Old Varieties

Celebrating and remembering old fruit and vegetable varieties

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Medlar Trees

National Trust feature Medlars at Chelsea

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
National Trust Stand under construction at Chelsea 2011
Nine British companies have come together to form the National Trust Garden Collection, offering a range of gardening items from summerhouses to spades, sales of which generate income for the Trust’s conservation work including that of its gardens.

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 for NTGC stand at Cheslea 2011
Medlar trees will reflect the National Trust forests and woodlands
converted shed in the garden which once belonged to George Bernard Shaw where he created many of his masterpieces.

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.

Looking for Medlars

Medlars are one of our ancient British fruits making a come back.

During the middle ages, people would have been very familiar with this strange looking small fruit which is actually eaten in it’s over ripe or “bletted” stage.

Common Medlar
Common Medlar

No longer in commercial cultivation, old gardens are generally home to the only trees in the UK.  Some of these trees will be about two hundred years old.

Tracklements Ltd. in Wiltshire have launched a delicious new Medlar Jelly. Great with turkey, pheasant or game it is perfect for the Christmas table or the cold cuts’ table for left-over meat.

The medlars for this jelly were picked by the kind people int he surrounding area. You can see pictures of the donatees and picking adventures on their facebook page.

Tracklements started a quest to find some of these ancient medlar trees and the option of taking the unused fruit in return for finished product.

BBC Countryfile heard of this project and joined them picking for a day.

Put your fruit to work

We are aware that there are various food producers around the UK who will take in unused fruit from gardens and orchards in return for a quantity of finished product.

It would be handy for producers and growers if we could create a database of people willing to link up and put the country’s unused fruit to good use.  If you are interested in joining our list then please contact us via the comments section at the end of this post.

More information

Common Medlar – More information about the Common Medlar

Tracklements Ltd

BBC Countryfile

Common Medlar

The medlar is an ancient fruit native to Iran and there are records of it’s cultivation since the 2nd Century BC, being grown by ancient Greeks and Romans.

Common Medlar
Common Medlar

Medlars were very popular during the Victorian era. The large shrubs or small trees growing up to 8 m tall is deciduous. The dark green, elliptical leaves are about six to fifteen centimetres long and three to four centimetres wide. They turn a spectacular red in autumn before falling.

The five-petalled white flowers are produced in late spring, they are hermaphrodite and pollinated by bees.

The matte brown fruit is a pome, two to three centimetres in diameter, with wide-spreading persistent sepals giving a “hollow” appearance. It’s popular slang name is “Dog’s Bottom”.

Medlar fruit are very hard and acidic, only becoming edible after being bletted (softened by frost), or naturally in storage given sufficient time.

Once softening begins, the skin rapidly takes a wrinkled texture and turns dark brown, and the inside reduces to a consistency and flavour reminiscent of apple sauce. They can then be eaten raw, often consumed with cheese as a dessert, although they are also used to make medlar jelly and wine. Another dish is “medlar cheese”, which is similar to lemon curd, being made with the fruit pulp, eggs, and butter.

Acorn Bank at Temple Sowerby in Cumbria is home to two very large Medlar trees.

Medlar recipes on the Garden Organic website.
Medlar Cheese recipe.
Growing and Pruning Medlars – Advice from the Royal Horticultural Society