tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80562384989947377342024-03-05T03:04:13.787-08:00The Orchard YearThe Orchard Yearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08913622318566052121noreply@blogger.comBlogger103125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056238498994737734.post-71234176089681787582014-07-19T11:39:00.000-07:002014-07-19T11:39:03.795-07:00Apis Mellifera: Honey Bee a high-speed short video filmed by Michael N SuttonMichael N Sutton wanted to film bees in high-speed<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe src="//player.vimeo.com/video/100367111" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe> <p><a href="http://vimeo.com/100367111">"Apis Mellifera: Honey Bee" a high-speed short</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/michaelsutton">Michael N Sutton / @MNS1974</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
"I have wanted to film bee's for quite a while and
luckily for me there happened to be an apiary in my town. Allen Lindahl
owner of <a href="http://www.hillsidebees.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">hillsidebees.com</a>
stepped up and allowed me to film his hives. It was 92 degrees out and
the sun was bearing down, but I was told sunny days are when the bee's
are most active. Without a bee outfit, I was ready to shoot. I was able
to get pretty close to one of the hives (about one and a half feet)
which was perfect for using the Canon 100mm Macro IS. I primarily
filmed with the Canon 30-105mm Cinema zoom lens wide open. I also used a
300mm Tamron and a Nikon 50mm. I had my trusty Sound Devices Pix 240i
as a field monitor and for recording ProRes via the HD-SDI out of the
Photron BC2 HD/2K. It was very hard to track the bee's as they fly very
fast and were getting a little bothered by how close I was to the
hives. I was only stung three times which is pretty remarkable due to
my proximity and my lens poking almost into the entrance way of the
hive. I shot for approx 2.5 hours each day. It was so hot I got a
pretty bad sunburn and the camera was hot enough to cook a fat
porterhouse. There was a few moments that were intimidating when bee's
started landing on my arms, face, in my ear and on my eye. I just
stayed still and they went on their way with the exception of the three
stings (1 on the arm, 1 on the neck and 1 under my ear). Bee's are
actually quite docile and would prefer not to sting. They just want to
make honey.
<br />
Shot/Dir/Edit by: Michael Sutton @MNS1974<br />
Equipment used:<br />
Camera: Photron Fastcam BC2 HD/2K high-speed S35 camera system w/ custom
trigger & batteries (1000-6800fps) 2K, HD (1080p & 720p) and SD
<br />
Lenses: Canon 30-105mm Cine zoom, Canon 100mm Macro, Nikon 50mm, 300mm Tamron SP<br />
Recorder: Sound Devices Pix 240i w/ Sandisk CF cards<br />
Support: Kessler Crane Carbon Fiber Stealth, Manfrotto 516 head w/546GBK tripod<br />
Music Licensed via:<br />
Licensor's Author Username: lacisz<br />
Licensee: Michael Sutton<br />
Song: Dubstep Drift<br />
<a href="http://audiojungle.net/item/dubstep-drift/4234563" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">audiojungle.net/item/dubstep-drift/4234563</a><br />
Item ID: 4234563<br />
Purchase Date: 2014-07-01 <a class="video_time" data-time="83326" href="https://www.blogger.com/null">23:08:46</a> UTC<br />
Special thanks to:<br />
Mike Cohen<br />
Allen Lindahl of Hillside Bee's<br />
Heather Sutton<br />
Eric Kessler and Chris Beller of Kessler Crane<br />
Contact: Michael Sutton<br />
website: <a href="http://www.frozenprosperity.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">frozenprosperity.com</a><br />
email: mike at frozenprosperity dot com<br />
phone: listed on website<br />
twitter: @MNS1974<br />
&<br />
@frozenpros"The Orchard Yearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08913622318566052121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056238498994737734.post-65508227564397805662014-06-12T13:38:00.001-07:002014-06-12T13:38:54.339-07:00A year in the life of a Bramley Apple Tree - June 7th<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLaxrbL5yDXQ6geJzJDwmNeZ6zBm9bAgvVydla-FEr5MrQNqjndiWBf_gd8T4BiwQwe40NOU0kbogP_uevLZ_LdRF8Cv361Ygyk1ZGwcz4pwigXbJQSd-q4vuWUUh264XLsmoH94ROcnEv/s1600/shade-apple-tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLaxrbL5yDXQ6geJzJDwmNeZ6zBm9bAgvVydla-FEr5MrQNqjndiWBf_gd8T4BiwQwe40NOU0kbogP_uevLZ_LdRF8Cv361Ygyk1ZGwcz4pwigXbJQSd-q4vuWUUh264XLsmoH94ROcnEv/s1600/shade-apple-tree.jpg" height="480" width="640" /> </a></div>
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The shade of the ancient bramley apple trees has been much appreciated over the past few days! </div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmzIYfKl4dAfl6T96TscP-nPaKBqEidaMiuAW497qykxs-AUrtwUHRtHxCyUjhSoOVbcMl9iN4QfNMgvhgHHjzCZXCAQ5fBQJi6mimxfLA-q5C1hPeUcRosp6SQEcV8pg675zO0164eqAc/s1600/apple-crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmzIYfKl4dAfl6T96TscP-nPaKBqEidaMiuAW497qykxs-AUrtwUHRtHxCyUjhSoOVbcMl9iN4QfNMgvhgHHjzCZXCAQ5fBQJi6mimxfLA-q5C1hPeUcRosp6SQEcV8pg675zO0164eqAc/s1600/apple-crop.jpg" height="480" width="640" /> </a></div>
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Our tree is laden with baby apples though many will drop during June as it "self-thins" </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFn5FVj6E8nPSTj9iSIUho2deiw9EREkxs8jd3rpB54jWHrZyYuUCT9pVgZ-9IPSMjH1fMHK-XYgq75sBqKnbgzCTiSV8VQyoF4rd4lzunwksDRW9j3CW_imkDacMS4vb2Um5-EBVZyixp/s1600/bramley-apple-tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFn5FVj6E8nPSTj9iSIUho2deiw9EREkxs8jd3rpB54jWHrZyYuUCT9pVgZ-9IPSMjH1fMHK-XYgq75sBqKnbgzCTiSV8VQyoF4rd4lzunwksDRW9j3CW_imkDacMS4vb2Um5-EBVZyixp/s1600/bramley-apple-tree.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
June is a glorious month to spend time in an orchard.</div>
<br />
I'm following this 100 year old Bramley Apple tree with <a href="http://looseandleafy.blogspot.co.uk/p/what-is-tree-following-and-list-of-tree.html" target="_blank">Loose and Leaf 's </a>follow a tree, the tree itself can be found in the orchard at <a href="http://theorchardtearoom.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Orchard Tea Room & Farm Shop.</a>The Orchard Yearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08913622318566052121noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056238498994737734.post-6944903103372885952014-05-10T12:42:00.002-07:002014-05-10T12:44:51.493-07:00A year in the life of a bramley apple tree - May 7th 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG3wIOcyVDzXodyw1ntMCdzEXQNWveL2HxOOvGbkB60ZIPAmXNTHn47hDjSIXaa5qNHsMPUXVHzW-JZE3gFDk-y_EUy_cHrZQElND8iGCVXp8MvUjkMZiI8Eagzcw3HIuJ0shpHMB26sXT/s1600/bramley-apple-trees-old.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG3wIOcyVDzXodyw1ntMCdzEXQNWveL2HxOOvGbkB60ZIPAmXNTHn47hDjSIXaa5qNHsMPUXVHzW-JZE3gFDk-y_EUy_cHrZQElND8iGCVXp8MvUjkMZiI8Eagzcw3HIuJ0shpHMB26sXT/s1600/bramley-apple-trees-old.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Here's a photograph of the 100 year old bramley apple tree I'm following with <a href="http://looseandleafy.blogspot.co.uk/p/what-is-tree-following-and-list-of-tree.html" target="_blank">Loose and Leaf 's </a>follow a tree, as you can see it's not the only ancient tree in the orchard at <a href="http://theorchardtearoom.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Orchard Tea Room & Farm Shop, </a>a whole row of bramleys that are around 100 years old. Many of them hollow with boughs touching the earth but still producing apples.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigLNVR2IpbQAHgWRiw9G0qaag1n1spWhH15WOLj_jHQQ0xehVe7jN7GItP-zCw4VFZ1VfxN_a4WMhrbs6UpyeQ-6k2fxD5qc2ZPbtz-ULFrDHQjRD-WC3_vA7elhfsyHzF8nqUMlwdEXNy/s1600/baby-apples.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigLNVR2IpbQAHgWRiw9G0qaag1n1spWhH15WOLj_jHQQ0xehVe7jN7GItP-zCw4VFZ1VfxN_a4WMhrbs6UpyeQ-6k2fxD5qc2ZPbtz-ULFrDHQjRD-WC3_vA7elhfsyHzF8nqUMlwdEXNy/s1600/baby-apples.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
The blossom has all but gone on these trees just a few flowers clinging on though the high winds of the last few days will probably finish them off too.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO1fsMkYiWRrtXq07tSqBhbAorTit3-A16Zof9mTzFvYqd6ihCn71iqk8u4h2JTPOXf2z9Kn3PLxeePesexb659KyQJ29fkU2P8r_DhjbYzxd2fnqoCPKNurp6CK0o9GdgvCVRFvUO2DMq/s1600/bramley-blossom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO1fsMkYiWRrtXq07tSqBhbAorTit3-A16Zof9mTzFvYqd6ihCn71iqk8u4h2JTPOXf2z9Kn3PLxeePesexb659KyQJ29fkU2P8r_DhjbYzxd2fnqoCPKNurp6CK0o9GdgvCVRFvUO2DMq/s1600/bramley-blossom.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
