Horticulturalist Chris Beardshaw uncovers the British contribution to the history of our most iconic fruit. He reveals the 'golden age', when the passion and dedication of Victorian gardeners gave us more varieties than anywhere else in the world. Chris also finds out how the remarkable ingenuity of a small group of 20th century British scientists helped create the modern mass market apple.
If you hurry you can watch the programme on iplayer
What is in it for me?
Claire McAllen talks about volunteering on the community orchard
It was back in April 2010 that I first heard about the community orchard when an email arrived out of the blue inviting me to come and help. It later transpired that my details were obtained from the allotment waiting list. I had put my name down the previous autumn. After having my 3rd baby I decided I needed to do something for ‘me’. I wanted to get involved with something that I enjoyed doing and that would get me away from the kids for a little while. I gave up work to take care of the kids and although I love spending time with them I needed to spend some time not being mum just being me. I wasn’t sure what to expect, I had never volunteered for anything before and my actual gardening knowledge was limited. The first work day that I attended in May involved lots of digging, it was hard work but I thoroughly enjoyed myself and couldn’t wait for another session so I would pitch up when I had a bit of spare time and needed to get away from nappies and snotty noses. The people I met were great too, really friendly and like minded it was nice to have adult conversations.
Despite the idea being to get away from the kids my teenage daughter, Ayla came along for one of the work days. Ayla is a girl whose idea of exercise is playing Pokemon on her Nintendo DS. I was quite surprised when she asked to join in, but even more surprised when she told me how much she had enjoyed herself! Saying that, ‘It was good exercise and really quite fun’.
Volunteering is very enjoyable and rewarding, getting away from it all for an afternoon, getting some exercise and making lots of new friends in the process. I have been lucky enough to get an allotment plot. Helping at the orchard has meant that I had a realistic expectation of the level of work involved initially with a new allotment.
The sight of a plot waist deep in weeds and various bits of debris can be very disheartening to any new ‘allotmenteer’ but not me! It was a case of here’s my spade let’s get dug in! I will still be helping out at the community orchard and can't wait to get planting, pruning and pleaching, and of course eventually eating scrummy apples!
It was back in April 2010 that I first heard about the community orchard when an email arrived out of the blue inviting me to come and help. It later transpired that my details were obtained from the allotment waiting list. I had put my name down the previous autumn. After having my 3rd baby I decided I needed to do something for ‘me’. I wanted to get involved with something that I enjoyed doing and that would get me away from the kids for a little while. I gave up work to take care of the kids and although I love spending time with them I needed to spend some time not being mum just being me. I wasn’t sure what to expect, I had never volunteered for anything before and my actual gardening knowledge was limited. The first work day that I attended in May involved lots of digging, it was hard work but I thoroughly enjoyed myself and couldn’t wait for another session so I would pitch up when I had a bit of spare time and needed to get away from nappies and snotty noses. The people I met were great too, really friendly and like minded it was nice to have adult conversations.
Despite the idea being to get away from the kids my teenage daughter, Ayla came along for one of the work days. Ayla is a girl whose idea of exercise is playing Pokemon on her Nintendo DS. I was quite surprised when she asked to join in, but even more surprised when she told me how much she had enjoyed herself! Saying that, ‘It was good exercise and really quite fun’.
Volunteering is very enjoyable and rewarding, getting away from it all for an afternoon, getting some exercise and making lots of new friends in the process. I have been lucky enough to get an allotment plot. Helping at the orchard has meant that I had a realistic expectation of the level of work involved initially with a new allotment.
The sight of a plot waist deep in weeds and various bits of debris can be very disheartening to any new ‘allotmenteer’ but not me! It was a case of here’s my spade let’s get dug in! I will still be helping out at the community orchard and can't wait to get planting, pruning and pleaching, and of course eventually eating scrummy apples!
Summer Pruning session
We will be offering a summer pruning session the weekend of 20/21 August (TBA). The session will cover how to summer prune, to encourage fruit growth. Rod Everett from Middlewood will be running the session, if you'd like to come along or would like more information, please email on orchard49@otags.org.uk
Planting completed
January-March 2011 was a busy time for us. We had lots of trees to plant on the community orchard. Challenging weather conditions November-January meant that our planting window was quite small.
All the trees we had to plant for the 2010-2011 dormant period are now in the ground and florishing. We planted 30 trees, 17 of which are cordon trees - they will grow along a fence line as a way of demonstrating how fruit can be grown in smaller spaces. So, we currently have 13 trees planted in the top half of the orchard. All but 9 of these are trees we grafted.
The trees we grafted ourselves (in March 2010) and planted are:
(Pollination group in brackets)
Lord Derby D
Yorkshire Cockpit C
Lemon Pippin D
Allington Pippin C
Bossom (Mid)
Stripped Beefing C
Queen Cox B
Minshull Crab C
Lord Lambourne C
Burr Knot C
D’Arcy Spice D
Crispin (10)
Downham Pippin D
All the above are cordon trees
Ashmeads Kernel D
Bee Bench ?
