December 2018

The final month of a very busy year! This is what we have achieved with the hard work of all our orchard members. A big thank you to everyone who have made the following possible…

  • completion of the dry stone wall seated area
  • creation of a forest garden around the seated area
  • planting of native wild flowers
  • GPS mapping of all the fruit trees completed
  • development of the orchard website
  • purchase of an apple storage rack
  • labelling of trees with new labels begun
  • building of a willow bower at the end of the nut walk
  • an interpretation board for the entrance designed and produced

We would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and we are looking forward to a very busy 2019.

Winter Time in the Orchard

It has been a snowy start to the New Year in the Orchard. Fortunately our last work day was on Saturday 24th February and we were able to begin the pruning and make more preperations for the seated area in the Forest Garden.

The trees and fruit bushes are still lying dormant waiting for the warmer spring weather. Even if we humans aren’t busy in the orchard there is plenty of evidence left by the wildlife who make the orchard their home.

The Forest Garden Seat

Work has now started on the grand construction of the Forest Garden Seat. Supported by funds from the County Durham Community Foundation, the orchard group are building a stone and wooden seating area in the lower forest garden so that members and visitors can sit and enjoy the lovely views. The project will take quite a few months but initial preparation of the ground has now begun.

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