But here are a couple of photographs from earlier in the month<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxaXNIhyphenhyphenV-HnIedQOEkDitZdVUZRWoKJwMRL9qfFqJY5qgMFz4xre7cibxwUHcbiOV5cQCAm_ponBfTPagp1NxQQ26qGATfMv_rfPkzaII2bH76DMTEk7A4yTpP0Z_SX_Jl8Pvn0CaGKJf/s1600/bramley-buds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxaXNIhyphenhyphenV-HnIedQOEkDitZdVUZRWoKJwMRL9qfFqJY5qgMFz4xre7cibxwUHcbiOV5cQCAm_ponBfTPagp1NxQQ26qGATfMv_rfPkzaII2bH76DMTEk7A4yTpP0Z_SX_Jl8Pvn0CaGKJf/s1600/bramley-buds.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
bramley apple blossom buds and</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz0lIdndXC2tAWLxq4z7ut7-4oHBeOzAbzaKboNvKEudOxBq7dD9FoENM5R5psYPdWZCmoKrqHEHvC7Cy5r8sJ61qOhIgyIAbgkvnLB1XsTyLSPt_9lTqjdegbU1s-bUhKd3hubgqyMi5G/s1600/bramley-blossom+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz0lIdndXC2tAWLxq4z7ut7-4oHBeOzAbzaKboNvKEudOxBq7dD9FoENM5R5psYPdWZCmoKrqHEHvC7Cy5r8sJ61qOhIgyIAbgkvnLB1XsTyLSPt_9lTqjdegbU1s-bUhKd3hubgqyMi5G/s1600/bramley-blossom+.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
in full blossom. Glorious isn't it?</div>
<br />The Orchard Yearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08913622318566052121noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056238498994737734.post-68590023492525194242014-04-08T16:50:00.000-07:002014-04-08T16:51:02.789-07:00A Year in the Life of a Bramley Apple Tree - 8th April <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9awOCAbcXrqYGoBnbVy37CPU11htRvTAjbDBkxL6-l2ZQ-i2f5lzpSxVW3Uyw0lcqcMQTs4Rzq1Z3RvF64AbTN7aGePbLY9tLzEGlQZ3s7hIse7QFB5BgjngbZaQt8IPJLHgVzcQdiyaw/s1600/hollow-bramley-apple-tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9awOCAbcXrqYGoBnbVy37CPU11htRvTAjbDBkxL6-l2ZQ-i2f5lzpSxVW3Uyw0lcqcMQTs4Rzq1Z3RvF64AbTN7aGePbLY9tLzEGlQZ3s7hIse7QFB5BgjngbZaQt8IPJLHgVzcQdiyaw/s1600/hollow-bramley-apple-tree.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I'm a little late with my follow a tree with <a href="http://looseandleafy.blogspot.co.uk/p/what-is-tree-following-and-list-of-tree.html" target="_blank">Loose and Leafy</a> post this month, but better late than never as they say.<br />
<br />
Firstly I thought I'd show you close-ups of my chosen tree, a (almost) 100 year old Bramley Apple tree that can be found in the orchard at <a href="http://theorchardtearoom.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Orchard Tea Room & Farm Shop.</a><br />
<br />
As you can see the tree has not escaped damage during its' long life. Part of it is hollow, possibly caused by a branch falling long ago. But there is plenty of life there.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF53XxxMyksJ3L0N2-D_0XrDZMraE0qFGLoVK1pkyIVar0brgLz2h5kGBH7Sy6RQbhmE596xW3m9E1cBA85ZuXicb1l80OPazPqXGHFd-BjrFXju2cNZLcVzWmKkVLYTizQ_2zRewYB0qw/s1600/moss-bramley-apple-tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF53XxxMyksJ3L0N2-D_0XrDZMraE0qFGLoVK1pkyIVar0brgLz2h5kGBH7Sy6RQbhmE596xW3m9E1cBA85ZuXicb1l80OPazPqXGHFd-BjrFXju2cNZLcVzWmKkVLYTizQ_2zRewYB0qw/s1600/moss-bramley-apple-tree.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
The branches are encrusted with mosses up to 16 different moss species have been found on the old Bramley trees in this particular orchard:<br />
<br />
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cols="3" frame="void" rules="none"><tbody>
<tr><td align="left" height="17" width="201"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">SCIENTIFIC NAME</span></b></td>
<td align="left" width="193"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">COMMON
NAME</span></b></td>
<td align="left" width="261"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">NOTES</span></b></td></tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="18" width="201"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Amblystegium serpens</span></td>
<td align="left" width="193"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Creeping
Feather-moss</span></td>
<td align="left" width="261"><br /></td></tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="18" width="201"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Brachythecium rutabulum</span></td>
<td align="left" width="193"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Rough-stalked
Feather-moss</span></td>
<td align="left" width="261"><br /></td></tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="18" width="201"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Bryum
capillare</span></td>
<td align="left" width="193"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Capillary
Thread-moss</span></td>
<td align="left" width="261"><br /></td></tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="18" width="201"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Ceratodon
purpureus</span></td>
<td align="left" width="193"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Redshank</span></td>
<td align="left" width="261"><br /></td></tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="18" width="201"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 10pt;">Cryphaea heteromalla</span></td>
<td align="left" width="193"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 10pt;">Lateral Cryphaea</span></td>
<td align="left" width="261"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 10pt;">A
Clean Air species</span></td></tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="18" width="201"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Dicranoweisia cirrata</span></td>
<td align="left" width="193"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Common
Pincushion</span></td>
<td align="left" width="261"><br /></td></tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="18" width="201"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">Frullania dilatata</span></td>
<td align="left" width="193"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">Dilated Scalewort</span></td>
<td align="left" width="261"><br /></td></tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="18" width="201"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Grimmia
pulvinata</span></td>
<td align="left" width="193"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Grey-cushioned
Grimmia</span></td>
<td align="left" width="261"><br /></td></tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="18" width="201"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Homalothecium sericeum</span></td>
<td align="left" width="193"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Silky Wall
Feather-moss</span></td>
<td align="left" width="261"><br /></td></tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="18" width="201"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Hypnum
cupressiforme</span></td>
<td align="left" width="193"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Cypress-leaved
Plait-moss</span></td>
<td align="left" width="261"><br /></td></tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="18" width="201"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Hypnum
resupinatum</span></td>
<td align="left" width="193"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Supine
Plait-moss</span></td>
<td align="left" width="261"><br /></td></tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17" width="201"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Orthotrichum affine</span></td>
<td align="left" width="193"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Wood
Bristle-moss</span></td>
<td align="left" width="261"><br /></td></tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="18" width="201"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Orthotrichum diaphanum</span></td>
<td align="left" width="193"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">White-tipped
Bristle-moss</span></td>
<td align="left" width="261"><br /></td></tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="18" width="201"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 10pt;">Orthotrichum lyellii</span></td>
<td align="left" width="193"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 10pt;">Lyell's Bristle-moss</span></td>
<td align="left" width="261"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 10pt;">A
Clean Air species</span></td></tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="18" width="201"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Rhynchostegium confertum</span></td>
<td align="left" width="193"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Clustered
Feather-moss</span></td>
<td align="left" width="261"><br /></td></tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="18" width="201"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Syntrichia laevipila</span></td>
<td align="left" width="193"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Small Hairy
Screw-moss</span></td>
<td align="left" width="261"><br /></td></tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="18" width="201"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Syntrichia montana</span></td>
<td align="left" width="193"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Intermediate
Screw-moss</span></td>
<td align="left" width="261"><br /></td></tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="18" width="201"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 10pt;">Syntrichia papillosa</span></td>
<td align="left" width="193"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 10pt;">Marble Screw-moss</span></td>
<td align="left" width="261"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 10pt;">A
Clean Air species</span></td></tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="18" width="201"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 10pt;">Ulota bruchii</span></td>
<td align="left" width="193"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 10pt;">Bruch's Pincushion</span></td>
<td align="left" width="261"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 10pt;">A
Clean Air species</span></td></tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17" width="201"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 10pt;">Ulota phyllantha</span></td>
<td align="left" width="193"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 10pt;">Frizzled Pincushion</span></td>
<td align="left" width="261"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 10pt;">A
Clean Air species</span></td></tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="18" width="201"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Zygodon
conoideus</span></td>
<td align="left" width="193"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Lesser
Yoke-moss</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhePEilQS7IwoI1tth2fBManGavCDju8p0pEfjp76EHGX-8cLLUAwxIh3Slwef_J2NgfGeBFMmHExRDsAqvnwLFC-jNNPVcH-P1omQfgIOuNyykKjBdafZ9qcybh0UpaJzDnN7U7QsHZCTo/s1600/blossom-buds-bramley-apple-tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhePEilQS7IwoI1tth2fBManGavCDju8p0pEfjp76EHGX-8cLLUAwxIh3Slwef_J2NgfGeBFMmHExRDsAqvnwLFC-jNNPVcH-P1omQfgIOuNyykKjBdafZ9qcybh0UpaJzDnN7U7QsHZCTo/s1600/blossom-buds-bramley-apple-tree.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
The tree is almost in blossom, I'll get some photographs for you as the buds open.The Orchard Yearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08913622318566052121noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056238498994737734.post-9788308706479616052014-03-06T15:22:00.000-08:002014-04-08T16:58:08.501-07:00A year in the life of a Bramley Apple Tree - March<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIqDhn9NVlHBbwPiAdjtxUcmKXdrDm3p7AROQyBDPG-4MkXSkOjWbiP2qfE_2SKPM-fzmd_Xfp0HfWShyUcppDHlMeiT_fuw_w1mLD2CX07umik16vDuSzOMVZQbpq8N803tXHpTNX3Y_6/s1600/bramley-100year-old-orchard-tea-room-wisbech.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIqDhn9NVlHBbwPiAdjtxUcmKXdrDm3p7AROQyBDPG-4MkXSkOjWbiP2qfE_2SKPM-fzmd_Xfp0HfWShyUcppDHlMeiT_fuw_w1mLD2CX07umik16vDuSzOMVZQbpq8N803tXHpTNX3Y_6/s1600/bramley-100year-old-orchard-tea-room-wisbech.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Bramley Apple Tree </div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTEbzc7e2PqpdOD0jDITAf4rq3w5EphFEGYe6KTjiORFgZA1HdlmRLAK8b3X5MDi4uITPwO0bumEreXrJsrNZOLU3VfF9V33ILHbY9mVjUn9t1i75zwlKuAHWHW2q5q2lFZdAp7N_6fRZV/s1600/bramley-apple-old-tree-orchard-tea-room-wisbech.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTEbzc7e2PqpdOD0jDITAf4rq3w5EphFEGYe6KTjiORFgZA1HdlmRLAK8b3X5MDi4uITPwO0bumEreXrJsrNZOLU3VfF9V33ILHbY9mVjUn9t1i75zwlKuAHWHW2q5q2lFZdAp7N_6fRZV/s1600/bramley-apple-old-tree-orchard-tea-room-wisbech.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I'm following a tree with <a href="http://looseandleafy.blogspot.co.uk/p/what-is-tree-following-and-list-of-tree.html" target="_blank">Loose and Leafy.</a> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ifOimIgKKTsBqtBN77qE6OfCe2MedkRa7sqsPmeVnD6oDZZCIP-leN-rA2crP0dYJ2uvyuJ9vMC8Yv7h9Yf3UPbri9cJbyXLqQ2bg6DIsY-onlGVgO5E0J_fwkcUlgXSBle5Ckg3jOzN/s1600/bramley-apple-tree-ancient-orchardtearoom.co.uk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ifOimIgKKTsBqtBN77qE6OfCe2MedkRa7sqsPmeVnD6oDZZCIP-leN-rA2crP0dYJ2uvyuJ9vMC8Yv7h9Yf3UPbri9cJbyXLqQ2bg6DIsY-onlGVgO5E0J_fwkcUlgXSBle5Ckg3jOzN/s1600/bramley-apple-tree-ancient-orchardtearoom.co.uk.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
My chosen tree is a Bramley Apple tree, this particular tree is believed to be about 100 years old and can be found in the orchard at<a href="http://theorchardtearoom.co.uk/" target="_blank"> www.theorchardtearoom.co.uk</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3qVARVUnaB3RY909QHAUIG1bOhAOBtzj7NcQqlDJmfpW2wS1KJdhIhtj9pMUPWmRJ3tMtORUamVK1r5nvNWcU9787qFcCu1EhRFdhFWp2YT1cFtd9gSBxyKm5EeERjTKk8NyikW3F4XWy/s1600/bramley-apple-tree-orchard-tea-room-wisbech.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3qVARVUnaB3RY909QHAUIG1bOhAOBtzj7NcQqlDJmfpW2wS1KJdhIhtj9pMUPWmRJ3tMtORUamVK1r5nvNWcU9787qFcCu1EhRFdhFWp2YT1cFtd9gSBxyKm5EeERjTKk8NyikW3F4XWy/s1600/bramley-apple-tree-orchard-tea-room-wisbech.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span class="s1">The very first Bramley apple tree was grown from seeds
planted by a young Mary Ann Brailwood, in the garden of her parents
house in Southwell, Nottinghamshire in the year 1809. Although </span>the <span class="s1">original Bramley tree suffered a horrible accident
during a violent storm in the year 1900, the strong winds ripped the
tree from the ground, it has survived and continues to produce Bramley apples to this day. So the tree I'm following is mere youngster by comparison but still ancient for a commercial orchard.</span>The Orchard Yearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08913622318566052121noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056238498994737734.post-23999428763132903662014-02-25T13:09:00.002-08:002014-11-27T23:53:09.006-08:00Pruning Apple Trees<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQPwBxq1OSsfW1xq2PrpJKE6PMOHHyU5MLzcGYHIGbxd7MKC7WpCVfh_RmsflNKbEXqi5EiBZj6B2poF3lHclXZy551qASxl-Mv684t0PkA7LJGtOVKyK8wWeSoDLQz1aMmxB7jS-1h2UY/s1600/bramley-apple-tree-before-pruning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQPwBxq1OSsfW1xq2PrpJKE6PMOHHyU5MLzcGYHIGbxd7MKC7WpCVfh_RmsflNKbEXqi5EiBZj6B2poF3lHclXZy551qASxl-Mv684t0PkA7LJGtOVKyK8wWeSoDLQz1aMmxB7jS-1h2UY/s1600/bramley-apple-tree-before-pruning.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
It's that time of year again, time to prune the fruit trees. Trees will try to grow upwards but we don't want them to so they have to be pruned.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisA7IIGP715BPNgzyY3NLhDF__t1ISFgzsoGJ0rEl1UVI6DU8X5Egayv5RNxGmSp4KxCQfjhK3qClExwUs9UHIK9PLyrjMIg9LgMh1QqD9B76rsgix8yZpiQQalLulA1iFbutXcFaOYFI0/s1600/pruning-bramley-apple-trees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisA7IIGP715BPNgzyY3NLhDF__t1ISFgzsoGJ0rEl1UVI6DU8X5Egayv5RNxGmSp4KxCQfjhK3qClExwUs9UHIK9PLyrjMIg9LgMh1QqD9B76rsgix8yZpiQQalLulA1iFbutXcFaOYFI0/s1600/pruning-bramley-apple-trees.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Quite a big job on these old bramleys.<br />
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For anyone who is interested in learning how to prune their own fruit trees take a look at these <a href="http://theorchardtearoom.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/pruning-apple-trees-course.html" target="_blank">Pruning Fruit Trees Courses</a>The Orchard Yearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08913622318566052121noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056238498994737734.post-42028679543618887122014-01-18T13:31:00.002-08:002014-01-18T13:31:45.609-08:00Wassailing ~ A Happy New YearIt's not a Fenland custom but they've been Wassailing orchards to scare off evil spirits and encourage the apple trees into growth for hundreds (maybe thousands) of years in Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Gloucestershire and Herefordshire.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="templatequote">
<div style="text-align: center;">
Here's to thee, old apple tree,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
That blooms well, bears well.<br />
Hats full, caps full,<br />
Three bushel bags full,<br />
An' all under one tree.<br />
Hurrah! Hurrah!</div>
</blockquote>
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ngU10c3H0nk" width="420"></iframe>The Orchard Yearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08913622318566052121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056238498994737734.post-91616380355667588372013-12-22T12:24:00.000-08:002013-12-22T12:24:37.930-08:00Christmas Landscape <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEVjZoZNvkpTdHl-L976_eK7oODcLZHY_9Jyj75Mt4zlkcOpcWRFtBEBjAA6A56Rn3ON6HssJOeefDZONuUFfpfVPR3a4ifIC-sKHsyQ98XjIfkr7OS9UJlq9LlPQ9IKhkenz-DVSZ3bHS/s1600/apple-left-on-tree-in-winter-snow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEVjZoZNvkpTdHl-L976_eK7oODcLZHY_9Jyj75Mt4zlkcOpcWRFtBEBjAA6A56Rn3ON6HssJOeefDZONuUFfpfVPR3a4ifIC-sKHsyQ98XjIfkr7OS9UJlq9LlPQ9IKhkenz-DVSZ3bHS/s640/apple-left-on-tree-in-winter-snow.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /><h2 class="title" itemprop="name">
Christmas Landscape</h2>
<div style="margin-top: 20px; min-height: 570px;">
<div class="KonaBody">
Tonight the wind gnaws<br />With teeth of glass,<br />The jackdaw shivers<br />In caged branches of iron,<br />The stars have talons.<br /><br />There is hunger in the mouth<br />Of vole and badger,<br />Silver agonies of breath<br />In the nostril of the fox,<br />Ice on the rabbit’s paw.<br /><br />Tonight has no moon,<br />No food for the pilgrim;<br />The fruit tree is bare,<br />The rose bush a thorn<br />And the ground is bitter with stones.<br /><br />But the mole sleeps, and the hedgehog<br />Lies curled in a womb of leaves,<br />The bean and the wheat-seed<br />Hug their germs in the earth<br />And the stream moves under the ice.<br /><br />Tonight there is no moon,<br />But a new star opens<br />Like a silver trumpet over the dead.<br />Tonight in a nest of ruins<br />The blessed babe is laid.<br />And the fir tree warms to a bloom of candles,<br />And the child lights his lantern,<br />Stares at his tinselled toy;<br />And our hearts and hearths<br />Smoulder with live ashes.<br /><br />In the blood of our grief<br />The cold earth is suckled,<br />In our agony the womb<br />Convulses its seed;<br />In the first cry of anguish<br />The child’s first breath is born.
<br />
<br />
</div>
<div class="poet" itemprop="author">
<i> Laurie Lee</i></div>
<div class="poet" itemprop="author">
<i> </i></div>
<div class="poet" itemprop="author">
<i> </i><div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-size: large;">Wishing you and yours a very </span></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-size: large;">Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year</span></span></b></div>
</div>
</div>
The Orchard Yearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08913622318566052121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056238498994737734.post-15399669773595428562013-12-12T15:01:00.003-08:002013-12-12T15:01:38.473-08:00After Apple Picking by Robert Frost<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkqrAYoQW0axPkzNS4p0TcizaAUIat7HaAudSQxQ4t8nBwGbbF0j6TuFcoo8-wN8uPqS9f2bMIuE3Zg7qdM2N57fV2ZCvxb0fh5aI0gjPKu6ra6Ul1JEGteg9q3KZxul-dQjMRlexWlnq3/s1600/apple-picking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkqrAYoQW0axPkzNS4p0TcizaAUIat7HaAudSQxQ4t8nBwGbbF0j6TuFcoo8-wN8uPqS9f2bMIuE3Zg7qdM2N57fV2ZCvxb0fh5aI0gjPKu6ra6Ul1JEGteg9q3KZxul-dQjMRlexWlnq3/s640/apple-picking.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
</div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
</div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
My long two-pointed ladder's sticking through a tree </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
Toward heaven still, </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
And there's a barrel that I didn't fill </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
Beside it, and there may be two or three </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
Apples I didn't pick upon some bough. </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
But I am done with apple-picking now. </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
Essence of winter sleep is on the night, </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
The scent of apples: I am drowsing off. </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
I cannot rub the strangeness from my sight </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
I got from looking through a pane of glass </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
I skimmed this morning from the drinking trough </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
And held against the world of hoary grass. </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
It melted, and I let it fall and break. </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
But I was well </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
Upon my way to sleep before it fell, </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
And I could tell </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
What form my dreaming was about to take. </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
Magnified apples appear and disappear, </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
Stem end and blossom end, </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
And every fleck of russet showing clear. </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
My instep arch not only keeps the ache, </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
It keeps the pressure of a ladder-round. </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
I feel the ladder sway as the boughs bend. </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
And I keep hearing from the cellar bin </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
The rumbling sound </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
Of load on load of apples coming in. </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
For I have had too much </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
Of apple-picking: I am overtired </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
Of the great harvest I myself desired. </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
There were ten thousand thousand fruit to touch, </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
Cherish in hand, lift down, and not let fall. </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
For all </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
That struck the earth, </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
No matter if not bruised or spiked with stubble, </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
Went surely to the cider-apple heap </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
As of no worth. </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
One can see what will trouble </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
This sleep of mine, whatever sleep it is. </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
Were he not gone, </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
The woodchuck could say whether it's like his </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
Long sleep, as I describe its coming on, </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
Or just some human sleep. </div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
<a href="http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/192" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> Robert Frost </i></span></a></div>
The Orchard Yearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08913622318566052121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056238498994737734.post-31113843607860089412013-12-12T03:02:00.000-08:002013-12-12T03:02:00.673-08:00A Foggy Fenland Orchard <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrH4SbRdDc3pb_82gKYvbXEZEWYUbFJ1M-i-PMbDQlU4g91BuE-Df3Yeac4WlQhxd3jGj6ZhzREgpZBIBwUrgQnZ8mYBvxt2zTJq1Juov2XwwROnluR1gJQXVqBPgrDeYQMGfJhAhEuNz6/s1600/orchard-foggy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrH4SbRdDc3pb_82gKYvbXEZEWYUbFJ1M-i-PMbDQlU4g91BuE-Df3Yeac4WlQhxd3jGj6ZhzREgpZBIBwUrgQnZ8mYBvxt2zTJq1Juov2XwwROnluR1gJQXVqBPgrDeYQMGfJhAhEuNz6/s640/orchard-foggy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
The last couple of days have been cold and foggy and the orchards have been swathed in fog, lovely and atmospheric. The leaves are still clinging to the old Bramleys making for an autumnal scene but the Worcesters are completely bare now.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM-6DGY-Hb_Uec-28-FXT_x-SQXpdsVtiZ77E-pCt-lII7xWm89En5mQ9t3H8PRVBi-f_ZGPPps7pZp5D3KbG935nZzu5gQaREUxy3eAkbS7ZxA8XzeSELUOmMnZvB5pSRxLi5ffCqohXs/s1600/orchard-fog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM-6DGY-Hb_Uec-28-FXT_x-SQXpdsVtiZ77E-pCt-lII7xWm89En5mQ9t3H8PRVBi-f_ZGPPps7pZp5D3KbG935nZzu5gQaREUxy3eAkbS7ZxA8XzeSELUOmMnZvB5pSRxLi5ffCqohXs/s640/orchard-fog.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Such different views to that of the <a href="http://theorchardyear.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/record-day-1st-december-2013.html" target="_blank">Idared apples at the beginning of the month</a>The Orchard Yearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08913622318566052121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056238498994737734.post-51242145379362836042013-12-01T13:39:00.002-08:002013-12-01T13:40:52.171-08:00Record the Day ~ 1st December 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I know I said that the <a href="http://theorchardyear.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/the-apple-picking-post.html" target="_blank">apple picking </a>was almost over but take a look at the apples on this tree. Photograph taken today the first day of <a href="http://orcharddays.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/on-first-day-of-advent-farm-shop-brings.html" target="_blank">Advent</a>.<br />
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Actually these Idared apples have been left deliberately by the proprietors of the <a href="http://theorchardtearoom.co.uk/" target="_blank">Orchard Tea Room & Farm Shop</a>. The tree is on the edge of their car park and customers like to take photographs of this wonderful sight. <br />
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Other Record the Day posts:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://theorchardyear.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/record-day-18th-july-2013.html" target="_blank">July 18th </a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://theorchardyear.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/record-day-18th-april-2013.html" target="_blank">April 18th </a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://theorchardyear.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/record-day-blossom-28th-april-2013.html" target="_blank">April 28th</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://theorchardyear.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/record-day-spring-bank-holiday-may-27th.html" target="_blank">May 27th </a></div>
The Orchard Yearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08913622318566052121noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056238498994737734.post-75430391655915156532013-11-13T12:37:00.003-08:002013-11-13T12:37:58.580-08:00The Apple Picking PostWell it's almost over, apple picking started late this year and the wet autumn has made it pretty tough going, there have been days when it really wasn't fit to take tractors into the orchard to bring in the bins full of picked apples. Mud really is the scurge of all types of farming from fruit growing, to potatoes, to wheat, the list is endless.<br />
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Anyway enough of moans about the British weather here are some apple picking pics taken on sunny days!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfpaTEg4ZSXHadrCrYHJ3Q5h_aKQFSndWyFWW_t_ohEd-wHFRFGy9XyS5j09ApqTAmEv9TPn80zYgiEvfPLPS0BHPxaOWV0H4B6LI1brHmS3UwsWkcm2eQ3pQe1TIlD8UrXXjOE2toMocL/s1600/apple-picking-ladder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfpaTEg4ZSXHadrCrYHJ3Q5h_aKQFSndWyFWW_t_ohEd-wHFRFGy9XyS5j09ApqTAmEv9TPn80zYgiEvfPLPS0BHPxaOWV0H4B6LI1brHmS3UwsWkcm2eQ3pQe1TIlD8UrXXjOE2toMocL/s640/apple-picking-ladder.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>
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<br />The Orchard Yearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08913622318566052121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056238498994737734.post-25898137550697053232013-10-21T01:48:00.000-07:002013-10-21T01:48:04.191-07:00Happy Apple Day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today, 21st October is Apple Day.<br />
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Apple Day was launched in 1990 by Common Ground. The aspiration was to create a
calendar custom, an autumn holiday. From the start, Apple Day was
intended to be both a celebration and a demonstration of the variety we
are in danger of losing, not simply in apples, but in the richness and
diversity of landscape, ecology and culture too. It has also played a
part in raising awareness in the provenance and traceability of food.<br />
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Here's some information about the very first Apple Day taken from the <a href="http://commonground.org.uk/portfolio/apple-day/" target="_blank">Common Ground Website </a><br />
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"The first Apple Day celebrations, in the old Apple Market in London’s
Covent Garden, brought fruit to the market after 16 years’ absence.
Forty stalls were taken. Fruit growers and nurseries producing and
selling a wide variety of apples and trees rubbed shoulders with
juice-and cider-makers, as well as writers and illustrators with their
apple books.<br />
Representatives of the WI came laden with chutneys, jellies and pies.
Mallorees School from North London demonstrated its orchard classroom,
while the Hertfordshire & Middlesex Wildlife Trust explained how it
manages its orchard for wildlife. Marks & Spencer helped to start a
trend by offering tastings of some of the 12 ‘old varieties’ they had on
sale that autumn. Organic growers were cheek by jowl with beekeepers,
amidst demonstrations of traditional and modern juice presses, a
calvados still and a cider bar run by the Campaign for Real Ale. Experts
such as Joan Morgan identified apples and offered advice, while apple
jugglers and magicians entertained the thousands of visitors – far more
than we had expected – who came on the day.<br />
For two weeks before Apple Day, in a marquee on the Piazza, Common
Ground exhibited the photographs of West Country Orchards we had
commissioned from James Ravilious alongside a display of more than 100
different apple varieties. People were amazed at the diversity of
shapes, sizes and colours. We also offered lunchtime tastings of some of
the varieties on show, and many people bemoaned the lack of such choice
on supermarket shelves.<br />
We will never know just how many people came to that first
celebration – it was certainly thousands and even now we meet people who
effuse about it as a memorable event. Many wanted it to be repeated,
but our intention was to spread the idea far and wide, encouraging
people to celebrate Apple Day for themselves in their own city, village,
parish, allotment or garden orchard.<br />
And so the tradition of Apple Day began. Over the next few years, the
number of events being organised around the country grew from more than
60 in 1991 to 300 by 1997 and over 600 in 1999, some attracting
thousands of people. Apple Day has played a part in raising awareness
not only of the importance of orchards to our landscape and culture, but
also in the provenance and traceability of food. It has been one
impetus behind the developing network of farmers’ markets and is helping
people everywhere to discover they are not alone in valuing the links
between food and the land, between natural resource use and the impact
we have on nature."<br />
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Image via <a href="http://commonground.org.uk/portfolio/apple-day/" target="_blank">Common Ground </a>The Orchard Yearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08913622318566052121noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056238498994737734.post-81274826877609872652013-10-19T14:36:00.001-07:002013-10-19T14:39:56.543-07:00Dragonflies in the Orchard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzUJHIDvPtc01GPsBxtVH1ZNzNgWcJ7zT6rsfmHmi_T4MuVEoUSMJzcJ9p8KTdAjHwr-jhEoar5ylAfXCW_BO6tMfpE3Xn-_2NiKeZedwOcJ-xETcDMlAGKl__n_MbAPmr5K9YmV-QEe7G/s1600/033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzUJHIDvPtc01GPsBxtVH1ZNzNgWcJ7zT6rsfmHmi_T4MuVEoUSMJzcJ9p8KTdAjHwr-jhEoar5ylAfXCW_BO6tMfpE3Xn-_2NiKeZedwOcJ-xETcDMlAGKl__n_MbAPmr5K9YmV-QEe7G/s640/033.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The sun came out late this afternoon, it was surprisingly warm for so late in October. Along with the sun came the dragonflies, it was nice to take a few moments to watch their aerial display. Despite having spent a wonderful afternoon at the now sadly defunct National Dragonfly Museum at Ashton Mill in Oundle some years ago I don't know enough about these beautiful insects to name them. Not sure if this is a <a href="http://www.british-dragonflies.org.uk/content/uk-species" target="_blank">Norfolk Hawker (Aeshna isosceles).</a>The Orchard Yearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08913622318566052121noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056238498994737734.post-19865562007260948952013-10-10T15:08:00.001-07:002013-10-10T15:08:53.087-07:00Apple Picking Then and Now<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvsUkFky-k_lbtzEH-MEq4wZY1tCnICuKxcT7NCaH4iY6AvFTqvqivIbBjtNO7CBDlwibYlsLLNoJ58qiKe-O72GMQ83yqAZFXBJQ4Xg6iFm_Uk18o8NusngiaYR51AfvK3y4vi4vSJkL/s1600/bushel-boxes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvsUkFky-k_lbtzEH-MEq4wZY1tCnICuKxcT7NCaH4iY6AvFTqvqivIbBjtNO7CBDlwibYlsLLNoJ58qiKe-O72GMQ83yqAZFXBJQ4Xg6iFm_Uk18o8NusngiaYR51AfvK3y4vi4vSJkL/s640/bushel-boxes.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>
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In years gone by pickers would pick straight into these bushel boxes, the ones that are now extremely popular for storage, display etc. Each box would take 40lbs of apples and the pickers moved them by hand. Hard work indeed.<br />
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These days apples are picked into these large bins which are moved around by tractor. Maybe not quite as back breaking as having to lug a wooden box with 40lbs of apples in it but they do take 36 apple picking basket loads to fill each one so it's still very hard work.The Orchard Yearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08913622318566052121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056238498994737734.post-21867466308885133472013-09-29T13:13:00.003-07:002013-09-29T13:13:35.165-07:00Apple Crafts from The Crafty Crow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN9qUH5F4NSGmsvoEwyag_Gd0gx5YLQdcBV05cCT6UlzC1Kkkv9OMYYjbt3gX157d6m0f5juen9TRZL1z1nFGHfyY3mFieZpDybMMejxM22XDSs5FU6y2SlP0itp2ibcgUGo-dVWoYr12c/s1600/apple-crafts-the-crafty-crow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN9qUH5F4NSGmsvoEwyag_Gd0gx5YLQdcBV05cCT6UlzC1Kkkv9OMYYjbt3gX157d6m0f5juen9TRZL1z1nFGHfyY3mFieZpDybMMejxM22XDSs5FU6y2SlP0itp2ibcgUGo-dVWoYr12c/s640/apple-crafts-the-crafty-crow.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
The Crafty Crow is a children's craft collective which specializes in crafts found on weblogs of creative people who either have, or work with, kids. There is an emphasis on projects inspired by nature, crafts that make use of recyclable materials and open-ended art meant to bring families closer together through the creative experience.<br />
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It's collated by Cassi of <a href="http://belladia.typepad.com/">Bella Dia</a>.and she has gathered together some super crafts to enjoy with the kids that feature apples. Things like <a href="http://krokotak.com/2013/09/tcherveytcheto-i-yabalkata/" target="_blank">recycled CD apple </a>and <a href="http://homemadeserenity.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/make-it-apple-print-bunting.html" target="_blank">apple print bunting.</a><br />
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So if you're looking for something creative to do with the children go take a look at The Crafty Crow's <a href="http://www.thecraftycrow.net/2013/09/10-favorite-apple-crafts.html" target="_blank">Favorite Apple Crafts </a><br />
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The Orchard Yearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08913622318566052121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056238498994737734.post-47228989995870891912013-09-27T15:34:00.000-07:002013-09-27T15:34:07.250-07:00When apple pie goes viral<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg79kqFBdbJCwjswumVi2ryQlu7YzYwGIoObBze3Q1VsDHbRKGI_oPCmQOsZ3NzXyf0Qeno4kNJ6nUP0RmJKnPKUW9_xdvXBIVn9ajATzBabwgTE4J_ZhdQaGcMX6b23ujfz_vt8-BGtkbD/s1600/moving+111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg79kqFBdbJCwjswumVi2ryQlu7YzYwGIoObBze3Q1VsDHbRKGI_oPCmQOsZ3NzXyf0Qeno4kNJ6nUP0RmJKnPKUW9_xdvXBIVn9ajATzBabwgTE4J_ZhdQaGcMX6b23ujfz_vt8-BGtkbD/s640/moving+111.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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When Alicia Paulson blogs <a href="http://rosylittlethings.typepad.com/posie_gets_cozy/2013/09/its-pie-time.html" target="_blank">It's Pie Time</a> on her <a href="http://rosylittlethings.typepad.com/posie_gets_cozy/" target="_blank">Posie gets Cozy </a>people all over the world start baking pie. Not just any pie but <a href="http://rosylittlethings.typepad.com/posie_gets_cozy/2008/10/sour-cream-appl.html" target="_blank">Sour Cream Apple Pie </a><br />
People like:<br />
Leigh Metcalf of <a href="http://foundnowhome.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/easy-as-pie.html" target="_blank">Found New Home</a><br />
Sue of <a href="http://thequincetree65.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/pie-along.html" target="_blank">The Quince Tree</a><br />
Ali of <a href="http://domesticali.typepad.com/domesticali/2013/09/cooking-with-friends.html" target="_blank">Domesticali</a><br />
You might want to try it for yourself<br />
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<br />The Orchard Yearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08913622318566052121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056238498994737734.post-1094906053610801462013-09-09T14:35:00.000-07:002013-09-09T14:39:13.122-07:00Slugs come out to playIt's been a hot summer and the slugs have been in hiding for fear of desiccation but a few drops of rain have brought them out in force.<br />
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Today I could barely take two steps without spying a slug.<br />
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Greater plantain seemed to be a favourite food. For those of you interested in the anatomy of these gastropods I found this little diagram on Wiki <span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>(<a class="extiw" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Billlion" title="en:User:Billlion">en:User:Billlion</a> licensed under the <a class="extiw" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/en:Creative_Commons" title="w:en:Creative Commons">Creative Commons</a> <a class="external text" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en" rel="nofollow">Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 )</a></i></span> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQnJATNX6Pa-prQDcukXcthyphenhyphen4I888UJRuCBTwrCfxPIPb4ZVkQuMRvpV47WSwVrPmpkcGMa-IYFrrgPIl62JKPVkdsqaAZ6YbN8au-QA4hU6rob9tiEKUMx7CxXuktYlcSo4JXcaR7htjh/s1600/Slug_parts.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQnJATNX6Pa-prQDcukXcthyphenhyphen4I888UJRuCBTwrCfxPIPb4ZVkQuMRvpV47WSwVrPmpkcGMa-IYFrrgPIl62JKPVkdsqaAZ6YbN8au-QA4hU6rob9tiEKUMx7CxXuktYlcSo4JXcaR7htjh/s320/Slug_parts.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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You can see the Pneuomstome clearly in the second photograph it's a respiratory opening, easy to see when open but hard to find when closed as in the following photograph:<br />
