3VEG Community Orchard
Willing volunteers came to plant a variety of fruit trees in Braughing on Saturday 6th March. Orchards have traditionally been grown in Hertfordshire for many years but there has been a sharp decline in the number over recent decades.
This new orchard includes dessert and culinary apples, pears, plums and cherries and most of the trees are local Hertfordshire varieties including the Hormead Pearmain. Many were originally raised at the famous Rivers Nursery in Sawbridgeworth and at Ware Park with varieties dating from the 1700s to 1940.
The project has been generously supported by County Councillors Jane Pitman and David Andrews with funding from the locality budget grant and by Braughing Parish Council in allowing the group to use the site.
Village organisations were invited to adopt a tree and on Saturday around 50 volunteers completed the planting and everyone was delighted at the community spirit that launched the project. The idea had really caught the imagination of villagers and it had been very exciting to see members from Jenyns school, local churches, Brownie and Cheetah packs, as well as 15 other organisations and societies within the village all joining in.
Tricia Lilley of 3VEG explained that the project was designed to involve the whole community in looking after the trees, and coming to a range of events in future such as pruning days, apples days and in time harvesting the delicious produce.
Click here to see the Orchard Plan.
Willing volunteers came to plant a variety of fruit trees in Braughing on Saturday 6th March. Orchards have traditionally been grown in Hertfordshire for many years but there has been a sharp decline in the number over recent decades.
This new orchard includes dessert and culinary apples, pears, plums and cherries and most of the trees are local Hertfordshire varieties including the Hormead Pearmain. Many were originally raised at the famous Rivers Nursery in Sawbridgeworth and at Ware Park with varieties dating from the 1700s to 1940.
The project has been generously supported by County Councillors Jane Pitman and David Andrews with funding from the locality budget grant and by Braughing Parish Council in allowing the group to use the site.
Village organisations were invited to adopt a tree and on Saturday around 50 volunteers completed the planting and everyone was delighted at the community spirit that launched the project. The idea had really caught the imagination of villagers and it had been very exciting to see members from Jenyns school, local churches, Brownie and Cheetah packs, as well as 15 other organisations and societies within the village all joining in.
Tricia Lilley of 3VEG explained that the project was designed to involve the whole community in looking after the trees, and coming to a range of events in future such as pruning days, apples days and in time harvesting the delicious produce.
Click here to see the Orchard Plan.
15 local societies and groups turn out to plant a tree
The Braughing Society group plants their tree
Coucillor Jane Pitman plants a tree with the Braughing Tennis Club
The 3VEG Group plants a tree