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Broomfield Community Orchard

IMPROVING OUR PLACE WITH THE BROOMFIELD COMMUNITY ORCHARDFirst site visit: digging a trial pit August 2009

The 'Broomfield Community Orchard' is a new orchard created by local people working in partnership with the LB Enfield in Broomfield Park. Located next to the bowling green off Aldermans Hill, the orchard is on a level area that had been unused for over 15 years and has many wild flowers. It had previously been a bowling green.

Location

Before work started: September 2009

Leaflet : December 2009

DESIGN

The orchard is laid out with two diagonal avenues of apple trees and espaliers along the sides. It is hoped that it will become a beautiful and peaceful place to be; fruit trees in an area with wild flowers; adding to the bio-diversity of this historic park. The fruit will be available to local people, schools and community groups, expanding the borough’s capacity to grow more produce locally.

INAUGURAL PLANTING

DECEMBER 2009

Over 30 people attended the inauguration of the orchard on the 5th December 2009, including five Councillors and David Burrowes MP. Cllr Edward Smith planted a tree to celebrate the event. The planting of the orchard also formed part of the national ‘Tree O’Clock’event at which over half a million trees were planted in the UK.

Initially volunteers planted 24 trees including eleven different traditional varieties of apples (including Ashmead’s Kernel, Blenheim Orange, D’Arcey Spice, Ellison’s Orange, George Cave, Howgate Wonder, Pitmaston Pineapple, James Grieve and William Crump), and other fruit trees including a Black Mulberry, an Isfahan Quince and a Royal Medlar. The trees were mulched the following weekend.

The orchard is open regularly when volunteers have cleared rubbish from the site and built four fifteen metre long espaliers - one along each side of the orchard. The espaliers have been planted up with apple varieties (including James Grieve, Brownlees Russet, Worcester Pearmain, George Cave, Court of Wick, Howgate Wonder and Laxton Superb).

There are 70 fruit trees in the orchard, along with 50 hawthorn ‘whips’ planted to create a new hedge with the adjoining bowling green. There are 28 different varieties of Apple, 1 variety of Peach, 2 varieties of Quince, and one variety of Medlar, Mulberry and Pear.

Planting plan of Broomflield Communicty Orchard

Detail here for the planting plan and tree list.

WORKING WITH SCHOOLS

The orchard group are keen to develop links with local schools, including Broomfield, Hazelwood, St Monica’s and Bowes Primary School. A class from Bowes Primary School recently visited the orchard.

OPENING TIMES

The orchard is open every first and third Saturday of the month between 10.00am and 12.00 and every second and fourth Sunday of the month between 2.00 and 4.00pm.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Local volunteers have done all the work at the Community Orchard. We are keen to hear from people who would like to help us with physical work in the orchard or with fundraising, publicity, and doing a wild flower survey. If you would like to be involved in this exciting new project in some way, sponsor a tree or just come along to have a look, we would like to hear from you.

CONTACT

D a v I d M a r c h: broomfieldcommunityorchard@gmail.com

I M P R O V I N G O U R P L A C E

The orchard project is part of the ‘Improving our Place’ (IOP) initiative by local people who are keen to improve the quality of life in this part of the Southgate, Palmers Green and Winchmore Hill. IOP is a new campaigning group whose goal is to develop a stronger sense of community and enhance the quality of life in the area. It campaigns for improvements such as better managed and safer streets, a greener environment, better local facilities, and improvements to the main shopping streets.

The Community Orchard is supported by the Friends of Broomfield Park www.friendsofbroomfieldpark.org and the Fox Lane and District Residents’ Association.