an English silk industry. The king had 4 acres planted in Westminster and ordered all counties to plant some 10 thousand trees for this purpose.

Stallenge did well out of this and published a book on their cultivation. Unfortunately the English silk industry never got off the ground. The trees imported were of Black Mulberry, whereas the silkworms thrive on the leaves of the White Mulberry. Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance !

I refer you to http://www.royal.gov.uk/TheRoyalHousehold/TheRoyalHouseholdandtheEnvironment/TheQueensgardens/MulberriesatBuckinghamPalace.aspx

]]> By: Annie https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/04/27/the-dalston-mulberry/#comment-945790 Mon, 27 Apr 2015 08:37:07 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=133253#comment-945790 What a beautiful piece. I love that it starts with the echo of children chanting their rhyme.

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