Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust is creating a new fruit orchard using 60 local variety apple, pear and plum trees at the Trust’s Vell Mill nature reserve near Newent.

Over the last 30 years traditional orchards have declined by 67% in the county , and the Trust is calling upon the help of the local community and it’s supporters to take part.

60 different fruit tree varieties will be planted, including the traditional Gloucestershire varieties, Jackets and Waistcoats, Lemon Pippin and Jacob Plum.

Jan Ryder, Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust’s Community Fundraiser said: “Not only do orchards provide mouthwatering fruits for us to relish, but they are an ideal place for lesser spotted woodpecker and mistletoe to thrive, and we are overjoyed to be creating a new orchard for all to enjoy.”

Many of the trees are being dedicated to individual people, 12 will be planted in recognition of Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust’s past Chairmen, and a number will be planted for the local community.

Mrs Jeffries, of Cheltenham, has dedicated a tree for her son, said: “I am pleased to be able to support this orchard as I feel passionately about preserving old local trees and customs. The idea is to make this a living legacy so that when I am no longer here my son will have something to remember me by.”

All the trees will be given special treatment by being blessed using the old custom of balancing cider-soaked toast on the branches, and adding a trickle of local cider to water the roots.

Once common across southern England, meadow clary, a rare blue wild flower, had almost disappeared from the Gloucestershire countryside.

However, following a rescue attempt by a conservation partnership including site-owners Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, Natural England and farmer Bill Powell, the future of meadow clary is more secure and can be enjoyed for generations to come.

Box Farm Meadows, known locally as Stuart Fawkes Nature Reserve, near Nailsworth is one of the most important sites in Britain for meadow clary and is protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSI).

Meadow clary was first recorded in Gloucestershire in 1796.

Plantlife expert Tim Wilkins said: "I’ve been working on conserving meadow clary with Plantlife for over ten years and I can truly say this is an unprecedented result'

"Gloucestershire is a vital part of the plant’s distribution which is almost entirely confined to the Cotswolds."

"When we started this project four years ago, meadow clary was facing extinction at the site but, thanks to this conservation partnership, the proportion of young plants at Box Farm Meadows has increased from 2% to 30%.

"With nearly a third of the population now consisting of young plants, the future of the wild flower is much rosier."

Nerve-wracking decision

Previously, cattle had been removed from the nature reserve over summer when meadow clary was in flower.

Unfortunately, over time, this had led to coarse grass dominating and the dense vegetation was preventing the meadow clary from dropping its seed onto the ground and germinating.

In a radically counter-intuitive move, the conservationists asked farmer Bill Powell to keep his livestock on the site over the summer.

This flower is highly adapted to withstand grazing and appears to spread sideways via underground shoots when continuously grazed.

It was a nerve-wracking decision to make as meadow clary had been categorised as in 100% decline at the site, the worst possible condition of assessment, and the wrong decision could have ended its place in the Gloucestershire flora.

Four years later, the coarse grasses have receded, there are many more wild flowers, and pockets of bare ground have allowed meadow clary seed to germinate.

Meadow clary fact file

• Meadow clary has striking violet-blue flowers, aromatic leaves and can grow up to 80cm tall.
• The name ‘clary’ is derived from ‘clear-eye’ and refers to the traditional use of meadow clary seeds to treat sore and inflamed eyes.
• Sometimes known as meadow sage, the plant’s botanical name Salvia pratensis hints at its historical use – salvia comes from the Latin for salvation, and the plant was said to be sown on graves in medieval times.

A conservation project to save the juniper bush in lowland England appears to be working, according to the charity Plantlife.

Three hundred juniper seedlings are now growing at nine sites, where existing juniper bushes were old and incapable of reproducing.

The project has involved trialling new techniques on the chalk and limestone of lowland southern England.

The aromatic berries are used in the production of gin.

Tim Wilkins, Plantlife’s Species Recovery Coordinator who led the project, said: "Plantlife’s Great Juniper Hunt survey in 2010-11 showed that many populations of juniper were shrinking as bushes died of old age, with nearly a quarter of sites supporting just one bush.

"85% of sites surveyed contained no seedlings up to five years old.

"To get the next generation of juniper, you need good numbers of both male and female juniper bushes at each site, plenty of viable seed and the right conditions for germination and growth of seedlings, free of hungry rabbits and grazing stock.'

"The loss of juniper would have represented more than the loss of a single species: it supports more than 40 species of insect and fungus that cannot survive without it."

