Abandoned Plum-Orchard — Summary

An old plum orchard appears in winter, no longer tended. The trees have lost their real leaves, but they are not entirely bare: lichen and mistletoe grow high in the branches and stand in for leaves. That substitution feels quiet and a little eerie. These plants are not the orchard’s own life returning; mistletoe is a parasite, and lichen is a slow colonizer, so their presence suggests neglect and decay. The word “dying” gives the croft an almost human frailty, as if the place itself is fading. Yet there is also a cold beauty here: the winter branches are still decorated, but with evidence of decline rather than blossom or fruit. The mood is hushed, melancholy, and slightly uncanny. It leaves you seeing an abandoned place that is still quietly alive, but in a changed and eerie way.