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<br />The Orchard Yearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08913622318566052121noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056238498994737734.post-90991920363665662972013-09-02T16:55:00.001-07:002013-09-02T16:57:16.536-07:00Apple Picking Bins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy9L1V3IKOGIawLfuUxY0xYa0CIr8m29YLXf5w75FQMNlMCfogN4M6qMKhEGK6vVBxuOelqda9tIilFZVmHaJe_XQZoaLPDAYfq4UzPPyt48Px9hJY3XE2vGX0n5oAqdpsAneM3RQ2m1Ol/s1600/038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy9L1V3IKOGIawLfuUxY0xYa0CIr8m29YLXf5w75FQMNlMCfogN4M6qMKhEGK6vVBxuOelqda9tIilFZVmHaJe_XQZoaLPDAYfq4UzPPyt48Px9hJY3XE2vGX0n5oAqdpsAneM3RQ2m1Ol/s640/038.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Apple picking time is upon us and up and down the country you'll see nicely regimented rows of bins in the orchard aisles waiting to be filled, for a wise apple grower makes sure that his bins are in good order, taking care of the necessary repairs, well before picking begins. But of course as with most things in life there is always one who leaves everything to the last minute. This particular grower has been known to hand his pickers a hammer and a selection of rusty nails, that or baling twine. Some folk never learn.<br />
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<br />The Orchard Yearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08913622318566052121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056238498994737734.post-49722057893401328252013-08-24T14:15:00.000-07:002013-08-24T14:16:39.018-07:00Hedgerow Plums - Food for Free<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkbWNOgVRZx_UPzrtGah7UL0IkScMaJ5HMHKMuCeYgIs2NYQRsaPM7Tux-MMPzLeCqQz_7PnwtHIYeWNdMu_xMSi4U6-rVdEtvkzwriOu1xEHYUZaeaFfiJZRXxbArVK3qk47OEX_NahJ-/s1600/moving+079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkbWNOgVRZx_UPzrtGah7UL0IkScMaJ5HMHKMuCeYgIs2NYQRsaPM7Tux-MMPzLeCqQz_7PnwtHIYeWNdMu_xMSi4U6-rVdEtvkzwriOu1xEHYUZaeaFfiJZRXxbArVK3qk47OEX_NahJ-/s640/moving+079.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's plum season and you'll find loads of fresh picked English plums in your local farm shops now, buy them straight from the orchard grower for real freshness, most pick daily and sell out before the end of the day.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJV6Yeshyphenhyphen5aUQ5Ca3VP4L7P3PHgWe9hMp5NLRE9p_K4vK0VK1sGnEuaOBseRl4f9TPCj-SMA_UlAxJx8GCCOexl2hVBJ_R0EaKYGcDSFaonqmzXFaPNQz27Umw31byfK1ONylrq43t4Tp3/s1600/moving+090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJV6Yeshyphenhyphen5aUQ5Ca3VP4L7P3PHgWe9hMp5NLRE9p_K4vK0VK1sGnEuaOBseRl4f9TPCj-SMA_UlAxJx8GCCOexl2hVBJ_R0EaKYGcDSFaonqmzXFaPNQz27Umw31byfK1ONylrq43t4Tp3/s640/moving+090.JPG" width="480" /> </a></div>
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But while you're out and about this Bank Holiday weekend keep your eye out for wild plums in the hedgerows. Whilst not as big as cultivated plums and maybe not quite a "plummy"
tasting they are food for free and can still be utilized for jams,
chutneys and pies.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT5kcMKeBk_gTKtsevD_cb-KvgVTpT6ooFGyFMf_kb1ShzhdsyXNJuGnm62LMdzSWmDHOboa6mrvUikvrjJb0resbSqRGw-ezfwgQLWYBHWbqS73CNtgEk2Gch4p4YOjDzlgY2j6OWbAyT/s1600/moving+096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT5kcMKeBk_gTKtsevD_cb-KvgVTpT6ooFGyFMf_kb1ShzhdsyXNJuGnm62LMdzSWmDHOboa6mrvUikvrjJb0resbSqRGw-ezfwgQLWYBHWbqS73CNtgEk2Gch4p4YOjDzlgY2j6OWbAyT/s640/moving+096.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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And of course some make very good Damson Gin!<br />
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<br />The Orchard Yearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08913622318566052121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056238498994737734.post-45825369312416474642013-08-18T02:07:00.000-07:002013-08-18T02:07:43.479-07:00What to do with green tomatoes - Some green tomato recipes from Lionel<br />
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At the beginning of April Lionel gave us the super recipe for <a href="http://theorchardyear.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/rhubarb-and-orange-chutney-lionels.html" target="_blank">Rhubarb and orange chutney</a>, here are his family recipes for a glut of green tomatoes ~<br />
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GREEN TOMATO CHUTNEY.<br />
<br />
3 lbs Green tomatoes,<br />
1 lb Cored cooking apples,<br />
1 lb Onions<br />
8 oz Sultanas/raisins <br />
1 lb Dark brown sugar<br />
1 Pint Malt Vinegar<br />
2 tsps Ground Ginger<br />
2 " Curry Powder<br />
1 " Chilli Powder<br />
2/3 Cloves Garlic<br />
<br />
Cook all ingredients together until thick. This takes about 2/3 hours. Then place in containers for use after 4 weeks.<br />
<br />
PICKLED GREEN TOMATOES<br />
<br />
3 Lbs Small Green Tomatoes, Prick and sprinkle with salt overnight to remove moisture from Tomatoes, then drain.<br />
<br />
1lb 8 ozs Sugar,<br />
1 pint Malt Vinegar<br />
12 Cloves<br />
1 tsp Cinamon ground.<br />
<br />
Boil together. then add the Tomatoes and boil until the Tomatoes are clear ( Translucent).<br />
Place the Tomatoes in preheated jars, add syrup and Seal.<br />
<br />
Ready after about 3/4 weeks. Lovely with cold meat.The Orchard Yearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08913622318566052121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056238498994737734.post-50429667899381817352013-08-09T15:42:00.001-07:002013-08-09T15:43:38.463-07:00Plum Season and favourite recipes from the orchard kitchen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9noTmbMAM3XylOyNpvb-_9mVuyoAv68bVE6Qf4nOyA3KJWurjpmH6nUQfkM9h869ZZCpxGFRDHLjWqa9nvNPUbcKRyBGfnJsU7nXS7OWAf76lOvVvMEWY0rXrcZHxKRCmEpMMopjH8J48/s1600/Plums.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9noTmbMAM3XylOyNpvb-_9mVuyoAv68bVE6Qf4nOyA3KJWurjpmH6nUQfkM9h869ZZCpxGFRDHLjWqa9nvNPUbcKRyBGfnJsU7nXS7OWAf76lOvVvMEWY0rXrcZHxKRCmEpMMopjH8J48/s640/Plums.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>
They are in the shops now, the first of the English plums, plum season has arrived so to celebrate here at The Orchard Year these are a few of our favourite recipes.<br />
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<b>Plum Crumble:</b><br />
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Everyone's favourite and you've probably all got your own recipe
for this. But just in case, or if you fancy a change, here is our
crumble topping recipe:<br />
3ozs butter, 4 tablespoons self raising flour, 2 big handfulls of porridge oats, 4 tablespoons of cane sugar.<br />
(I feel strongly that cane sugar always works much better than white with plums)<br />
You know what to do don't you, rub the flour with the butter etc, etc<br />
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<b>Plum Tarte Tatin:</b><br />
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1 packet ready made puff pastry, enough half de-stoned plums to line dish, 3ozs butter, 4 tablespoons cane sugar</div>
Melt the butter in a thick bottomed frying pan or stove top / oven proof
dish, sprinkle sugar evenly and add plum halves, cut side down. Cook on
a medium heat for about 20 minutes until the juices are bubbling then
remove from heat.<br />
Now if you've had to use the frying pan transfer the plums to an
ovenproof dish, reserving the syrup. If you're already using the
ovenproof dish drain the syrup into another bowl carefully keeping the
plums in place.<br />
Roll the pastry into a circle slightly larger than your dish then place
it on top of the plums, tucking the edges of the pastry into the dish
around the fruit to form an upside down tart case.<br />
Bake in a preheated oven (gas mark 6, 200 deg C) until the pastry is
golden brown and the juices are bubbling, about 35 minutes.<br />
Leave to cool for about an hour before turning the tarte tatin onto a
serving dish. With all that butter it'll turn out quite easily with a
little help from a spatula around the edges.<br />
To serve,warm the reserved syrup for pouring.<br />
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Barbados Cream is also good with plums.</div>
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<b>Barbados Cream:</b></div>
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So easy to make, you'll need -</div>
1 carton of thick Greek yoghurt (like Total), 1 carton double cream, cane demerara sugar and a shallow dish.<br />
Simply mix equal qtys of cream and yoghurt and pour into the dish.