Period of decline

Juniper is an important part of our ancient landscape and culture and, according to Plantlife, one of the first trees to colonise Britain after the last Ice Age.

Juniper populations have fluctuated but on the whole declined over a long period, with many southern English counties having lost 60-70% of their populations.

Without action, juniper was facing extinction here in the next 50 years, so in early 2010,

"There is no single cause for juniper decline" added Mr Wilkins, "but loss of seedling habitat through under-grazing and the development of dense grassland and scrub, seems to be the most widespread."

Preventing infection

The word ‘gin’ derives from either genièvre or jenever - the French and Dutch words for ‘juniper’.

The berries are also used in cooking, particularly to flavour game dishes. In the 19th century, when a law was introduced outlawing unlicensed whisky stills, juniper was harvested for fuel for this illicit trade as it burns with an almost invisible smoke.

Juniper has also long been used for its medicinal qualities.

During the 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic, hospitals experimented with spraying vapourised oils into the atmosphere of flu wards in an attempt to prevent air-borne infection spreading and juniper was one of those found to be particularly effective.

Breaking new ground for juniper

The techniques used throughout the project are detailed in a new Plantlife guide - Breaking new ground for juniper – a lowland management handbook.

The Lowland England Juniper Project was funded by Natural England, Biffaward and Buckinghamshire County Council, with additional funding from the HDH Wills Charitable Trust.

The National Trust has revealed that despite the UK being a nation of apple lovers, the majority of Britons cannot identify home grown varieties.

The charity is urging people to ‘take the right bite’ this Autumn to make the most of the unique British flavours available and help save UK orchards.

Heritage varieties of apples collected in a wooden tray - Credit-NTPL / William-Shaw.

Research shows that although more than half of us, 53%, crunch into an apple each week. However, 41% of people who eat apples find it difficult to pick out British grown apples.

While British grown varieties such as the Bramley, Cox Orange Pippin and Egremont Russet are recognised by some apple eaters, 61% of adults wrongly guessed that the Granny Smith is grown on UK soil, when it originates from Australia. Similarly, almost a quarter of people (23%) thought that the Pink Lady is grown in the UK.

As part of its Food Glorious Food campaign , the National Trust has launched its guide ‘How to eat an apple’ to encourage people to buy British grown apples and help ensure our apple heritage is preserved.

Fiona Reynolds, Director General at the National Trust said: “British apples are now being harvested and we’re spoilt for choice with local flavours.  Whether it’s the rich, sweet Cox, or the nutty Egremont Russet we urge everyone to chose and enjoy home grown varieties throughout the day. We need more people to choose British and help protect our orchards. 70 % of apples bought in the UK are imported and this must change.”

The survey also showed that  a quarter of 18-24 year olds do not eat apples at all.

Rachel Brewer, Pommelier for the National Trust, said: “It’s been another fantastic year for apples, all thanks to our unusually hot Spring, which has meant apple blossom has been able to set earlier. There’s such a variety of UK apples ready for picking at the moment; Early Worcester, is a great eating apple and Tom Putt, perfect for cider, but also a very good juice apple too. My favourite is the Ten Commandments, a bright red, really sweet apple which goes brilliantly with blue cheese and port.”

Research sources

Some data supplied by YouGov Plc.  Total sample size was 2000 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 1 to 4 July 2011.  The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).

Additional data supplied by Campaign for Real Farming; http://www.campaignforrealfarming.org/2010/06/community-orchards/

Over 29 new varieties of cider apple have been created following a selection and propagation process that started in 1984. With many being harvested for the first time this year.

Over 365 cidre apples are grown in the UK. - credit NACM

The new apple varieties have in the main been given female names -  Lizzy, Amelia, Amanda, Jenny, Hastings, Connie, Helen's Apple, Jane, Tina, Vicky, Naomi, Nicky, Angela, Gilly, Willy, Joanna, Maggie, Hannah, Jean, Sally, Fiona, Tracey, Eleni, Betty and Debbie.

Royal connections

There is a royal connection with the naming of another as Prince William and three other varieties Three Counties, Shamrock and Early Bird make up the new batch.

The final apple selection was made in 2007 and a first crop is being harvested in 2011 to join the existing 365 varieties already grown in the UK.

It can take up to five years for new orchards to produce apples and it is typically ten years before the grower will breakeven following the investment to plant a new orchard.

