WORKING PARTY DATES

• Saturday        November 22nd at 10-00
• Wednesday   November 26th 10-00

We want to finish tackling the bramble which has spread rather dramatically this year. Also each tree site needs a gentle weed, and each tree stake and tie needs to be checked to be sure that the trees are safe during any gale force winds this winter.

Anyone is welcome to come along.....bring your own tools....secateurs, gloves, a rake, border fork and a small weeding fork plus a bag for the weeds. I like a kneeler too.

There will be coffee as usual at 11-00 so do come even if you don't feel like weeding!

Wet Working Party

  We had a working party on Sunday 2nd November,  when we had 10 keen volunteers who worked on the brambles along the bank to the west, and made good progress until the rain beat us. But there is still plenty to do....look out for further dates over the next few weeks. More bramble bashing, weeding round the trees and generally putting the Orchard to bed.

WATCH THIS SPACE

Stress busting work party

I read in the paper that gardening is the latest cure for STRESS!! We know too that it also provides an excellent outdoor workout…..
So come and join us at the Community Orchard and DE-STRESS by helping us to clear bramble and cut down the old foxgloves. There will be some weeding around the trees too. And a bonfire possibility if not too wet (here’s hoping!)
 We are trying a Work Party this time on a SUNDAY….so do join us at 10-00 on Sunday 2nd November. As usual there will be coffee/bix/cold drinks etc
So do try to bring a few tools; kneelers, grab bags, hand forks, border forks, rakes, gloves and secateurs etc A saw or lopper might be useful for the larger stuff.
Children would be welcome too…..it would be a pleasure to see them.  We are hoping that a Sunday morning might be a better time for some of you with busy Saturdays (football/ballet/shopping/DIYetc etc)
With good wishes

Helen and the Orchard Team

OUR FIRST HARVEST

A couple of weeks ago we had a really successful morning in the Orchard to celebrate our first harvest with about 40 people there picking and tasting in the sunshine! We are delighted with the crop this year…..nice and clean with the only damage seen from birds.
Now many more apples are ready to pick so please do go up and sample the delights of organically grown fruit, fresh from the tree. Take your children and show them that apples come from a pretty tree and not from the supermarket!
Today I took a basket of Sunset apples to Limpsfield School for them to try, and another super selection is in the Memorial stores for customers to sample.
In the Orchard there are some Sunset which are ready now plus any of the other apples. The Herefordshire Russet need another week or so. They will then be able to be picked and stored as they should last until after Christmas.
Happy Harvest to you all

Helen and the Orchard team

Open Morning/Apple Tasting

FRUIT TASTING and some fruit to take home!

Further information from Helen on 01883 713160

helenellson205@btinternet.com

It is with great pleasure that we can start to plan towards picking and tasting the fruit at the Orchard. Some of the apples are really looking marvellous and are still growing well. There are different harvest dates for all the fruit….. some we can pick and eat and some will store for a longer or shorter time. So we have decided to have an
 
Saturday 13th September from 10-30 to 12-00

Do come along if you can….there will be tastings of the apples which are ready, and a chance for you to see what wonderful progress we have made since the trees were planted on that freezing cold day in November 2010. Coffees and apple cake too of course!

Summer 2014 Update

I have just been to look at the trees to see how the fruit is progressing. I can’t tell you how exciting it is to be able to see such a wonderful crop. Many trees are laden with fruit which is all growing well and staying mainly disease free. Not all trees have fruit but approximately 14 out of the 26 apples are cropping well, and 2 of the pears (Beth and Doyenne de Comice) so we will definitely be able to have a tasting party in September. The fruits all ripen at different times with Katy (an eater which does not keep) being the earliest (August) through to Laxton Superb (dessert apple ready in September/October) and Lord Lambourne. The Herefordshire Russets are absolutely laden ….even though they were well thinned. Beth, the pear with the most fruit, should be ready to pick in late August.

So ….an exciting time. Especially for those of us who were at the very start when Mark Richards showed us the site. An area of weed infested abandoned land which was made available for us by the National Trust, and which we have transformed into this productive and beautiful Orchard. A very big thank you to all the orchard “workers” and also to our Friends who are keeping us solvent.

I can see that the route through the Grub Street Woods is well used and the new path which had to be made during the winter floods is standing up to traffic well. I hope you are all enjoying the new seats both in the woods and the Orchard itself. A perfect place to take friends and relatives for a short walk and a picnic.

In July we were included in the judging for the RHS Limpsfield in Bloom competition. We had been busy making sure the Orchard was looking at its best, trees weeded, hedges cut and everywhere litter free. But of course the judges look at all aspects of the Orchard including community participation, use by the children from Limpsfield School, bio-diversity and the use of the site at all times of the year. I was so proud to be able to show the judges round on your behalf and show them the fruits of our labours.

I’m also very pleased to see that we have got several new Friends of the Orchard. So welcome aboard and we hope that you’ll be able to join us for the occasional working party and of course the special day later on when we can start the harvest!

Helen Ellson and the Orchard Team

REMINDER

Just a reminder that there is a Coffee Morning on Saturday 12th July starting at 11-00 so we’d love to see you there.

There is a good set of fruit, both apples and pears, and if you’ve not been up recently you could see our new bench and picnic table.

There will be a working party from 10-00 to 11-00 followed by coffee/cold drinks and a general look round. We can show you how we have thinned the fruit, and you will be amazed at the growth on some of the trees.

Helen and the Orchard Team