#communityorchards
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theorchardproject.bsky.social
Training people to care for #communityorchards and #forestgardens is a vital part of our work, as the ripple effects of this extend far wider than we can ever imagine. Here's just a few images from our work across the UK over the past few months!
Person with brown boots on, holding a graft between them. Several people in a garden setting pruning trained fruit trees, with an orange wheelbarrow of cuttings on the grass and a greenhouse in the background Group of people smiling in the sunshine, applying cardboard to the ground and planting fruit bushes into it Group of people standing around a map with 3D models on trees on, inside a wooden building with a blackboard behind
October 9, 2026 at 9:01 PM
theorchardproject.bsky.social
Anyone else have a tendency to look down mid bite and remark on unusual apple markings? Or is it just us fruit nerds 😅?

#CoxApple #CommunityOrchards
Red apple with yellow and red spotted stripe in a hand
October 8, 2026 at 11:55 AM
theorchardproject.bsky.social
Did you know a donation to us can be worth 25% more if you simply #TickTheBox? Gift Aid allows us to reclaim tax on any donations made by UK tax payers at no extra cost to you or us, making your donation go further 👉 www.theorchardproject.org.uk/make-a-singl...

#CommunityOrchards #GiftAid
An image of a pear and leaves with the words - you helped us raise +£4k last year through gift aid
October 1, 2026 at 8:01 PM
theorchardproject.bsky.social
We hate waste, especially when it comes to fruit, so we jumped at Martyn from Agriton's offer to write a blog for us about using Bokashi composting to turn apple pulp into nutrient-rich soil conditioner 👉 www.theorchardproject.org.uk/blog/bokashi...

#Bokashi #CommunityOrchards #Composting #Apples
Partly chopped green apples starting to brown, on sawdust and straw
September 30, 2026 at 6:45 AM
theorchardproject.bsky.social
🥧 If you can’t face yet another crumble & have a freezer full of fruit, it's time to consider sharing your surplus! Check out our fruit donation directory to find a willing recipient nearby: www.theorchardproject.org.uk/donate-apples

#CommunityOrchards
Hand holding out a white and red flushed apple that is cut in half to show the pips, with blurred body in the background
September 27, 2026 at 10:01 AM
theorchardproject.bsky.social
🌳 Looking to improve your orcharding skills, particularly with veteran trees? Our next Certificate in Community Orcharding course starts next month in Barnet, London, with just three places remaining 👉 www.theorchardproject.org.uk/events/certi...

#CommunityOrchards #VeteranTrees
September 25, 2026 at 8:02 PM
theorchardproject.bsky.social
It's the #AutumnEquinox! Today, day & night are in equal balance. 🌞

The moon also appears bigger & brighter. It's named the Harvest Moon as it's said the extra illumination allowed farmers to gather their harvest later in the evening. Would you harvest by moonlight?

#CommunityOrchards
A close up photo of a person's hands holding as many red apples as they can, against the black backdrop of their t-shirt.
September 23, 2026 at 5:30 PM
theorchardproject.bsky.social
Summer heatwaves & droughts are now more common across Europe, impacting harvests. Food security is a major concern. But what if there's a way to improve our food resilience through #communityorchards? www.theorchardproject.org.uk/blog/increas...
A woman in white dungarees and a t shirt stands smiling in front of a van full to bursting with net bags of green and red apples
September 22, 2026 at 7:00 PM
theorchardproject.bsky.social
How gorgeous are these #greengages? 😍 Our London project manager Lizzy gathered this impressive haul at a recent community harvest day at St Joseph's College in Barnet. She said she'd never seen so many there! #CommunityOrchards
A glass container of greengages on a wooden bench
September 16, 2026 at 2:13 PM
theorchardproject.bsky.social
🍐 Last week we harvested pears from a 150 year-old pear tree at Gartnavel General Hospital for our #Glasgow Orchard Commons project!

We collected 40kg of heritage pears & 100kg of apples, with some of the fruit being turned into delicious juice by our pedal-powered Velojuicer 😋

#CommunityOrchards
A group of people picking red apples from a tree and placing them on a blue tarpaulin below. A selection of red and green apples in a blue crate Pears spread out on a green tarpaulin on the ground, with people all around crouched down adding fruit to it. A woman in a grey t short pedals the Velojuicer in front of a building as others look on
September 9, 2026 at 8:00 PM
theorchardproject.bsky.social
It’s Organic September, @thesoilassociation.bsky.social‘s celebration of organic farming. Community orchards are often chemical-free spaces working to organic principles, using composting, mulching & biodiversity for soil & plant health 🪱.

#OrganicSeptember #OrganicFarming #CommunityOrchards
A man checks young fruit trees to be planted. Photo credit: weCREATE
September 7, 2026 at 5:02 PM
theorchardproject.bsky.social
📖 Calling all teachers & home schoolers! We’ve created 20 inspiring primary & secondary PDF lesson plans to help you bring the classroom outside.

Simply choose which subjects you feel your students will enjoy the most: www.theorchardproject.org.uk/school_lesso...

#CommunityOrchards #LessonPlansUK
A woman is smiling at the camera and kneeling down with a tape measure on grass as children in uniform help to measure out spacing between trees ahead of planting.
September 4, 2026 at 8:01 PM
theorchardproject.bsky.social
If you're looking to design a growing space that's more resilient to heatwaves & other extreme weather events, forest gardens are a great option. Find out more about our upcoming course 👉 www.theorchardproject.org.uk/events/level...