Over two million new cider apple trees were planted between 1995 and 2006.

New apple varieties

Many of the new varieties of apple have taken 25 years to breed .

The long-term project is being managed by NACM as part of ongoing research to improve the quality of apples available to cider makers.

Working on the project throughout has been Liz Copas, consultant pomologist to the NACM and a leading authority on cider apples.

One new variety has even been named 'Lizzy' after her.

She said: ''Harvest is an important and exciting time but even more so given the time and effort invested to produce new varieties.

''We hope to prove that the new fruit offers growers and cider makers the best combination of juice quality and high yields whilst requiring limited intervention during the growing season.''

Cider apples differ from culinary and dessert fruit as the cider maker is interested in what flavours are present in the apple juice to be able to produce a range of styles of cider are possible.

The hundreds of varieties of apples each offer different levels of tannin, acidity, astringency and natural sweetness - all the components that combine to produce the flavours and character in cider, just as in wine.

Early harvest

Britain's cider harvest gets underway a month earlier than usual in 2011 due to the warm spring weather, and growers are expecting a bumper crop.

Over 200,000 tonnes of apples will be picked within the next ten weeks.

Nearly half of all apples grown in the UK are used to make cider and many thousands of acres of new orchards have been planted in the last 15 years to keep pace with the increasing demand for the drink.

Gabe Cook, spokesman for the National Association of Cider Makers (NACM), said: " An early harvest is an encouraging sign for the industry.

''The harvest has started earlier but then we saw an early blossom in spring.

''We are expecting a good harvest and we are especially pleased to see new orchards being harvested after the investment in planting"

Around 10 million hectolitres, or 1.76 billion pints, of cider are enjoyed by UK consumers every year according to the NACM.

Over 100 varieties of apples will be on display

Over 100 varieties of apples will be on display at the West Dean College and Gardens Apple Affair in October.

Experts will also be available to help identify any apples that are brought along.

John Nash, former fruit farmer and President of the West Sussex Fruit Group said: " It has been an ideal year for Cox apples because of the cooler temperatures.

"We’ve had a good hard, cold winter with few warm periods. The warm spells we have had in June enabled productive pollination, which is good for cell division of fruit, which makes for great apples."

Apple growers can also seek advice from the 'Apple Doctors' who can help identify disease or problems in plants.

Apples of every shape and size will also be available for visitors to taste.  Many of these have been grown in the Victorian walled kitchen garden on site.

Rosemary Moon, writer, chef and creator of an online cookery website, MoonBites, will also be demonstrating her favourite apple recipes.

West Dean House

As part of the Apple Affair West Dean House will open to the public.

The flint-faced mansion, which only opens once a year, was once home to Edward James and is now a College specialising in all aspects of arts, crafts, conservation and making.

Visitors will be able to see the three state rooms, the Old Dining Room, the Music Room, the vast Oak Reception Hall and the Old Library. All are furnished with art and antiques.

Further information

Admission to the Apple Affair is £8.00 for adults plus concessions.

The event  takes place on the 1st and 2nd October 2011 between 10.30am and 5pm. Last entry for the house is 4.30pm.

Please note, no dogs are allowed in the event or grounds during the Apple Affair, except assistance dogs.

Access to restaurant and shop to event ticket holders only.

West Dean College is situated on the A286, six miles north of Chichester and six miles south of Midhurst.
Address: West Dean College, Chichester, West Sussex, PO18 OQZ   www.westdean.org.uk

Orchid Show at Tatton Park - Sunday 5th June - 10am - 4pm. - Tatton's orchid house open 1pm - 4pm.

The North of England Orchid Society are hosts to Orchid nurseries and other orchid societies who will gather together to  bring to the Tenants' Hall at Tatton Park one of the largest displays of orchids you will find.

The Tenants' Hall at Tatton Park will host one of the largest displays of orchids you will find

Not only will visitors admire the beauty of hundreds of orchids in full bloom, but they will also be able to buy from a selection of orchids for sale to suit all tastes and pockets, from a simple and inexpensive houseplant to those hard to find plants for the dedicated orchid grower, and lots of advice for beginners as well.

Did you know that orchids are the largest family of flowering plant life?

There are over 30,000 different species, just a fraction of these will be enough to fill the Tenant's Hall at Tatton Park with many massive displays of blooms for the enjoyment of those who visit us on the 5th June. Orchid show free to enter.

Park entry charges apply. Call 01942 810958 for more info.

