Perhaps we had become used to the glorious autumn weather we have been having, but until 48 hours before the Apple Day events at the Edible Park, it hadn’t crossed our minds to check the weather forecast. So when we did and it announced unforgiving and relentless rain, there was almost a feeling that it might not be true. The forecasters didn’t change their predictions though so it was with heavy hearts that on the morning of the event we had no choice but to pare it down to a simple, and very soggy, planting session.

Our wonderful volunteers getting soaked planting bee friendly bulbs

As those of you who have visted the park will be aware, we have been really busy taking out a huge amount of overgrown shrubs and finsing out what sort of space there really is in the raised areas of the park, as well as what is best suited to where. We are almost there with the destruction phase and so part of the point of Apple Day was to begin to replant where we had removed things. With this in mind we set about buying some beautifully British grown eating and crab apples and preparing to plant them and then train them as espaliers. Espaliers are a great way of growing fruit in limited space, and by creating horizontal arms the trees become immensely productive due to the ways in which the plants hormones work. There will be more on that in a later post.

So we set about planting these trees in what began as drizzle but ended up as pretty torrential rain. We were also planting bulbs and lavenders for our new bee hive, installed and looked after by Bee the Change. The bulbs are all pollinator friendly, and in the late winter and early spring when the bees won’t want to travel far, will be like them having a diner right outside their door. crocus, daft, tulips, alliums and more have all been planted and should be a riot of colour from early spring through to April and May when other plantings will start to provide food for our bees.

Banging in stakes for the eating apples to be trained into espaliers

Due to the appalling weather we didn’t get around to doing the espalier work and so that will happen over the next week or so, but in the meantime please start to enjoy the space as it is regenerated into an area that is both people and wildlife friendly.

And we must also mention the amazing volunteers who supported uby coming out and helping us. You are all amazing and we are overwhelmed by the support that you are giving us to create an edible and pollinator rich city.