On a sunny Autumn day there is no better place to be than the community Orchard. We hope you enjoy some of these Autumn photos taken by one our orchard members, Lynn.
Everyone is welcome to visit the Orchard and wander round enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of an Autumn day!
We recently has some ariel photos taken of the Orchard and Margery Flatts Allotments. These amazing photos, taken using a drone by Barrie McDermid, they show the scale and layout of the Orchard and allotments. It’s hard to believe but just a few years ago this was just a grassy field.
An orchid has been spotted growing in the orchard. It may be a Common Spotted Orchard and we will update this post when this has been confirmed. Another example of the diverse wild life flourishing in the Orchard.
Update! This is a Common Spotted Orchard and we found another one when looking for the first orchid!
Two of our Orchard members set an early alarm so they could watch the Summer Solstice from the Orchard. Standing in front of the Walnut tree was the ideal place to watch the sunrise.
Four weeks of rain, sun and some dedicated mowing has created a beautiful wild flower meadow maze in the central square in the Orchard. If you want to visit the maze, the Orchard is open from dawn to dusk every day. Everyone is welcome.
Last year we left a large part of the central square un-mowed. Nature created a beautiful wild flower meadow.
This year we have gone one step further. One of our orchard members has designed a wild meadow maze for our enjoyment and puzzlement! A few weeks ago the maze was measured out and mowed. Two weeks on and the design is now showing. Watch this space for updates about it’s progress.
On Friday evening, 10th May, many of us were outside late in the evening watching for a rare glimpse of the Aurora. One of our orchard members was able to capture this image from the orchard.
Despite the cool and wet weather, spring flowers are creating a beautiful display in the Orchard!
The weather is now warming up (hopefully!) and the days are lengthening. If you take a walk around the Orchard you will see lots of signs that Spring is on it’s way.
The fruit trees are budding and there are some already in blossom. By May the Orchard trees will be clouds of pink and white. The soft fruit bushes are also showing signs of growth and the rhubarb, always the first fruit to grow, is on the move too.
We were lucky after such a rainy start of the year to have a dry and occasionally sunny day for our Wassailing.
We started the day with a winter pruning session. At 11.30 members and family gathered in the square for the Wassailing. Wassailing is a traditionally way of thanking the fruit trees for last year’s crop and to feed them with bread and cider to encourage the trees to produce a wonderful crop of fruit this year.
Traditionally everyone makes a lot of noise and taps the trees to wake them up from their winter sleep. Every year someone volunteers to be the Green Man. This year we had a Green Woman. In folklore the Green Man represents new life and often attends Wassailing events.
Many thanks to our wonderful musicians, singers and dancers for making the Wassailing such a success. Thanks also to Paul and Sonny for opening their home for us to share lunch together.
Lanchester Community Orchard 