Blossom time events late April and early May
by | posted in: apples, blossom, Days Cottage, Hartpury, Longney, New Events, orchard, Orchard Blossom Day, pears, pollination | 0

Blossom Day at Days Cottage

Sunday April 23rd 1.00 – 4.00 – details coming soon at dayscottage.co.uk

Hartpury Orchard Centre Blossom Day

Sunday 23 April 2023 12 noon-5pm Blossom day, enjoy a picnic in the orchard. Bar will be open.  https://www.hartpuryheritage.org.uk/events/blossom-day-event/

Big Apple Blossom time

Sunday 30 April and Monday 1 May 2023 at Much Marcle. https://www.bigapple.org.uk/blossomtime-putley/

Other Blossom opportunities

GOT’s Longney Orchard by the River Severn is pretty when the plum, pear and apple blossom is out. See access information here:  https://glosorchards.org/home/got-orchards/

Local community orchard groups such as Horfield Organic Community Orchard (Bristol) and Wolds End Orchard (Chipping Campden) often hold a lovely blossom event. Check their websites soon!

The Vale of Evesham has a blossom trail. https://www.visitevesham.co.uk/about-vale/blossom-trail/

Orchard Network Blossom Day Resources

https://www.orchardnetwork.org.uk/orchard-blossom-day

Hartpury Dawn Chorus Sunday 7th May 2023
by | posted in: biodiversity, Dawn Chorus, Events, Hartpury, New Events, orchard, wildlife | 0

Sunday 7 May 2023 05.00 Hartpury Orchard Centre.

An early start for those wanting to catch the dawn chorus. This is a joint event with the Orchard Centre and Gloucestershire Naturalist Society.

At 05.15 we set off, when the mists above Colliers Brook and Catsbury start to rise as the sun comes up. The slow ramble takes about 45 minutes, going through the perry pear orchards and alongside the lakes and reedbeds. It is a friendly informal morning.

Toast and hot drinks are served afterwards. We welcome quiet children – but sorry, no dogs. Meet at the Orchard Centre, Blackwell’s End, GL19 3DB, SO 784254, Hartpury, Gloucestershire. There is plenty of parking available. It is a free event, though donations are welcome to support the Orchard Centre and Trust work. Wellies or strong boots essential. Leader Mervyn Greening.

The Big Help Out – Coronation Volunteer Day at Longney!  8th May 2023
by | posted in: Longney, New Events, orchard, volunteers | 0

Our volunteering day at Longney, Monday 8th May 

As part of our informal get-together on 8th May, we’re teaming up with CPRE to help with their recently launched Hedgerow Hero project.  Hedges are the country’s largest nature reserve and  we’re going to assess the health of the hedges in and around our orchards at Longney and submit  our findings to their national database.  It’s all part of The Big Help Out

GOT Trustee David Lindgren (with GOT’s Tim Andrews of CPRE Gloucestershire) about the exciting The Big Help Out Day, a national event but here based at GOT’s Longney Orchard, just south of Gloucester. You and your families would be most welcome.

 

  • Arrive:  10:30 
  • Hedgerow Hero and Orchard Help Out 10:30 to 13:00 
  • Relaxation and Refreshment 13:00 onwards
For location and parking instructions click here.

First orchard is Long Tyning (long and thin) then Bollow. Also on site are Middle & Lower Orchards which have been planted up with heritage apple and plum trees of regional/national importance.

We look forward to seeing you! Any queries to David Lingren david@cotswoldfruit.co.uk

Please note there is no vehicular access, so please park at or near the white railings on the road, being mindful of neighbours.
The track is very muddy but the orchards are lovely and a wildlife haven. No dogs please; there are sheep and please keep gates closed.

There is a barn (with interpretation signage), chairs, composting loo and running cold water. Re health and safety, there is a first aid kit in the store in the barn. The ground is uneven, there are some brambles and low hanging branches. The river Severn is fenced off.

 

Grafting Workshops at Days Cottage 2023
by | posted in: Days Cottage, grafting, New Events, orchard, rootstock, varieties | 0

Grafting Workshops at Days Cottage 2023

  • Thursday 30th March 10.00am – 1.00pm
  • Thursday 6th April 10.00am – 1.00pm

Learn the ancient skill of propagating fruit trees by inserting a scion of your chosen variety into a rootstock. Take your tree home at the end of the session.

Rootstocks and a range of heritage variety scions provided. Includes refreshments and homemade flapjacks in our cosy yurt. £45.00

To book please contact applejuice@dayscottage.co.uk or 01452 813602

Longney Workshops throughout 2023
by | posted in: biodiversity, community, Events, GOT Events, Longney, meetings, New Events, orchard, planting, pruning, varieties, volunteers, workshop | 0

GOT orchardist Martin Hayes is running a series of workshops at GOT’s lovely Longney Orchard, south of Gloucester.