The National Trust will launch their new Garden Collection at Chelsea 2011 and the stand will feature old varieties, including the ancient medlar.

National Trust Stand under construction at Chelsea 2011

The collection – which includes products from Alitex Greenhouses, Crane Sheds, Gaze Burvill outdoor furniture, Oak Leaf Gates, Scotts of Thrapston Summerhouses and Westminster Stone - will be launched at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May.

The exhibition stand, which will also feature National Trust plants, has been designed by Louise Harries, graduate of the London College of Garden Design, who won a competition to design and build the stand.

Wherever possible plants for the stand will be grown and supplied by the nurseries at the National Trust properties Lanhydrock and Killerton.

Heritage Varieties

Heritage varieties are to be used where possible and this has proved quite a challenge, not least the hot weather bringing on all the plants and rabbits finding them very tasty! Medlar trees at the back of the stand are designed to reflect the orchards of the National Trust.

On winning the National Trust Garden Collection stand competition, Louise said: "To create a garden space showcasing the best in British design and craftsmanship for the National Trust at The Chelsea Flower Show; a great British institution, is a dream project for me. I'm thrilled to be a part of the team."

Each item in the garden collection takes inspiration from the extensive gardens, buildings, collections and land in the National Trust’s care and all are produced using traditional crafts and techniques.

For example, Scotts of Thrapston Summerhouses have based their licensed designs on outdoor structures cared for by the Trust, including the

Medlar trees will reflect the National Trust forests and woodlands

Whereas Gaze Burvill has concentrated on traditional wood crafts that can be seen at so many properties through the National Trust and using these have designed and produced garden furniture which is new and innovative, thereby creating heritage for future generations.

Phillippa Green, Brand Licensing Manager at the National Trust said, “We are delighted to be working with such an amazing group of companies who share our passion for the National Trust and its principles and who are working collaboratively in order to support the charity so effectively.”

British suppliers

Garden Furniture by Gaze Burvill
Turning Table/Seat Set made from English FSC Sweet Chestnut from a wood in Herefordshire.

Greenhouses by Alitex
Seven greenhouse designs inspired by gardens cared for by the National Trust, including Hidcote Manor Garden and Scotney Castle.

Sheds by Crane Sheds and Summerhouses
Three traditional shed designs inspired by design influences from a number of properties in East Anglia, including Felbrigg Hall and Sheringham Park.

Stone Paving by Westminster Stone
A range of paving inspired by traditional designs examples of which can be found within many properties cared for by the National Trust with a contemporary flavour.

Summerhouses by Scotts of Thrapston
Two summerhouse designs based on structures in the Trust’s care; The Writers Retreat (George Bernard Shaw’s summerhouse) and The Reading Room (summerhouse belonging to Virginia Woolf).

Wild Bird Care by Wildlife Habitats
A range of bird boxes, bird feeders, bird tables, wild animal habitats and wild bird food made from sustainable materials to encourage wildlife to visit your garden.

Wooden Gates by Oak Leaf Gates
A range of traditionally crafted contemporary design wooden garden gates made from British FSC oak.

More information

RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2011

The Common Medlar - Discover more about this strange fruit which has been used in Britain since medieval times.

NTGC - National Trust Garden Collection which will launch at Chelsea 2011.
By choosing National Trust licensed products, consumers help to support the work of the charity in continuing to preserve the many beautiful places and spaces in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for everyone to enjoy – forever for everyone.

The National Trust - a charity with a love for preserving historic places and spaces across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Government permission is being sought for plans to regenerate two areas of native juniper woodland in the Cumbrian Lake District.

Juniperus Communis

The proposed project aims to fence off nearly 30 acres of Glenridding Common, alongside one of the popular walking routes up to Helvellyn,  for up to 15 years.

By keeping grazing animals out of this area, the native juniper woodland will have a chance to re-establish itself, assisted by some new planting.

Details of the proposed fencing near Glenridding Youth Hostel and the old Greenside Mines and information about how to make comments will be on show in Patterdale Village Store and on the national park website; www.lakedistrict.gov.uk until 29 April.

The proposals have been drawn up by the Lake District National Park Authority, the graziers on the common and Natural England. The LDNPA has already consulted with other interested partners including the parish council, the Local Access Forum and Friends of the Lake District.

