We've had a busy month, harvesting ideas and connections, if not yet our own apples. Apple Days in the region began with Wandlebury Country Park, on 3 October. As we are such a small group we cound't muster enough people to run a stand, so I went along as an observer, and to get an indentifcation of some apples from old trees local to me. This was a friendly, low-key event, but unfortuntely the weather wasn't good, and I don't think the event got the same high turnout as last year.
Locally popular varities much in evidence included Sunset. and the reliable (not local, originally Scottish) James Grieves.
Next Saturday we had a stand at the Burwash Manor Apple Day, and we shared a marquee with the East of England Apples and Orchards Project. I must look already like an apple officianado, as visitors walked confidently up to me, stuck out an apple and said 'what's this then'. Um - it's a small striped one, was often as far as I could get but having been perforce an apprentice apple identifier for a day I found I could tell my Sunsets from my Spartans. It was a lot of fun, and we met a lot of very interesting people, all with a passion for orchard fruits.
Back to the orchard, and we had a good session on Sunday 11 October, weeding out from around the bases of the trees. It was good to see some new volunteers there. We found lots of spiders had hunkered down for the winter in the rolled up apple leaves, and at home I have found ladybirds clustering together in the crevices of my wheelie bins. I am not sure if I should move them or not - they will only get a fornight's hibernation before being disturbed.
Next post will be devoted to creepy crawlies, otherwise known as evidence of biodiversity.
Monday, 26 October 2009
Tuesday, 22 September 2009
Sunny Apple Days
Although it's warm outside, I have the feeling that autumn is hiding just around the corner. The Park and Ride car park near me has two quince trees, laden with fruit. All of those within easy reach have been picked by commuters...
At the last orchard maintenance day, we had a good turn out, and some impressive team work meant we got the whole of the new hedgerow trimmed back for the winter. It will grow in this warm spell, but it is full of robust species and won't be harmed when the soft growth eventually gets knocked back by the winter weather.
We are making plans for Apple Day. This is a national event, held in local ways, and of course it is one of the highspots of the orchard lovers' year. We are looking forward to the day when we have apples of our own to display.
At the last orchard maintenance day, we had a good turn out, and some impressive team work meant we got the whole of the new hedgerow trimmed back for the winter. It will grow in this warm spell, but it is full of robust species and won't be harmed when the soft growth eventually gets knocked back by the winter weather.
We are making plans for Apple Day. This is a national event, held in local ways, and of course it is one of the highspots of the orchard lovers' year. We are looking forward to the day when we have apples of our own to display.
Saturday, 5 September 2009
Apple Farm Days
Well,we've returned from our study trip to the Czech Republic, and I can't believe that we were only there for a week; we learned so much and shared so many experiences. Rudolf, Veronica, the students and all at the farm made us three old ladies from a community orchard in England feel so welcome. We tried to be helpful - we washed up, we made scones, we helped to weed the orchard, to make a raised flowerbed and to tend the herb garden. We worked hard in the forest - well, the rest of the group did - I wandered off and took yet more photos of trees -and we took part in the craft and arts activities that were laid on for the students. I taught some to make a fresh green willow basket and was, of course, eclipsed and outclassed by my pupils, which is right and proper.
Above all, we talked to Rudolf about all things apple and orchard related. At the Apple Farm he has climatalogical challenges that we simply have not thought about. Czech trees are grown on a rootstock that is almost 5ft high, in order to give the more delicate variety grafted on top the best chance to survive the harsh winters. Rudolf's trees are protected by wire mesh up and above that height - because, he explained, of the hares. he showed us obvious damage from teeth and front feet, and I was taken aback, imagining the looming forest to be full of 6ft high hares, possibly more dangerous than the local wild boar. Rudolf put my mind at rest - the hare was normal sized, but it had been standing on 4ft of snow.
Sitting out in the warm evenings, gazing at the stars and hearing nothing but the chirping of the grasshoppers, and the banter of the students around the campfire, we made plans for return visits, and for some sort of exchange between the Apple Farm and the Trumpington Community Orchard. Perhaps we can hold an Apple Day in the Czech Republic, or perhaps Czech students can visit our site to learn about our own challenges. We'll think of something.Either way, the community around our orchard has just got a bit wider.
