Didn’t we have a lovely time all day long at the Home Farm Orchard at Stanmer Park?! Our Blossom Tours were well turned out with people travelling from all over the city and further afield to participate.
People who signed up for the free event were treated to a wealth of knowledge being shared by our wide-ranging experts and enthusiasts. There were orchard history lessons from John Coote, deep rooted Brighton Permaculture Trust trustee and sometime tutor, grafting demonstrations from Peter May, local apple tree guru. Then there were absorbing pollinator talks and insect hunts led by Stephan Gehrels, all-around good apple and Penelope Kenny, the wise woman of the woods. Finally, attendees were treated to tree worker Paul Wiggins’ top tips on tip-top harvests and Brighton Permaculture Trust’s Director Bryn Thomas with his tall tales of trees, including the infamous harvest of 2012.
Walking into the orchard while the tours took place was like walking into an oasis of calm; the sun was warm on our backs; the ground was heavy with the smell of the burgeoning spring and the drone of insects lent an entirely soporific feel to the space. I felt we simply floated through the trees from speaker to speaker, not unlike the bees bumbling and bumping from flower to flower between apple trees.
We couldn’t have run such a wonderful event without our fabulous speakers, a raft of volunteer stewards and helpers, plus the assistance of the scrumping team, and behind the scenes volunteer coordination and admin. Also, the support of BHCC Stanmer Park team who provided funding. Most of all a thank you to those turning up on the day. Sunshine, smiles, and cider were in ample supply, even if the blossom was shy in showing its face this year.
Missed out this time? Keep an eye out in our newsletter for our plans to host an apple harvest event in autumn.