Trees and Fruit in Rural East Anglia

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Trees & Fruit in Rural Essex

We moved in here in early 1994. It was a badly overgrown smallholding. It divides into roughly 1 acre of orchard/ football paddock/ garden; then some big sheds & greenhouse; then a back field of about 3 acres. The first year or two was spent clearing & cleaning. A new drive was laid, we paved an area, had a big lawn sown, and laid lots of paths. As it's a big area then low maintenance is very important. In early 2004 we had the 10 000 sq ft greenhouse removed, along with the falling-down shed.

A lawn, as someone said, is a clearing in the woods. Having got the lawn, we needed to start the woods. Over the next few years we added more trees & shrubs to the copse to create autumn colour.

The cold winds can whistle here- rumour has it there's nothing higher than 50m between here and Siberia. We planted lots of hedges & screens.

Some of the trees that I fancied planting didn't fit in to the 'red in autumn' copse. They are on the other trees page.

A major interest was to get a wide selection of fruit spread over a number of months.
Here's the tree fruit planning, and the nuts:

Recommended books on fruit are on the books page. There's lots more to show- I still haven't described the climbing roses, the soft fruit, the veg.,......
and my wife has even sneaked some flowers in here and there.

But I'd better go and do some gardening instead of just writing about it.....

Anton

Orchard in the mist Young orchard in the early morning

Late '93- estate agent's photo of back garden Greenhouse in middle now demolished

Trees about 5 years after planting Copse from drive

Trees about 10 years after planting Copse from drive

Notes of thanks- to my family, for much help; and urg for friendship in gardening.