You can see my photos from the trip via my flickr site - click on the icon top left to all my orchard related shots. I'll put more up from my colleagues soon.
Above all, we talked to Rudolf about all things apple and orchard related. At the Apple Farm he has climatalogical challenges that we simply have not thought about. Czech trees are grown on a rootstock that is almost 5ft high, in order to give the more delicate variety grafted on top the best chance to survive the harsh winters. Rudolf's trees are protected by wire mesh up and above that height - because, he explained, of the hares. he showed us obvious damage from teeth and front feet, and I was taken aback, imagining the looming forest to be full of 6ft high hares, possibly more dangerous than the local wild boar. Rudolf put my mind at rest - the hare was normal sized, but it had been standing on 4ft of snow.
Sitting out in the warm evenings, gazing at the stars and hearing nothing but the chirping of the grasshoppers, and the banter of the students around the campfire, we made plans for return visits, and for some sort of exchange between the Apple Farm and the Trumpington Community Orchard. Perhaps we can hold an Apple Day in the Czech Republic, or perhaps Czech students can visit our site to learn about our own challenges. We'll think of something.Either way, the community around our orchard has just got a bit wider.
You can see my photos from the trip via my flickr site - click on the icon top left to all my orchard related shots. I'll put more up from my colleagues soon.
Tuesday, 7 July 2009
Orchard opportunities
One of the best things about starting a community orchard is that even when I am at home with only a laptop for company, I am connected to an amazing number of apple-y people around the world. Check out the links to the side of this blog- there are community orchards up and down the land, and around the world. My latest find - The Holistic Orchard Network has experts, commercial growers and gifted amateurs getting together to save and promote heritage varieties and the benefits of organic growing.
So, via my email, I learned a couple of months ago of a programme hosted by Grampus Heritage, funded by the EU, the Leonardo da Vinci project, that is set up to help the countries of the European Union learn from each other about their own vernacular crafts, rural skills and other arts that may be lost. It's the opposite of what you might think of the EU - this project is determinedly anti-homegenisation. But of course, I would have to be in favour, since I am happy to say that our Orchard Management Committee has been awarded three fully-funded places to go to visit an organic apple farm in the Czech Republic, in East Bohemia.
What can I say except - Yay! We will be staying on Rudolfs farm, learning about local methods of tending for trees and developing orchards, with a bit of bee keeping, basketry and herbalism thrown in. I can't wait.
So, via my email, I learned a couple of months ago of a programme hosted by Grampus Heritage, funded by the EU, the Leonardo da Vinci project, that is set up to help the countries of the European Union learn from each other about their own vernacular crafts, rural skills and other arts that may be lost. It's the opposite of what you might think of the EU - this project is determinedly anti-homegenisation. But of course, I would have to be in favour, since I am happy to say that our Orchard Management Committee has been awarded three fully-funded places to go to visit an organic apple farm in the Czech Republic, in East Bohemia.
What can I say except - Yay! We will be staying on Rudolfs farm, learning about local methods of tending for trees and developing orchards, with a bit of bee keeping, basketry and herbalism thrown in. I can't wait.
Tuesday, 26 May 2009
Grand Prix Fruit
It's Sunday 24 May, the temperature in Cambridge is the same as in Monaco, where the bold and the beautiful are watching the Grand Prix, and I am watching - apricots, growing away in an open orchard, in Bluntisham.
We've gone with the East of England Apples and Orchards project to have a tour of the venerable trees and the new introductions in Heath Farm, a family-run orchard that has trees dating back to 1918. The weather is fantastic, and some of us (well, me) are wishing we'd been optimistic enough to bring a hat. Mr Wallis chugs along the rows on his vintage tractor, and we trail after him, stopping off to admire Willingham gages, beautiful shiny red skinned pears, medlar trees and, of course, apple trees. These range in size from twigs grafted to old trunks, to huge overarching trees that will be laden down with fruit later in the year. Add in bee hives, a carpet of wild flowers, nature ponds teeming with damsel flies, and you have a picture perfect orchard.
There is something about an orchard, busy growing steadily away in the sunshine, that makes me want to sit on the turf beneath a large tree, lie back and relax. I could take root like Rip Van Winkle, or the Green Man himself, only rousing myself at harvest time. I think many of our party felt the same, talk was hushed, the walking pace was slow, as if we were in a green cathedral.
