The Orchard Project

This cherry tree was snapped 3yrs ago. Here's the fix:
Pack crushed garlic over wound, held with woven bandage. Remove bandage & garlic paste after 2-3 days.
Splint break together with hessian bandage. Remove bandage after 5-6 wks
Place a mini sports cone on the trunk above wound to keep rain off

🌱 This is what resilience looks like! A winter storm cracked a branch of this damson tree.

When it came to summer pruning this week, a tiny new shoot was spotted just below the damaged branch, complete with two damsons attached 💚

#CommunityOrchards #Damson

Take a restful five minutes to read about what our students discovered on a trip to Royal Horticultural Society, Wisley 👉 www.theorchardproject.org.uk/news/rhs-wis... There is a top tip for those who like to grow peaches 🍑

#RHSWisley #CommunityOrchards #HorticultureCourses #ArboricultureCourses

If you're at RHS Hampton Court festival today or tomorrow, pop in the Green Careers tent (marque 419) and have a chat with us about our accredited courses 😊

Volunteer crouching beside a newly planted fruit tree.

We will be at the Royal Horticultural Society Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival on Thurs & Fri this week.

Find us in the Green Careers Hub - marquee number 419.

Pop in to say hello - we'd love to see you 👋

#CommunityOrchards #ForestGardening #HorticultureCourses #RHSHamptonCourt

Keeping urban trees healthy in dry weather - The Orchard Project How often should I water my young fruit trees? This blog has everything you need to know about watering apple trees and more.

Top tips here from our London project manager Lewis to keep your fruit trees thriving in hot weather 👉 www.theorchardproject.org.uk/blog/water-b...

#CommunityOrchards

Just a few days left to nominate your amazing community volunteers! 🙌

form.jotform.com/251403479245...

😂

Cherries in a bowl being held in a garden

Is there anything better than heading out in early summer to pick fruit for your breakfast?

Thanks to our training co-ordinator Sarah for sharing this scrumptious photo of her homegrown cherries with us. We're impressed she managed to get any before the blackbirds did!

#CommunityOrchards

Don't forget to give your apple trees a helping hand with the June drop if they need it this month 🍏

Holly Blue butterfly on a blueberry bush

Interested in knowing more about #forestgardening? If so, we have an event happening at Edible Landscapes #London next Saturday (14 June) that you might like 😃
www.tickettailor.com/.../theorcha...

To celebrate National Volunteer Week (2-8 June) we're asking for nominations for our Community Orchard Volunteer of the Year Award. This can be anyone who is part of an orchard we've helped to create in the UK.

Simply fill out this short form by 30 June👉https://form.jotform.com/251403479245356

Our work has inspired London poet Cecilia Knapp.

The @citybridgefndn.bsky.social poet in residence drew inspiration from the city's community gardens and orchards, and the dedication of the volunteers who care for them.
Find out more: 👉 www.theorchardproject.org.uk/news/poetic-...

📷 Audrey Damier

Bee on alium flower

Happy International #BiodiversityDay 🎉

Here's a few ideas to bring more biodiversity into your orchard:

🍎 Add mulch to fruit trees to regulate soil moisture & temperature & encourage fungi growth

🌸 Choose plants for pollinators that flower throughout the seasons

💦 Include a pond or bird bath

Tomorrow we are celebrating International Day for Biodiversity 🌍

Did you know that orchards are a priority habitat under the UK’s Biodiversity Action Plan? Learn more here 👉 www.theorchardproject.org.uk/guides_and_a...

#BiodiversityDay #CommunityOrchards #CommunityGardening #UrbanTrees

Thanks!

£50k boost for our orchard work in Swansea - The Orchard Project People's Postcode Lottery win results in a £50k boost for our work with schools and communities in Swansea over the next year.

How's that for a great birthday present?! £50k from the #PeoplesPostcodeLottery 🥳

www.theorchardproject.org.uk/news/50k-boo...

Eight images celebrating The Orchard Project's work. Community celebrations, children eating apples, apple pressing, apple blossom and community groups.

🎊 Happy Birthday to us!

Today The Orchard Project celebrates its 16th birthday.

Founded in 2009 as the London Orchard Project we remain the only national charity dedicated solely to creating, maintaining and celebrating community orchards.

#CommunityOrchards #GrowYourOwn #CommunityGardening

We’re back! Urban Tree Festival 2025 is here to celebrate the trees that shape our cities.
Join us for walks, talks, art, and more—exploring the stories rooted in our urban forest.

Tickets now open: urbantreefestival.org/the-programm...
#UrbanTreeFestival

Group of people adding woodchip milch to cardboard in an urban setting.

The #UrbanTreeFestival, which runs from 10-18 May, has become a key event in the environmental calendar.

Daniella, one of our staff, is helping to lead a session as part of the festival at the newly-created Tiny Orchard in #Hendon. London this Sunday 11 May.
www.tickettailor.com/events/urban...

White daisies in long grass.

We are encouraging everyone to join in with @plantlifeuk.bsky.social #NoMowMay.

This brilliant annual campaign encourages us all to manage our grassed areas for nature. We love leaving 'wild' patches of grass for wildlife in our #CommunityOrchards orchards 🐝!

#PowerToTheFlowers

Members of the local community at The Khizra Orchard free orchard care learning workshop earlier this month.

Members of the local community putting in tree stakes.

The Khizra Orchard hosted a free orchard care learning workshop earlier this month.

The local community joined Tony, one of The Orchard Project's brilliant facilitators, to learn more about caring for fruit trees so they continue to produce fruit for all to enjoy.

#CommunityOrchards #OrchardSkills

So glad to hear that 🙏

Members of the community planting berry bushes and herbs.

The newly planted border at the Community Orchard enjoying the sunshine.

In recent weeks we jointly hosted a community picnic with Friends of Cheetham Park and Manchester City Council to celebrate a wonderful new orchard at Cheetham Park.

Project Manager, Joe, planted a beautiful border full of herbs and berries with the community on the day.

#CommunityOrchards

It's damson, cherry, apple, pear 😊

Very close!

How's your blossom ID skills? As it's nearly Orchard Blossom Day, we thought we'd have a little fun and test your knowledge 🌸

There are four different fruit tree blossoms in this image. Can you you guess what they are? (answer from top L c/wise)

Thankyou 🙏

Love #ForestGardening 🍓? If you're looking to create a more productive, edible space of your own, check out our upcoming course: www.theorchardproject.org.uk/what-we-do/f...

Micro Forest Gardening Permaculture garden designer, Pippa Chapman, shares her top tips for making a mini forest garden.

Great article from Permaculture Magazine by @pippachapman.bsky.social about #ForestGardens.

www.permaculture.co.uk/articles/mic... @pippachapman.bsky.social

If it's whet your appetite, we have our Award in Forest Gardening course coming up soon! 👉 bit.ly/448KKsh