Residents, schoolchildren, police cadets and Beavers turn out to help plant Bishop's Stortford's first community orchard

By Bishop's Stortford Independent reporter

newsdesk@bishopsstortfordindependent.co.uk

Published: 13:12, 16 January 2023

| Updated: 13:15, 16 January 2023

Jill Goldsmith, a member of the Bishop's Stortford Community Orchards Group (BSCOG), on the planting of the town's first such orchard...

We should have had a rousing chorus of The Hippopotamus Song (Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud), but we were all far too busy planting fruit trees in Northern Parkland!

More than 60 people came out on a wet, cold Saturday in mid-January to dig holes, plant trees and erect information boards on the 8.32-hectare (20.5-acre) green space located to the north of St Michael's Mead, off the Great Hadham Road.

Planting of the community orchard at Northern Parkland, St Michael's Mead. Pic: Vikki Lince.

There were children from Manor Fields and Hillmead primary schools and their parents, police cadets, St Michael's Mead Beaver and Cub Scouts, people who live near the park and even a couple who had come from Saffron Walden to help.

Together we planted 31 apple, pear, plum and cherry trees, which will hopefully grow, flourish, blossom and bear fruit.

Everyone worked hard to give the trees the best possible start to their life in the park.

Eager Beavers: Members of the 1st St Michael's Mead Beaver colony were in their element. Pic: Vikki Lince

Neil Reeve, from the East of England Apples and Orchards Project, taught us how to prune the trees to get good growth in their first year.

We all gave each tree a stake to help them grow straight, a guard to keep them safe from rabbits and a layer of mulch to keep them snug and avoid them drying out when they are getting established.

This week, Manor Fields and Hillmead pupils will label the trees with plaques they have designed.

So what will happen next? We need to look after the trees to let them grow – making sure they are watered if we have more dry spells, giving them more mulch and pruning them, to get them into the best shape for bearing lots of fruit.

Ann Forbes and daughter Charlie planting a plum tree. Pic: Vikki Lince

The different types of tree grow at different rates and it will be a few years before there will be much blossom and fruit.

East Herts Council will not mow around the trees in the orchard and we will see what different grasses and flowers thrive.

In time, the mini orchard should become home to a wider variety of plants and wildlife than when it was parkland – and, of course, the fruit will be delicious!

Families were happy (mostly!) to dig in at the community orchard planting. Pic: Vikki Lince.

For now, thanks need to be given to Brenda Ballenden, who lives next to the park and supplied cakes and water on the day; to Andrew Urquhart, who did the woodwork for the information boards and organised the work on the day; to Dave Willcocks and Bob Clift for work on graphics; and to the BSCOG committee who brought it all together on the day.

But mostly thanks go to the community for turning out in such horrible weather and to East Herts Council for supporting the idea of having the orchard in the park and providing funding of £2,830 to get it done.

For the future, Bishop’s Stortford Community Orchards Group will keep an eye on the trees, with the help of all the local people who spend time in the park.