The Pear Tree On Greenmount Ave — Part 1

Sep 10

2 min read

Summer has begun to fade into early fall, and the pear tree behind my studio is once again full of fruit. When I first visited this house five and a half years ago, Mr. David, the former owner, told me about the pear tree in the backyard. I later moved in the house, and it became the first home I ever owned as well as my studio.

The tree had already been growing here for more than 30 years. I was told that it was an apple pear tree originally brought from California and planted here in Baltimore. When I moved into the house in December 2021, it was winter and the tree was completely bare. At the time, I didn't pay much attention to it. It was simply a large tree standing in the middle of my backyard.

Then spring arrived.

The bare branches filled with small white blossoms, almost like snow. By early summer, tiny green pears began appearing among the leaves. Since then, I have watched this cycle repeat itself every year. The tree flowers in spring, produces an abundance of fruit through the summer, and by late summer and early fall, the pears begin to ripen and fall. Birds and squirrels visit the tree constantly, enjoying the fruit along with me.

The pears are often called apple pears because of their round shape and crisp texture. They are incredibly juicy and remind me of Korean Singo pears. For years, I simply enjoyed watching the tree change with the seasons. I harvested some of the fruit for eating and left much of the rest for the animals. It never really occurred to me to bring the pears into my art or natural dye practice.

Until this summer.

One day after the rain, I noticed many small, unripe pears scattered across the ground. They had fallen too early to eat, but looking at all of them made me wonder if there might be another way to use them rather than letting them go to waste.

And then I had an idea: