At the Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize at the National Archives, a woman also lunching at Cafe Constitution said she would like me to see her "pride and joy", a crabapple tree. Her email arrived as the crabapple blossoms were starting to open, "a fleeting time in the botanical calendar".
Robyn Gloucester's townhouse is surrounded by courtyards with well-planted garden beds filled with white, silver and blue flowers, raised vegetable beds with snow peas currently cropping, a Chiminea fire pit, worm farm and the tree. The north-east facing crabapple is only 12 years old but its lowest branches are head height and it is spectacular. Robyn has made crabapple jelly from the fruits.
