Push your tongue against your top molars, smile, and then breathe out through the sides of your mouth. You’ll make a snake-hiss sort of sound, which is the sound of LL in Cymraeg (Welsh). Let’s call it “thii.”   Now say this sound out loud here: Poppit coid er ber-thii-an.  Da iawn (well done). That’s how to […] The post Celebrating Welsh apples appeared first on The Orchard Project ..read more

While sipping some of the best ciders from around the UK at the Northern Fruit Moot in Manchester, I noticed this tasting workshop, being run by two passionate female cider makers, had attracted a very mixed crowd. Cider is now considered one the most gender-balanced alcoholic drinks in the UK. This is in no small […] The post IWD 2025: A tribute to Susanna Forbes appeared first on The Orchard Project ..read more

Forest gardening is often defined as seven layers of vegetation: from the root crops in the ground to the tall tree canopy reaching for the sky. But do we really need to tick off all seven layers to be able to call our growing space a forest garden? For those of you new to forest […] The post Forest garden layers – a tick box exercise? appeared first on The Orchard Project ..read more

It is the heart of winter, and although this may seem like an odd time to write about tending to our plant relationships, there is no better time than now! Many of our beloved tree and plant species are in a phase of dormancy: they are resting, but very much still present. When the season […] The post Reciprocity and our relationship with plant kin appeared first on The Orchard Project ..read more

A chance discovery of bright yellow apples hanging on a bare tree in midwinter sparked a lifelong pursuit to record and preserve these unusual varieties. The straggly little specimen by the side of a roundabout was a Worcester Round, and a scion from this tree marked the start of the Long Keeping Apples1 project. It […] The post A Johnny Appleseed of our time appeared first on The Orchard Project ..read more

Our London Project Manager Lewis McNeill spoke to Ewa Krupa, horticulturalist at RHS Wisely about their evolving approach to orchard management. The post Evolving orchard management at RHS Wisley appeared first on The Orchard Project ..read more

Let’s look into some of the spooky and spiritual connections of orchard fruits and other plants you’ll commonly find in orchards. The post Myth, magic and Autumn orchard traditions appeared first on The Orchard Project ..read more

With the right care, an orchard can remain fruitful for decades, providing fresh food to multiple generations. The post Our orchard aftercare approach appeared first on The Orchard Project ..read more

This summer The Orchard Project went back to visit some of the 500 or so orchards it has helped plant over the last 15 years, to see how they are doing and assess their health. The post Big Orchard Survey appeared first on The Orchard Project ..read more

I was inspired to write about dog-friendly planting because many of the orchards and forest gardens we work with at The Orchard Project are open to the public. When visiting a community greenspace, often the first people you meet are dog walkers, who visit regularly. They may support their local orchard or forest garden but may feel wary of losing precious open space where their dog can exercise. So, it’s good to be able to offer them some reassurance that new orchards or forest gardens will be safe for their dog.   Photo by Miamo302 via Pexels. When we design community spa ..read more