Shows and events.

During Autumn 2009 we will be at a few events - these will be listed below

August 31 Bank Holiday Monday 10am onwards
Pershore Plum Fayre
A celebration of Plums with many Plum related events going on throughout the town. We will be in St Andrew's Gardens by the Abbey with a display of Plums, trees for sale and friendly advice.

Saturday & Sunday 12 & 13th September
Organic Food Festival, Bristol Harbourside.
The annual showcase for all things organic in the UK all at one location. An excellent day out. We will be in the Organic Gardening area right on the waterfront with a display of apples and a selection of containerised trees.

Saturday 26 & Sunday 27 September
Malvern Autumn Show
A large event with a harvest feel. We shall have a display of many of the apples of the trees we sell, trees for sale, friendly advice and hopefully some nice weather.

Sunday 4 October
Harvest Event at Ryton Gardens, near Coventry. Home of Garden Organic - the UKs main organic gardening organisation.
Evolved from previous Apple Days this event should be larger and more interesting than ever.

Saturday 17 October
Orchard Day at Kemerton, near Bredon, Glos.
Hosted by the Kemerton Conservation Trust will cover many aspects of orchards - the trees, wildlife, uses of fruit, etc.

Bright Future - celebrating 50 years of Garden Organic

To celebrate 50 years of Garden Organic (previously HDRA) a new variety of apple has been bred and developed and is now available for delivery from late November. Funds raised from its sale will go towards the education work of the charity

Flavour is good with a nice sweet acid combination, sweeter with age. To get best flavour and colour keep the fruits on the tree till early to mid October. Edible pretty much straight from the tree and will keep in cool storage (ie the average shed/loft) till December. Medium to medium / large apples. Pollination group C.

Available on moderate vigour MM106 rootstock this new variety can be ordered through the website, by phone (01905 841587) or by post by printing an order form from the 'How to Order' page. Other trees can be ordered at the same time. Once we have your order we will contact you to arrange a convenient delivery date and your tree(s) will be delivered in a cardboard carton with guidance notes enclosed.

Nursery developments

Over the last year we have been creating a demonstation orchard on some additional land. About forty bush trees are now growing planted at spacing that they can grow into. They are already starting to develop shape and have some fruit on.

Nursery developments2

Adjacent to the orchard is the start of a fruit garden. A post and wire framework has been installed. In early 2007 cordon and espalier trees were planted and are growing well.

In the middle of the Fruit garden is an area for fruit bushes, raspberies, step over apple trees, rhubarb and vegetables. This was planted in early 2008.

Nursery developments3

The aim (apart from producing lots of lovely fruit for ourselves!) is for visitors to
- see what their trees will be like in the future - size and shape.
- view the pruning that is to be and has been done in the trees development.
- see and sample fruit from a wide range of trees

Also we are using the area for staff development. More knowledgable staff means better advice both over the phone and in person.

Hort LINK Project1

Between 2000 & 2005 a partnership of fruit growers, packers, wholesalers & supermarkets through East Malling Research and HDRA (now Garden Organic) were involved a Horticulture Link project to identify 4 -6 apples suitable for organic growing and effective pest & disease management in orchards.

Information gathered on over 160 potential apple varieties from around the world was narrowed down to a 42 variety trial and further reduced to 26 most promising varieties many from Europe.

Hort LINK Project3

Assessments were made on
- pest & disease resistance and tolerance
- fruiting season, fruit quality, appearance, flavour & size
- tree habit, ease of management, agronomic behaviour
- storage potential

By late 2005 six dessert, two culinary and two juicing apple varieties had been selected.
Dessert - Cevaal, Rajka (photo above), Resi, Rubinola, Rubinstep.
Culinary - Edward V11, Howgate Wonder
Juice - Fiesta, Red Falstaff (both excellent dessert varieties)

We are now able to offer all these varieties apart from Rubinstep. Though the research was aimed at commercial organic apple production the varieties make excellent garden trees.