Date will be (many not yet confirmed):

  • Friday Feb 17th Pruning, mature apple trees (10:00 to 15:00)
  • Wednesday Mar 22nd Pruning, young apple & pear trees (10:00 to 15:00)
  • Wednesday Apr 12th Pruning, young apple & pear trees (10:00 to 15:00)
  • Wednesday 10th May Pruning, mature plum trees (10:00 to 15:00)
  • Wednesday 14th June Pruning, young plum trees (10:00 to 15:00)
  • July, date tbc General maintenance
  • Aug, date tbc General maintenance
  • Aug, date tbc Pick your own plums
  • Sept, date tbc Pick your own plums (and apples, if any are ripe)
  • Oct, date tbc Fruit picking for Trust Juice
We are hoping that a regular work-party will be able to help with general maintenance, but no commitment if you just want to attend a pruning workshop.
There is a barn (with interpretation signage), chairs, composting loo and running cold water. Have your lunch in the barn!
Martin is very knowledgeable; so much to learn/share. He will go through health and safety with you. He is first aid trained and we have a first aid kit in the store. The ground is uneven, there are some brambles and low hanging branches.
Tools will be provided, but do bring your own saws, secateurs and gloves if you can. Please bring own refreshments and appropriate footwear and weather attire.
No dogs please; there are sheep and please keep gates closed.
No vehicular access, so please park at or near the white railings on the road, being mindful of neighbours.
If anyone is able to take a couple of photos on the day (if no one objects) for the GOT website, please let us know, thank you via info@glosorchards.org
First orchard is Long Tyning (long and thin) then Bollow. Also on site are Middle & Lower Orchards which have been planted up with heritage apple and plum trees of regional/national importance.
Please book (essential) via info@glosorchards.org and on the day please bring emergency contact details for Martin.
£5 for GOT members for just the workshops (and £20 for non members, which includes a year’s membership).
You can pay through the Donate button on the GOT website at https://glosorchards.org/home/join-us-got-membership/
(non members can also join on that page).

Longney Workshop News
by | posted in: Longney, orchard, pruning, volunteers, workshop | 0

The first of our planned monthly workshops at Longney Orchard took place on 18th January.

A small team of energetic (and young) people pruned about 8 to 10 trees at the far end of the Long Tyning part of the orchard.

The prunings have been gathered into piles, but some limbs are rather big for manhandling so there are several piles of wood.

These will be tackled and sorted, and tidying up pruned wood at a later date.

More Longney workshops are planned – details will be posted on the website.

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GOT in the news #3: Martin and Tim on Youtube
by | posted in: apples, Longney, orchard, orchard history, pears, perry pears, plums, TV, varieties, video, volunteers | 0

Gloucestershire’s Country Matters – interview with expert orchardist Martin Hayes, on CPRE Gloucestershire’s Youtube channel:

This is a video filmed in GOT’s orchards at Longney:  This is the summary from the CPRE page:

An interview with Tim Andrews, County Director of CPRE Gloucestershire, and Martin Hayes. Martin is an expert orchardist and key member of the Gloucestershire Orchard Trust. The interview explores why orchards are special to Martin and Gloucestershire, and the work Martin does to reverse their decline. Around 75% of orchards have been lost in Gloucestershire in the last 50 years.

The interview was filmed in Longney, near Gloucester at an orchard owned by the Gloucestershire Orchard Trust. CPRE Gloucestershire is presently helping to restore around 10 acres of orchard at near Slimbridge in Gloucestershire.

Tim Andrews directed, filmed and edited the video – it was his first try at doing this.  And it is rather good, though Tim says ‘improvements are planned for next time’.

 

GOT in the news #2: BBC Countryfile
by | posted in: mistletoe, orchard, TV, volunteers | 0

Gloucestershire orchards featured in the Christmas broadcast of BBC Countryfile, on 18th December.

Countryfile’s Adam Henson, a Gloucestershire farmer himself, joined GOT’s Jonathan Briggs and Tim Andrews in tackling excess mistletoe in an orchard at Moreton Valence.  Jonathan talked to Adam about mistletoe issues and Tim brought along the kit to do the work and talked Adam through the process. And passed round some of his cider afterwards.

The whole piece lasted for about 6 minutes – which is not bad of this sort of programme!

You can view the whole programme (the orchard section starts at about 13 minutes in) at https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001gcmv/countryfile-rockingham-castle

There are some screenshots below:

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GOT in the news #1: Martin and the planting of 400 trees
by | posted in: orchard, planting, volunteers | 0

Martin Hayes’ recent, and very successful, work to plant more orchard trees as part of a Trees for Climate Change project has generated a lot of interest, including from the media. He liaised with Gloucestershire County Council to give heritage fruit trees to community orchard groups and individuals across the county – many thanks to him and all who have taken part.

David Lindgren, Chair of GOT, said “Over 400 fruit trees are being planted around the county in about 20 orchards. Orchards remain under great threat in Gloucestershire. They continue to decline due to the lack of maintenance, excessive mistletoe and lack of succession planting. We hope that this will add to the work that the Trust already does helping to reverse the decline. Much of the hard work applying for the various grants was undertaken by orchardist and member of the Trust, Martin Hayes. Martin has travelled around Europe thanks to his work with orchards. His most recent visit was to Hungary to share his knowledge and research how orchards are managed in central Europe.

Martin added “The biodiversity value of traditional orchards like we see in Gloucestershire is huge. These trees will help make sure there are healthy orchard habitats in 50 years time across the county.”

The initiative has been covered the Stroud News and Journal, The Gazette, Stroud Times and Punchline. And has been filmed for BBC Points West – more about that – and a Radio interview – soon.

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