The Orchard Project

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The Orchard Project

We're bringing orchards into the heart of urban communities and helping train people to care for them for generations to come.

We're are a UK charity dedicated to creating, maintaining and celebrating community orchards.

21/08/2026

and , our orchard management training is coming your way! It's brilliant at producing qualified orchardists with the confidence and practical skills required to ensure your orchards and forest gardens thrive.

All students join our orchard network and have opportunities for further professional development.

Deadline for early bird tickets in London is 6 September.

London: https://www.theorchardproject.org.uk/events/certificate-in-community-orcharding-barnet-2/

Bristol: https://www.theorchardproject.org.uk/events/certificate-community-orcharding-bristol/

20/08/2026

Earlier this summer the wonderful Friends of Rodney Fields group and other local volunteers in Burnage gathered together, with a huge pile of cardboard, and created a beautiful young forest garden. 🌿

Our Manchester project manager Rukes guided volunteers through the no-dig cardboard mulch method of ground preparation. Large, plain cardboard boxes were collected with the help of local supermarkets and used to supress the grass where the new shrubs were planted. A thick layer of woodchip mulch is added on top of the cardboard. As the cardboard and woodchip slowly break down, the soil will be fed, retain more water and be protected from the elements too!

The team planted layers of fruiting shrubs, perennials and ground cover plants including jostaberries, redcurrants, wild strawberries, clovers, apple mint and some comfrey (which the bees love). They’ll be enjoying the delicious fruits of this forest garden for years to come.

What plants would you layer together in your food forest? 🍓

17/08/2026

Have you ever thought about growing tropical fruit? 🍍 The UK used to be known for our temperate climate, beloved by soft fruit like gooseberries, but increasingly hotter summers mean we now need to think a little more creatively about what we grow to eat.

Kaz, from London, is one such gardener already looking to the future. His passion is growing pawpaws, and for nearly a decade he's been patiently learning everything there is to know about them.

He's now on a mission to get us all (well, everyone down South anyway!) growing pawpaws as well. Learn more about why he loves them so much in our latest blog via the link in the comments.

https://www.facebook.com/karsan.halai

13/08/2026

The joy of having successfully pruned a plum tree at a community orchard shines through in this photo! 💚

Our friend Fruity Walks recently visited Mitcham community orchard, one of Sustainable Merton's Merton Growing Spaces, to learn all about how they summer prune their stone fruit trees. Mitcham orchard volunteer and former student of our Certificate in Community Orcharding course, Franki, demonstrated some pruning tips and tricks.

Summer pruning stone fruit trees is a one of the essential orchard tasks you can do from May through to the end of August. You can find our summer pruning guide along with our other seasonal advice on our website (link in the comments).

If you use Instagram, you can watch Fruity Walk's special summer pruning video and take a look at other brilliant content there which celebrates urban fruit trees. 🍒

12/08/2026

🌳 Fancy learning more about how to run a successful orchard?

Our next Certificate in Community Orcharding Course (CICO) starts in October and is based around Barnet, North London. The in-person days are taking place at some inspirational local community spaces, such as Barnet Environment Centre, OneStonegrove, Oak Hill College, Clitterhouse Community Garden and Hendon Tiny Orchard.

CICO is well-known for creating qualified orchardists with the confidence and practical skills needed to help community orchards and forest gardens thrive across the UK. 🍎

If you’re interested, we have some free places available thanks to City Bridge Foundation if you live in London and are on a low-income, particularly if you’re also from a minoritised group. Deadline to apply: 18 August.

You can also pay for your place in installments, and there are discounted Early Bird tickets available until 20 August. Find out more via the link in the comments.

10/08/2026

We are well into summer pruning season, the best time to give your stone fruit trees some TLC. Keep your eyes peeled this week for a very special video of summer pruning tips with our friend Fruity Walks over on Instagram. 👀

Here's a wonderful recent picture of the orchardists at Bryngarw Country Park, who have been getting stuck in to their summer pruning session with our project manager Witchhazel.

07/08/2026

🌳 Just a few weeks left to apply for our free Consultant Development Programme!

If you're passionate about orchards, communities and sharing your skills with others, then read on...

