These photos show our apple and pear trees with a lovely crop of bee friendly white clover in the grass. The apples are beginning to swell and now we have had the June drop we are going to start thinning them. We'll be in the Orchard from 5 pm on Thursday 22 June if anyone would like to come and see what we are doing.We'll be having a work party from 10 to 12 on Sunday 2 July too. This is to weed and tidy the Orchard prior to the Judging for Limpsfield in Bloom on Thursday 6 July. Do come along .....all are welcome.
These pictures show the new moveable barrier that we have just installed in the Orchard (June 2017) at the entrance from the A25. It is intended to be used as a temporary measure when groups of children are using the Orchard and should always be lifted back to the sides after use. Hopefully it will give some peace of mind to parents and grandparents as it a pretty good
barrier when in place.
The pictures below show Peter Jarvis (left) and Graham Woodward doing the hard work. It was quite some task digging the holes for the supports as the area
must have been part of the original driveway, and had tarmac and many large stones to work through. We are most grateful to them both for this excellent
addition to the site.
This picture shows the revised plan which has been printed to show the new plantings of Arthur Turner (4 years ago) Pixie and Ashmead’s Kernal (last winter)
Barry Chandler, who so kindly made the original wooden Information Board in 2011, has attached it for us.
We enjoyed seeing visitors at the Orchard on Saturday
6 May to celebrate this year’s blossom. Sadly the recent frost may have taken its toll…..but it’s too early still to know…..however the Mirabelle have set well and there are some damsons too. The pear blossom was magnificent but the set not so good ……however we shall see how it all develops. I am definitely putting my money on a good crop of sunset apples…..their blossom was the best ever as you can see in the picture.
The trees are benefiting for the reduction of the tree guards…..although the deer continue nibbling in a minimal way……hurrah for the wildlife!
Do join us to celebrate the fruit blossom in the Orchard…..it is magnificent this year
Blossom Viewing on Saturday April 22 from 2-30 to 4-30pm (next Saturday!)
Blossom viewing on Saturday May 6
from 10-30 to 12midday
We look forward to seeing you for coffee/tea and cake and a wander round the trees
The children at St Peter’s School Limpsfield have once again participated in a poetry competition sponsored by the Community Orchard. The older classes had the theme of the Wassail, and the reception classes wrote their poems together. We were delighted with the standard of work, and were able to present some book prizes (on insects and birds) at Assembly, and then the prize winners with a teacher, Dr Julia Nash, visited the Orchard to hang copies of the poems in the trees…..so do go along to have a look at them.
We have started to remove and reduce the tree guards around the trees. Since we started in 2010 the guards have protected the trees well from marauding deer which have a particular taste for apple bark and leaves. Now the trees are larger and stronger (indeed some are literally bursting out of their confinement) this protection is not so much needed.
You can see in the pictures the Bramley Seedling where we have removed the guard completely, and the Sunsets where we have cut the supports to half. The Orchard is starting to look much more attractive…..and the blossoms this year should be spectacular. Here’s hoping there are no late frosts.
There is a working party on Wednesday 22 March at 9.30am……we are going to be spreading mulch around the trees so do join us.
These photos show our apple and pear trees with a lovely crop of bee friendly white clover in the grass. The apples are beginning to swell and now we have had the June drop we are going to start thinning them. We'll be in the Orchard from 5 pm on Thursday 22 June if anyone would like to come and see what we are doing.We'll be having a work party from 10 to 12 on Sunday 2 July too. This is to weed and tidy the Orchard prior to the Judging for Limpsfield in Bloom on Thursday 6 July. Do come along .....all are welcome.
