Apple Day 2007 Celebrating the Apple

Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th October
10.00 until 4.00

This year we will be celebrating Apple Day on the last week-end of the month so that we are not clashing with other local events. Many of you will know what Apple Day is all about, but for those of you who are new to this wonderful and worthwhile event here is a little history. This event is run in conjunction with Common Ground, an internationally recognised small charity who play a unique role in the arts and environmental fields. They offer ideas, information and inspiration through publications and projects, one of which was setting up Apple Day at Covent Garden in 1990. This was a great success and by 2000 over 600 Apple Day events were celebrated throughout the country. The aim is to help conserve what orchards remain in this country and to encourage the planting of new private, commercial and community orchards, and also the planting of apple trees in individual gardens. They particularly encourage the planting of heritage varieties, of which there are hundreds. The more that these excellent varieties are planted and harvested locally the less it will be necessary to import foreign apples, obviously benefiting both people and the environment. What can give greater pleasure than picking an apple warm from the sun from your own tree and biting into its juicy delicious flesh?

We have been actively involved with Apple Day since 1996 and this year will be the fourth year the event has been held at the Garden Centre. It will be a day with something for all the family. Central to the event will be our two ‘apple experts’ Sarah Juniper and Alan Watson, who will have a display of masses of varieties of unusual apples. They hope to have enough for a few tasters to be available but Sarah’s orchard has not yielded well this year, so this may not be possible. Sarah and Alan will be able to help identify any unknown varieties you may have in your garden.

There will be fruit and gardening experts around to answer any questions you have, and demonstrations of how to prune your trees and advice of the most suitable tools to use. Important to many there will be a good range of fresh fruit on sale, and related goodies such as ciders, perries, liquors, wines etc. These will have been produced in this country from fruit local to their production, and we can assure everyone that they are delicious!

For those who love to cook or those who would like to learn, Ali Templeton will be with us to give her entertaining cookery demonstrations at 11.30 and 2.30. Enticing smells always drift around the Garden Centre at these times, and those watching the demonstrations have the pleasure of tasting the dishes which have been prepared. Also another treat for the tummy will be jam and chutney tasting with Dart Valley Foods but if you do partake in this don’t forget to bring a few pennies with you as you will be sure to want to take some home with you!

Yet another gastronomic delight will be local prize winning honey. Samantha Whitehead is a fount of knowledge about bee keeping, honey production and the value of honey and its many derivatives so this will be your chance to talk to her on her favourite subject. On the Sunday only there will be a display of English Cheeses brought by that great new food shop in Buckingham, Buckingham Delicatessens. They are knowledgeable about cheeses and will happily talk to anyone and give advice on the best cheeses for different occasions. And finally with food in mind, our restaurant will be producing their normal high quality home cooked meals, but with the slant towards the apple for the week-end.

There will be pottery demonstrations both days, on Saturday by Richard Ballentyne from Steeple Claydon who will be producing Raku pottery, then on Sunday Mark Fraser from North Marston producing pots and bowls on a traditional wheel. You may get a chance to produce your own pot which could be taken back and fired for you to collect later. Richard and Mark’s work are on display at the Garden Centre at the moment as part of the Art in Business initiative of Aylesbury Vale District Council. We think they are very attractive and would make wonderful and unusual gifts.

And what about the children? They cannot be forgotten. A sure attraction for them will be the birds in the Falconry Display and also exhibits on the Local Wildlife Group stand and there will be a competition to have a go at.

On Sunday only Joanne will be here with her Pooch Mobile so anyone who has a dog in need of bathing and grooming bring them along. Joanne will be giving all the profits made on the day to Dogs for the Disabled and she will also be bringing along some super calendars which have been made for the charity. Due to such generous sponsorship of the calendars all the money paid for the calendar will go to the charity.

We are hoping that a representative of the newly formed Mid-Shires Orchard Group will be with us to talk about all the interesting work this group is doing in the area, especially on the Stowe Estate which is, of course, visible across the valley from here.

We have plenty of prizes to give away during the week-end and you could be the lucky winner of a pair of maiden apple trees of your choice of variety, or a supply of a kilo of English Apples from Rogers of Buckingham for every week up to Christmas. For this you must get a copy of the Buckingham Advertiser on the 19th October. Unlike some Apple Day events we do not have any entry charge – we just hope you may spend a little money when you are here!!

For other Apple Day events see www.commonground.org.uk

Buckingham Nurseries and Garden Centre,
Tingewick Road, Buckingham, MK18 4AE, UK.
Tel: 01280 822133 - Fax: 01280 815491

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