Our unique orchardist training programme gives you all the skills, knowledge and experience you need to become a freelance orchard consultant, trainer or community orchard leader.

We welcome applications from those currently underrepresented in the community orchard sector. And as the focus this year is on South West England and Wales, we are also particularly keen to hear from bi-lingual Cymraeg speakers.

What we offer:

✔️ Free training
✔️ Practical and online learning
✔️ Work shadowing opportunities
✔️ Ongoing professional development

Find out more and apply via our website link in the comments before 15 August 2026.

🌳 Ychydig wythnosau sy’n weddill i chi allu gwneud cais am ein Rhaglen Datblygu Ymgynghorwyr rhad ac am ddim ni!

Os ydych chi’n angerddol dros berllannau, cymunedau a rhannu’ch sgiliau gydag eraill, yna daliwch ati i ddarllen …

Bydd ein rhaglen hyfforddi perllanwyr yn rhoi’r holl sgiliau, yr wybodaeth a’r profiad sydd eu hangen arnoch i ddod yn ymgynghorwr perllannau llawrydd, yn hyfforddwr neu’n arweinydd perllannau cymunedol.

Rydym ni’n croesawu ceisiadau gan y rhai hynny sydd wedi’u tangynrychioli yn y sector perllannau cymunedol ar hyn o bryd. A chan fod y ffocws eleni ar dde-orllewin Lloegr a Chymru, rydym hefyd yn arbennig o awyddus i glywed gan siaradwyr Cymraeg.

Dyma beth rydyn ni’n ei gynnig:

✔️ Hyfforddiant am ddim

✔️ Dysgu ymarferol, ac ar-lein

✔️ Cyfleoedd cysgodi gwaith

✔️ Datblygiad proffesiynol parhaus

Ewch i ddysgu mwy, ac i wneud cais, drwy ein dolen i’r wefan yn y sylwadau cyn 15 Awst 2026.

05/08/2026

Summer is always a busy time in community orchards. With the dry, hot summer affecting huge areas of the UK, there is even more to do to make sure our fruit trees are able to stay healthy in extreme conditions. ☀️

In Wales, the team at Kenfig Nature Reserve have protected the soil around their trees with mulch mats under the guidance of our project manager, Witchhazel.

Having healthy trees in a heatwave is no easy task, and these orchardists are doing an exceptional job. 👏

01/08/2026

🍓 If you’re reading this, then you’re the perfect person to let us know what you think of our communications!

Every year we ask everyone who reads our email newsletters, follows us on socials, or visits our website to let us know why you engage with us and what you’d like more of in the coming months.

This time around we’re also asking a few extra questions about community orchards in your area, to help work out where to best focus our planting and aftercare in the future.

It should only take a few minutes to complete, and as a thank you for your time, you'll be entered into a prize draw on 27 August 2026 to win a gift voucher from Hetty's Herbs & Plants.

And if you're curious about this image, it's our new donation ‘slice’ made from coppiced hazel, then 3D printed. Keep an eye out for them at our upcoming events! They have been made for us by a generous community orchard volunteer and inspired by the ones in Tebay Services' cafe, that support the fantastic Growing Well project.

Find the link to the survey in the comments below 👇️

28/07/2026

We're bringing together fruit growers in to create a city where everyone feels part of nurturing and harvesting community trees.

The City is an Orchard Commons project, which we have just begun with our partners Glasgow Community Food Net, will involve local people taking part in everything from learning new skills to sharing surplus fruit and seasonal celebrations.

“We’re imagining a Glasgow where fruit trees are connected through people, skills and shared care,” says Fergus Walker, Glasgow and Strathclyde Project Manager for The Orchard Project. “A flourishing orchard commons would mean communities knowing where fruit is growing, feeling confident to care for the trees, and working together so more of the harvest is picked, shared and celebrated locally.”

The free launch event is taking place on Saturday 15 August at The Pyramid at Anderston. Register your interest via the link in the comments.

Thanks to Future Woodlands Scotland, The National Lottery Community Fund and Glasgow Tree Lovers' Society for their support to make this project happen.

📷️ Jassy Earl

Address

167–169 Great Portland Street, 5th Floor
London
W1W5P

Website

http://www.theorchardproject.org.uk/

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