This blog was originally written in 2017, which was a very hot, dry year in London. Although it’s been a bit milder this year, this blog about watering fruit trees contains a wealth of advice to help keep urban orchards flourishing. Summer is well and truly upon us. Beating down on us here in London […]
Community Mapping
How to grow your group, strengthen local connections, and see your area with new eyes I’m interested in how we look at issues of low turnout to orchard events creatively. We’ve also been looking at how our orchard groups raise awareness of their orchards in the local community. At The Orchard Project we have been […]
Who Would have Thought an Orchard Could do This?
You’d think it was the fruit that got us out of bed in the morning. After all, we are on something of a mission to re-fruit the UK. But actually, our ambitions go further even than that. My hope is that we are playing a part – just a part – in building a […]
Pruning Adventures, Tips and Tricks
As winter took a hold, and our trees went into dormancy, The Orchard Project devised a programme of pruning workshops in London and beyond. The aim of these workshops was to bring people together, provide them with skills training of different techniques such as restorative, maintenance and formative pruning, and of course have fun. In London alone, as […]
Preserving our Veteran Trees
It’s been a busy couple of months for the Celebration of Orchards restoration team in London, as winter is the time for pruning apple and pear trees, between leaf fall in late autumn and bud burst in spring. This winter Ella and I worked with 12 orchards between us, rejuvenating the trees and teaching over 150 […]
Designing the Alexandra Park Food Forest
We talk to Max Johnson, from Alexandra Park’s local community, about Glasgow’s first food forest and it’s collaborative design.
Community Orchards – Open or Closed?
Many of our community groups often find themselves having to make a choice between creating an open or restricted access orchard…
Can you solve the case of the mystery apples?
New team member, and acting Chief Executive, Neil Kingsnorth found some apple trees still heaving with fruit in a car park in Warrington last month, and he’s got some questions he needs your help with.
The Amazing World of Apple Varieties
This dark, cold time of the New Year is a very exciting and hopeful time in the orcharding calendar. Now is the time to plant fruit trees and more thrillingly decide what varieties of fruit you want to eat for the next 80 or so years.
A Chat with Orchard Bob
Lewis recently caught up with project friend and all-round orchard maestro Bob Lever aka ‘Orchard Bob’.