The decision on whether to approve the proposals will be made by the Planning Inspectorate on behalf of the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

The Head of Environment and Heritage for the national park, Andrew Herbert, said fencing was needed to promote the regeneration and growth of juniper by the exclusion of grazing animals. He appreciated that people would have a range of views about the project which needed to be considered.  He Added;

“Our native juniper is a rare habitat in a European context. As such it represents an important component of the Helvellyn and Fairfield Site of Special Scientific Interest of which Glenridding Common forms part.

“Grazing is preventing the natural regeneration of juniper on the Common and the proper establishment of young plants that are still present. Successful regeneration of the juniper will contribute to meeting national scientific conservation targets and enhance this important part of the national park’s spectacular landscape."

Comments on the scheme should be sent to: the Planning Inspectorate, Room 4/05, Kite Wing, Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Temple Quay, Bristol, BS1 6PN.

More information

National Park Authority

Rare tomatoes from a Garden Organic collection of endangered vegetables and fruit will be made available for gardeners this spring thanks to a new venture.

Garden Organic, the UK's leading organic growing charity, has teamed up with Delfland Nurseries to make a selection of tomato plants available from the charity’s Heritage Seed Library – a collection of vegetables made up of varieties either dropped from seed catalogues or handed down as family heirlooms, at risk of otherwise being lost from gardens forever.

The Heritage Seed Library works to conserve varieties by growing its accessions for seed each year, building stock and distributing seed to its 10,000 strong membership. This is the first time that the varieties have been made available as plants, other than at the charity’s HQ, Ryton gardens.

Through the new venture, gardeners will be able to buy The Heritage Seed Library tomato collection consisting of 6 plants containing the varieties: Jubilee, Darby Pink-Yellow, Tomato Noir, Pink Cherry, Yellow Currant and Wladeck via mail order. All of the plants are organic, peat free, and grown by Delfland Nurseries with £2.23 from each pack supporting Garden Organic's work.

Head of the Heritage Seed Library, Neil Munro said, “The Heritage Seed Library is famous for its vast selection of tomato varieties. Hopefully this venture will see more gardeners growing and enjoying these varieties, which without the work of the Heritage Seed Library would no longer be available. We hope the more people that grow and enjoy this tomato collection, the more they will understand why it is important that we conserve them.”

Jill Vaughan of Delfland Nurseries said, “It’s a great opportunity to be able to access seed from this very important collection of vegetables and make them available to gardeners. There are some real gems in this tomato collection and we’re pleased to be able to give gardeners the chance to buy them as ready grown, peat-free plug plants to get their gardening off to a head start.”

Delfland Nurseries is taking orders for the tomato plants now and delivery dates for the collection are: March, April and early May.

To order your Heritage Seed Library tomato collection visit www.organicplants.co.uk or call 01354 740553 (Mon to Fri 9am – 5pm).

Tomato "Jubilee"
Indeterminate. Cordon. Previously commercially available. Described as “the best flavoured yellow". Produces a heavy yield of slightly flattened globes of around 170-200gms; fruits have a mild but good flavour.

Tomato "Darby Pink-Yellow Striped"
Indeterminate. Cordon. Saved seed from striped tomato fruit from the Glasshouse Crops Research Institute, Littlehampton. Do equally well in polytunnels, a cold greenhouse in pots and outside in a pot against a south-facing wall. Flavour is best when fruit are really ripe.

Tomato "Noir"
Indeterminate. Cordon. This variety was donated to the Heritage Seed Library by John Yeoman of the Village Guild. Produces large, sweet flavoured, dark red fruit with green shoulders. John Yeoman describes them as "a rare and decorative novelty.

Tomato "Pink Cherry"
Semi-determinate. Pinch out side (axial) shoots regularly. Prolific and hardy doing well both outdoors and under glass. The small, plum-shaped fruits begin pink, becoming red once ripe, have a pleasant, mild flavour and look wonderful in a mixed salad.

Tomato "Yellow Currant"
Indeterminate. Cordon. Originally a South American wild tomato. Bushy plants produce an abundance of tiny (1/2") bright yellow tomatoes with a sweet taste.

Tomato "Wladeck's"
Indeterminate. Cordon. Brought over from Poland after World War II by Wladeck Neitzgoda. This prolific variety can be grown outdoors or under glass. "Heavy trusses, which require ingenuity to support. Fruits are large and vari-sized beefsteak-type…the taste is a revelation - unsurpassed flavour and aroma."

More information

Garden Organic - Heritage Seed Library

Delfland Nurseries - Leading organic propagator.