We are launching a new variety of apple that has been developed specifically for London and we’re planting one hundred of the new trees in orchards in public spaces, parks and schools across London throughout the month of December 2012. We worked closely in partnership with the lovely nursery, ‘Trees for Life’ who have supplied many of our fruit trees, to create this variety. It was nurtured from a single seed and has taken ten years to develop. Much like a true Londoner, the new variety has been bred to possess a hardy nature and be adaptable to changeable conditions. It is also very easy to grow, even for beginner gardeners. The parents of the tree are the Pixie apple, introduced in 1940 and the Laxton Fortune apple, introduced in 1904- both of which are known for their strength and disease resistant qualities. In addition to its robustness, this tree will also produce high numbers of sweet, flavoursome apples. Isn’t it a beauty! Now the variety is fully developed, we are offering YOU the opportunity to go down in history, by naming the new 2012 London variety. The lucky winner will also receive one of the first trees of the original batch of 100 that have been developed. The apple will be the first London specific variety to have been developed since 1953, when the Merton Delight was born. Surprisingly, London has a large orchard heritage, but many orchards were wiped out to make way for infrastructure projects, such as Heathrow Airport, which was built on a massive orchard growing area. Many apples bear London borough names and London’s streets and estates often reflect its orchard past- for example Orchard Road, Street and Terrace. Check out our historic map of orchards for more details about this. If you can think of a name for the new London variety, Tweet your suggestions to @LondonOrchard then follow us on Twitter, for the announcement of the winning title. You can also email suggestions to orchard@thelondonorchardproject.org – and you can make your mark on Britain’s apple history! Don’t forget to check out our wonderful London Orchard Festival at Camley Street, on the 7th October too.