Eccleston Pippin ?
Laxton‘s Superb D
Lord Suffield B
Plot 52 ? This is a tree on our site (on plot 52) yet to be identified.
Tydeman’s Early Worcester D
Withington Welter C
And we purchased and planted:
Duke of Devonshire B
Fillingham Pippin B (grafted by Peter Nichol locally)
Flower of the Town B
Grandpa Buxton B (grafted by Peter Nichol locally)
Greenup's Pippin B
Keswick Codling B
Ladies Finger of Lancaster C
Ribston Pippin D
Tydeman's Late Orange D
All the trees we had to plant for the 2010-2011 dormant period are now in the ground and florishing. We planted 30 trees, 17 of which are cordon trees - they will grow along a fence line as a way of demonstrating how fruit can be grown in smaller spaces. So, we currently have 13 trees planted in the top half of the orchard. All but 9 of these are trees we grafted.
The trees we grafted ourselves (in March 2010) and planted are:
(Pollination group in brackets)
Lord Derby D
Yorkshire Cockpit C
Lemon Pippin D
Allington Pippin C
Bossom (Mid)
Stripped Beefing C
Queen Cox B
Minshull Crab C
Lord Lambourne C
Burr Knot C
D’Arcy Spice D
Crispin (10)
Downham Pippin D
All the above are cordon trees
Ashmeads Kernel D
Bee Bench ?
Eccleston Pippin ?
Laxton‘s Superb D
Lord Suffield B
Plot 52 ? This is a tree on our site (on plot 52) yet to be identified.
Tydeman’s Early Worcester D
Withington Welter C
And we purchased and planted:
Duke of Devonshire B
Fillingham Pippin B (grafted by Peter Nichol locally)
Flower of the Town B
Grandpa Buxton B (grafted by Peter Nichol locally)
Greenup's Pippin B
Keswick Codling B
Ladies Finger of Lancaster C
Ribston Pippin D
Tydeman's Late Orange D
Work days and sheds
We are having a work weekend 19th-20th March to plant the trees bought from a specialist nursery - we only have a little time left to get this done as the trees need planting in their dormant season.
If you're interested in coming along we'll be there from 11-2 pm Saturday and 11-1.30 Sunday. Lots to do, so if you can spare an hour do come. There will be soup and bread on offer to warm you up if its cold. If the weather is kind we may do all the trees on Saturday, but there is lots more to get on with on Sunday.
Other news - we now have a shed. A big thank you to Julie, Trisha and Chris who levelled the ground, laid the slabs and put up the shed. This means that we have a place to keep orchard bits and bobs, plus a shelter from the elements. It needs some guttering and a water butt is on the way so we'll have some stored water to keep the trees happy when its dry.
Hope to see you on the orchard soon.
If you're interested in coming along we'll be there from 11-2 pm Saturday and 11-1.30 Sunday. Lots to do, so if you can spare an hour do come. There will be soup and bread on offer to warm you up if its cold. If the weather is kind we may do all the trees on Saturday, but there is lots more to get on with on Sunday.
Other news - we now have a shed. A big thank you to Julie, Trisha and Chris who levelled the ground, laid the slabs and put up the shed. This means that we have a place to keep orchard bits and bobs, plus a shelter from the elements. It needs some guttering and a water butt is on the way so we'll have some stored water to keep the trees happy when its dry.
Hope to see you on the orchard soon.
Grafted Trees Planted
All but one of the trees grafted during the workshop in March 2010 have now been planted in the top half of the orchard. We're waiting delivery of the seven trees we ordered from a specialist nursery - which should be dispatched soon. Three of these need planting as bush trees and four will go along the fence and be grown as cordon trees.
We have some duplicate trees (where we grafted more than one of the variety) and these trees are going to be put in pots and offered for sale at our plant sale in May.
Other news: the shed will be going up next weekend, and once this is done there will be tools for people to use stored in the shed.
We have some duplicate trees (where we grafted more than one of the variety) and these trees are going to be put in pots and offered for sale at our plant sale in May.
Other news: the shed will be going up next weekend, and once this is done there will be tools for people to use stored in the shed.
February Work Days
We are having more work days in February to get trees planted. As always, they are weather dependant (frozen ground or pouring rain don't work very well!), so always call to check if in any doubt!
We've planted some of the trees, but there are still more to go in the ground and we really only have February (and early March) to do it.
We'll be there most Saturdays* until the trees are planted - from 11-2 pm. You don't need to commit to the whole time, an hour would be great!
Call 07960 713 018 for more information.
* Not during OTAGS seed potato weekend (19-20th Feb).
We've planted some of the trees, but there are still more to go in the ground and we really only have February (and early March) to do it.
We'll be there most Saturdays* until the trees are planted - from 11-2 pm. You don't need to commit to the whole time, an hour would be great!
Call 07960 713 018 for more information.
* Not during OTAGS seed potato weekend (19-20th Feb).
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