Sunday, 26 April 2009
National Trust Orchard Campaign
The National Trust has just announced a campaign to halt the loss of traditional orchards, to map the ones, often overgrown and abandoned, that survice, and to publicise the importance of heritage apple varities.
More details are available from the Trust's website
This is good news for traditional orchards, and will help to bring awareness to more people, but, although the National Trust is also turning over some of its land to allotments, there is little in the campaign to encourage people to grow the traditional apple varieties and start an orchard of their own. The Trust has been quoted as saying that five trees, even growing in pots on a patio, counts as an orchard. But this negates all their points about the biodiversity and the special status of the traditionally grown and managed orchard. Apple trees in patio pots are lovely, and you will certainly be helping out the pollinators in your neighbourhood, but they are not an orchard, with all of its attendant ecosystem.
More details are available from the Trust's website
This is good news for traditional orchards, and will help to bring awareness to more people, but, although the National Trust is also turning over some of its land to allotments, there is little in the campaign to encourage people to grow the traditional apple varieties and start an orchard of their own. The Trust has been quoted as saying that five trees, even growing in pots on a patio, counts as an orchard. But this negates all their points about the biodiversity and the special status of the traditionally grown and managed orchard. Apple trees in patio pots are lovely, and you will certainly be helping out the pollinators in your neighbourhood, but they are not an orchard, with all of its attendant ecosystem.
Wednesday, 22 April 2009
Blossom time
Spring is sprung. The leaves are out on all the trees, the cherry thicket is snowing blossom, and bumble bees, honey bees and bee flies are buzzing about all over.
A quick update - the talk went very well, we had an appreciative audience who asked us lots of interesting questions. We'd like to do more of these talks in the future, so contact us if you'd like to have us come and speak to your group.
Springwatch Sunday was just lovely - lots of children enjoying the orchard and learning how to plant trees, fruit bushes and mistletoe seeds. Pics to follow.
We did a 'blossom survey'
On Sunday 18 April 2009 the following trees were in full blossom:
Red Victoria (C)
Lord Peckover (A)
Lady Hollendale (B)
Jolly Miller (C)
In bud, probably out by now, were:
Cockett's Red (D)
Wayside (C)
Muffit's Seedling (D)
New Rock Pippin (C)
Let me explain the letter grades. Fruit trees are classified as to when they come into blossom, so that pollination can occur. If you have just one tree in your orchard that flowers early, it may not get pollinated - you need two. When you look through a catalogue of fruit trees, you will see a code next to them, usually ABCDE, but sometimes just early mid or late. Our trees are a good mix of all periods, but as you can see from the letters above, some of them have come into flower early. Or maybe Lord Peckover is late? He is supposed to flower with the crab apples, which will act as cross pollinators, as there is not another (A) period Cambridge apple tree. Perhaps he knew he was alone? The crab apples have almost finished flowering. It will be interesting to see if Lord Peckover produces apples this year.
A quick update - the talk went very well, we had an appreciative audience who asked us lots of interesting questions. We'd like to do more of these talks in the future, so contact us if you'd like to have us come and speak to your group.
Springwatch Sunday was just lovely - lots of children enjoying the orchard and learning how to plant trees, fruit bushes and mistletoe seeds. Pics to follow.
We did a 'blossom survey'
On Sunday 18 April 2009 the following trees were in full blossom:
Red Victoria (C)
Lord Peckover (A)
Lady Hollendale (B)
Jolly Miller (C)
In bud, probably out by now, were:
Cockett's Red (D)
Wayside (C)
Muffit's Seedling (D)
New Rock Pippin (C)
Let me explain the letter grades. Fruit trees are classified as to when they come into blossom, so that pollination can occur. If you have just one tree in your orchard that flowers early, it may not get pollinated - you need two. When you look through a catalogue of fruit trees, you will see a code next to them, usually ABCDE, but sometimes just early mid or late. Our trees are a good mix of all periods, but as you can see from the letters above, some of them have come into flower early. Or maybe Lord Peckover is late? He is supposed to flower with the crab apples, which will act as cross pollinators, as there is not another (A) period Cambridge apple tree. Perhaps he knew he was alone? The crab apples have almost finished flowering. It will be interesting to see if Lord Peckover produces apples this year.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