#CommunityOrchards #ResilientGarden #ForestGardens #Permaculture
Quote against a background of apple blossom: "Now that I have finished the course it doesn't feel like an ending - it feels like the start of something new and exciting. I can't wait to share my knowledge with others and to start work on developing a new garden."
August 25, 2026 at 8:00 PM
theorchardproject.bsky.social
Do you grow tropical fruit in the UK? Increasingly hotter summers mean we have to be a bit more creative about what we grow to eat.

Kaz, from London, is one such gardener already looking to the future, with his passion for #pawpaws: www.theorchardproject.org.uk/blog/for-the...

#CommunityOrchards
Kaz, wearing a blue shirt and glasses, looks to the camera next to his pawpaw fruit tree, with the quote: “The very best moments of an English summer are sitting on a bench next to my pawpaw trees with a cup of tea; I am at peace with no worries in the world!”
August 17, 2026 at 4:49 PM
theorchardproject.bsky.social
Just a few weeks left to apply for our free Consultant Development Programme! We are particularly keen to hear from bi-lingual Cymraeg speakers, as this year's focus is on Wales and SW England. Apply before 15 August 2026 👉 www.theorchardproject.org.uk/community-or...

#CommunityOrchards #GreenJobs
A woman arranges 3D wooden models trees on a map, with others talking in the background slightly out of focus.
August 7, 2026 at 8:02 PM
theorchardproject.bsky.social
🌿 Have your say about our communications and how community orchards are doing in your area and be in a draw for a £30 gift voucher from Hetty's Herbs 👉 form.jotform.com/261464748497... #CommunityOrchards
A wooden slice of hazel wood with Donations welcome on and The Orchard Project logo with a QR code, resting on a fence with a tree in the background.
August 1, 2026 at 4:01 PM
theorchardproject.bsky.social
Whose mouth is watering just at the thought of eating these berries?! Our training co-ordinator Sarah shares why she loves this time of year in our latest blog: www.theorchardproject.org.uk/blog/in-cele... #FoodForests #Permaculture #CommunityOrchards
Hand holding a glass jar full of red wild strawberries against a backdrop of comfrey and daisies Big bowl of purple saskatoon berries
July 20, 2026 at 7:02 PM
theorchardproject.bsky.social
Long, hot summer days can take their toll on us if we don’t keep well hydrated, and the same can be said for our fruit trees 🥵

Check out our handy guide to helping young trees thrive during a heatwave 👉 www.theorchardproject.org.uk/guides_and_a...

#CommunityOrchards #HeatWave #Mulch
A man using a red watering can on a new tree and the words 'hot weather tips - fruit trees' A child with a watering can watering a tree with blossom on and 'water wisely' A pile of woodchip with 'mulch more' over
July 14, 2026 at 8:01 PM
theorchardproject.bsky.social
This #PlasticFreeJuly we’re looking at the ways we can reduce plastics in #communityorchards. One of our favourite swaps is to ditch plastic tree guards in favour of willow or re-usable metal protection. Where young trees are in danger of damage from animals or passers-by, metal guards are best 🛡️
Two orchardists use a metal wire mesh to create a guard around a newly planted fruit tree.
July 6, 2026 at 11:30 AM
theorchardproject.bsky.social
🌳 Are you passionate about orchards, communities and sharing your skills with others?  Applications are now open for The Orchard Project's free Consultant Development Programme 👉 www.theorchardproject.org.uk/community-or...

#CommunityOrchards #TrainingOpportunity #SouthWales
One person examining an old apple tree in winter to determine where to prune while another looks on Three people in an orchard in winter with pruning tools in hand Group of orchardists in a winter orchard with pruning tools in hand
June 29, 2026 at 5:04 PM
theorchardproject.bsky.social
Today's the start of #LondonClimateActionWeek (20-28 June) showcasing real-world climate action and ‘cooperation in a fractured world’. Our favourite type of climate action is, of course, community orcharding, where working together has huge positive impacts.

#CommunityOrchards
June 20, 2026 at 4:02 PM
theorchardproject.bsky.social
We're on a ‘reset week’ from 15-21 June, where all staff take a break as part of the charity’s commitment to wellbeing, "giving the whole organisation a chance to pause - a bit like the resting period trees have over winter" - CEO Kath Rosen.
 
#CommunityOrchards

📷️ Frauke Riether/Pixabay
Bee rests on phacelia flower
June 13, 2026 at 12:11 PM
theorchardproject.bsky.social
We love brambles for their many biodiversity benefits, but sometimes they need to be checked back a bit, such as this one swamping a young apple tree at Bryn y Don Park orchard in Swansea! #CommunityOrchards
June 9, 2026 at 11:15 AM
theorchardproject.bsky.social
This image says a lot. Planting a fruit tree in our towns and cities shouldn't be a radical act, and yet it still feels like it a lot of the time. Let's normalise making our urban spaces more resilient to our changing climate 🌍️! #HeatwaveUK #CommunityOrchards
A thermometer with a reading of 40.4 in full sun and 28.4 in the shade. The text says - same community orchard, same time and day but one in full sun and one under a damson tree
May 31, 2026 at 8:01 AM
theorchardproject.bsky.social
Can you imagine a future where #CommunityOrchards play a prominent role in improving food system resilience, biodiversity, and social equity? That's the basis of our new 5yr plan launched today (27 May):

Read more here 👉 www.theorchardproject.org.uk/news/inspiri...
Front cover of the Strategic Plan 2026-2031 with a family group planting into the ground with flats in the background, alongside smaller images of a person carrying an olive tree in a pot and a quince hanging on a tree.
May 27, 2026 at 12:01 PM