Resins

I took the tube home today, for a change. The outer stations of the London Underground are above ground and tend to be quite nice places. The one at Kew Gardens is pretty good as tube stations go. I was stood on the platform by one of the trees they have and noticed the resin on it. So, a furtive pick at it and I have 4 small chunks of amber and clear resin in my bag. I'm not sure what species it was – it has been pruned and was cut right back – though it was probably an apple of some sort or similar. It is definitely one of the Rosaceae and not one of the stone fruits (Prunus spp.), that much I have picked up working on those very genera at work. So, all of a sudden I find I want to go looking for more resins to burn and experiment with. I will be back at the Kew tube trees again, possibly even the fruit trees in the gardens themselves.