This week we harvested the apples from the two large trees in the orchard. One is a Bramley and the other Blenheim Orange. The apples are not at full ripeness at this stage but we wanted to get them safely off the trees to make sure the apples were not wasted or the trees damaged. it felt very good to harvest them. These two trees will be ten years old in February and this is the first year we have had a substantial crop. We are making the apples available to the community by means of tables outside a few of the houses in Emersons Green.

News from our bat survey with Ed Drewitt, we detected noctule, serotine and common pipistrelle bats flying on the edge of Green Lane around dusk. Some of these bats, especially the noctule, live in holes in trees, either where a branch has fallen or in a hole made by woodpeckers. Others live under the eaves etc of buildings. They can eat up to 3000 insects per night.

For those of you who can make it, we have our orchard workshop this Saturday Sept 5th at 10am just for two hours. Slight change of plan in regard to tools – suggesting shears, trowels and spades and to wear long-sleeved tops, long trousers and gloves if you have them, to ward off the stingers.

More news of the Painted Stones Garden coming shortly…