Sprinkle with a thick layer of the sugar. Cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight.<br />
Delicious!<br />
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So get down to your nearest farm shop this weekend and buy yourself a few lbs / kilos of plums, remember to buy more than you need for cooking as you're bound to eat a few in the car on the way home. </div>
The Orchard Yearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08913622318566052121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056238498994737734.post-67481908227877601572013-08-05T14:09:00.003-07:002013-08-05T14:09:59.718-07:00The Big Butterfly Count in the neglected orchardThe Orchard Year took part in <a href="http://www.bigbutterflycount.org/about" target="_blank">The Big Butterfly Count </a>(thanks to <a href="http://flightplot.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Flighty</a> for letting us know about it) and this is what we saw in our 15 minutes:<br />
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<b>3 x Ringlet </b></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>5 x Meadow Brown</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHoJg76R8WhDQ7plu6bOKl4V1YV5I74Os4MriKXFhGoraTeV4PFMLgVRlA-hScGT46epq6F6t4A3KBVb45ATzERAxvlRyWdi_qGgeCiFAACO19PxZ6Zan1j4duaXtlGwAB-2qSJrK5hWWd/s1600/Butterfly-Small_White_Butterfly_%2528Pieris_rapae%2529_-_geograph.org.uk_-_215971.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHoJg76R8WhDQ7plu6bOKl4V1YV5I74Os4MriKXFhGoraTeV4PFMLgVRlA-hScGT46epq6F6t4A3KBVb45ATzERAxvlRyWdi_qGgeCiFAACO19PxZ6Zan1j4duaXtlGwAB-2qSJrK5hWWd/s640/Butterfly-Small_White_Butterfly_%2528Pieris_rapae%2529_-_geograph.org.uk_-_215971.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>12 x Small White</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmWM0xGGYqgurrGv5oXcw1uW_geDgxz2TgLzLagrfmHqsmjA_TY5622FU0uOnGZ0rKlQitUkRznhecvEQsrOq8VRYEEnNpY0QsXdvJ_3GFzH_7BRfmWm7OD0it8iQ4qZObxJAOUqJ3qHvX/s1600/butterfly-Small_Tortoiseshell_Butterfly_%25284532072405%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmWM0xGGYqgurrGv5oXcw1uW_geDgxz2TgLzLagrfmHqsmjA_TY5622FU0uOnGZ0rKlQitUkRznhecvEQsrOq8VRYEEnNpY0QsXdvJ_3GFzH_7BRfmWm7OD0it8iQ4qZObxJAOUqJ3qHvX/s640/butterfly-Small_Tortoiseshell_Butterfly_%25284532072405%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>1 x Small Tortoiseshell</b></div>
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Have you joined in the<a href="http://www.bigbutterflycount.org/" target="_blank"> Big Butterfly Count</a>? What did you see?<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Images:</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Ringlet <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Dger" title="User:Dger">D. Gordon E. Robertson</a> licensed under the <a class="extiw" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/en:Creative_Commons" title="w:en:Creative Commons">Creative Commons</a> <a class="external text" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en" rel="nofollow">Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported</a></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Meadow Brown © Copyright <a href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/profile/14840" rel="cc:attributionURL dct:creator" title="View profile">Evelyn Simak</a> and
licensed for <a href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/reuse.php?id=864198">reuse</a> under this <a class="nowrap" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/" rel="license" title="Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Licence">Creative Commons Licence</a>.</span></i> <br />
<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Small White © Copyright <a href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/profile/139" rel="cc:attributionURL dct:creator" title="View profile">Anne Burgess</a> and
licensed for <a href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/reuse.php?id=215971">reuse</a> under this <a class="nowrap" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/" rel="license" title="Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Licence">Creative Commons Licence</a>.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Small Tortoiseshell <a class="external text" href="http://www.flickr.com/people/25443598@N06" rel="nofollow">nottsexminer</a> licensed under the <a class="extiw" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/en:Creative_Commons" title="w:en:Creative Commons">Creative Commons</a> <a class="external text" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en" rel="nofollow">Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic</a></span></i> The Orchard Yearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08913622318566052121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056238498994737734.post-29339092473877729942013-07-28T00:44:00.000-07:002013-07-28T00:44:40.434-07:00Great White Egret - Ardea alba<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6GWwLYr6RqH3xUjIvKJiPZBqh32fcNzBjzjTvz6H9j30lUGtV_zRYyfdK00Xd5uhDfJaOIOr9Rc59ZNtXMVNReEPfQ0OBfYMCPPB5Qx430qqGh3rAgAvhczkwzbLEmA7RDEczbp3ylS42/s1600/Fenland-main-drain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6GWwLYr6RqH3xUjIvKJiPZBqh32fcNzBjzjTvz6H9j30lUGtV_zRYyfdK00Xd5uhDfJaOIOr9Rc59ZNtXMVNReEPfQ0OBfYMCPPB5Qx430qqGh3rAgAvhczkwzbLEmA7RDEczbp3ylS42/s640/Fenland-main-drain.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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So yesterday as I was driving down the track next to the drain I spied a Great White Egret. It was actually in about the same place as I recently saw the <a href="http://theorchardyear.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/grey-heron-ardea-cinerea.html" target="_blank">grey heron</a> so I suppose the hunting is especially good just there. According to the<a href="http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/l/littleegret/index.aspx" target="_blank"> RSPB</a> you're most likely to see the Great White Egret in Spring or Winter in the UK so I consider myself lucky to have seen one so late into summer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINWqNONXDlKKAFPHAVF1rgyP1Z43_Gn9mJuvffONPuDhAxdQ9JbrarmCASa4S01pfzeI4EN793Hsmr4fEXKRXJfvCTZRt8iOR9iSIkw8a-mPaSBynGZfb2HehBVnPly5RaJUGyEUX7HJM/s1600/great-white-egret.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINWqNONXDlKKAFPHAVF1rgyP1Z43_Gn9mJuvffONPuDhAxdQ9JbrarmCASa4S01pfzeI4EN793Hsmr4fEXKRXJfvCTZRt8iOR9iSIkw8a-mPaSBynGZfb2HehBVnPly5RaJUGyEUX7HJM/s640/great-white-egret.jpg" width="414" /></a></div>
I'd love to say the this photograph of the egret was taken by me but it wasn't (image <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/86366039@N00" target="_blank">Paul Kehrer</a> licensed under the <a class="extiw" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/en:Creative_Commons" title="w:en:Creative Commons">Creative Commons</a> <a class="external text" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en" rel="nofollow">Attribution 2.0 Generic). </a>In fact it wasn't even taken in England but in the Palo Verde National Park, Costa Rica! <br />
And I might as well confess that the image of the drain wasn't taken by myself either but by one of my son's, however it was taken in England.The Orchard Yearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08913622318566052121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056238498994737734.post-88427858816918751622013-07-24T08:31:00.001-07:002013-07-24T08:31:27.593-07:00Orchard piglets enjoying the muddy puddles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis2KKhMPdi-_iYRuvh9WryTaresmtdWcH4VnDdczn-704RPjP8_BNp1lHD-a8_AjWnAfdGJQyjuDMaCc7V90LfdvPiNYk40sSVYC7kJm72WK92oKjTGwsJHjyd70qDzDJHdQhBQuOf7h6A/s1600/micro-piglet.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis2KKhMPdi-_iYRuvh9WryTaresmtdWcH4VnDdczn-704RPjP8_BNp1lHD-a8_AjWnAfdGJQyjuDMaCc7V90LfdvPiNYk40sSVYC7kJm72WK92oKjTGwsJHjyd70qDzDJHdQhBQuOf7h6A/s640/micro-piglet.JPG" width="620" /></a></div>
Yesterday's thunder storms resulted in a lot of fun for the orchard piglets, muddy puddles are a pigs delight on a hot sunny day though they thoroughly dislike them in the winter.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja2pRssxaG8K_gFd32GIQWfOhCFmPS2IzElzcRRwl1TDV7HxlR5QfTOTqflDZywisjHXTcmpx_Co3D2A6QD7e1Xuw7GrMfcNZDVHvsaBWMsRZ1r9ThyVPoc_rz8OujtUITgqeQAQwj5VSn/s1600/micro-muddy-piglet-paddling.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja2pRssxaG8K_gFd32GIQWfOhCFmPS2IzElzcRRwl1TDV7HxlR5QfTOTqflDZywisjHXTcmpx_Co3D2A6QD7e1Xuw7GrMfcNZDVHvsaBWMsRZ1r9ThyVPoc_rz8OujtUITgqeQAQwj5VSn/s640/micro-muddy-piglet-paddling.JPG" width="576" /></a></div>
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Some of you may know that pigs don't sweat so to enable them to cool themselves they like to take mud baths and should be provided with a "wallow" in hot weather.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj73JP_rUTKeH9H8jxZebmU3DuyDg0tAxLrcymxKIWkk28hshGyUcMseuwuZB26oIuzd7oxpvlJJuccOox3kmlpScuotN0nkwOBBAWh2gbDn4UzUGWpH4B9DlpYHpw5vkadXbPX4_WezEzA/s1600/micro-muddy-piglet.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj73JP_rUTKeH9H8jxZebmU3DuyDg0tAxLrcymxKIWkk28hshGyUcMseuwuZB26oIuzd7oxpvlJJuccOox3kmlpScuotN0nkwOBBAWh2gbDn4UzUGWpH4B9DlpYHpw5vkadXbPX4_WezEzA/s640/micro-muddy-piglet.JPG" width="630" /></a></div>
Well this is a natural wallow as a result of the thunder storms and I believe it was much enjoyed by all.The Orchard Yearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08913622318566052121noreply@blogger.com4