The Peasholme Green bed is BEE CENTRAL

 If you're going into town this weekend drop by the Peasholme Green to see literally hundreds of bees. They are particularly attracted to the Oregano flowers though there are plenty of other plants providing pollen there as well. Many are honey bees, which may well have come from the three hives on the top of the Hiscox Insurance building opposite, but there are also many other types of bumble and other bees. They will all be on display at the moment, all very busily and peacefully collecting pollen. Enjoy the spectacle.

Make it York are promoting Bee activity in York so we are happy to support them with their current campaign as well.

The bed is well harvested!

 

The Cambridge Favourite strawberries are being enjoyed by people of all ages.

As are the chive flowers.

Volunteers tidying this bed do get a lot of thanks and nice comments from people passing by. The blackcurrents, parsley, perpetual spinach, and chard are all being enjoyed this and last month. It's great to see this bed being so productive in a small urban plot.

Self seeding in Peasholme Green

 

Last Saturday I went down to the Edible York bed in Peasholme Green where people are invited to take a piece of fruit, some veg, or herbs when  ready to pick. I was pleased to see it looking nice and green  - the close haircut everything had in the autumn and the policy of encouraging self seeding has produced a nice spring display.

The Cambridge Favourite strawberries are looking promising. 

English marigolds self seeded amongst the creeping thyme - they're edible too!

The white caraway seeds will soon be at their most attractive! The seed formation during the rest of the season isn't quite so pretty.

There was a solitary honey bee on the blue borage - I wonder if it came from one of the 3 hives on top of the Hiscox building opposite? As the days warm up hopefully we'll see many more.

There are three things I love about this photo! 

1. The perpetual spinach has been harvested by someone. 

2. Likewise the lovage behind the spinach. This is the first time I've seen lovage being well harvested here! Apparently Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall has raved about lovage recently so perhaps it's due to him. It's a brilliant substitute for celery - better than celery in my opinion!

3. The front door of the Black Swan pub is OPEN! Quite a development!

Dormouse Orchard - Visit and Blossom pictures May 3rd 2021

Exploring around the Dormouse Orchard, Shipton Road

The old orchard at the Dormouse on Shipton Road was looking good on a cloudy May bank holiday Monday this week.

But there are also a lot more remnants of the original orchard around to the south and west of the current pub and obvious orchard in front, and this wider exploration is the focus of today's blog post.

The adjacent fields to the left of the road and at the end of the road to the right of the old church at the end of the lane have a number of much older trees.

Tree and blossom pictures were taken May 3rd 2021, (and a couple of video clips taken too) to help in identification and to keep a record of this wider lovely space which was probably part of the old Clifton Hospital / Asylum complex..

Map with Dormouse top right, with the South and Southwest fields marked, and the north west corner above the church is also worth a look. This is an area popular with dog walkers, but there are often brambles and nettles around to catch out the unwary. Trees are described as accessed from the road signed to the Cricket club, and then from the road by the church

South East Area:

Some of the old trees from the South East area:

Near Pavilion cottage and the cricket club there is a fenced ancient apple on it's own to the left as you go through the gate and head south.

 

(close up of fenced apple tree)

(blossom of fenced apple tree)

South East Area (Boundary hedge):

There are 2 apple trees here to the left of the stile

(First tree to the left of the stile. Top of main trunk now died back, otherwise lower branches look healthy).

(Second tree to the left of the stile)

(Blossom on second tree to the left of the stile. Both these 2 trees look to have similar blossom.)

South West field

Entering from the road by the church, there is a large multi-stemmed pear tree, then following the path east there is a N-S hedgeline/treeline where 4 further apple trees can be found. 

5-stemed large pear tree

(blossom  had finished, but set fruit can be seen on this pear)

(in the central hedge/tree line in the South West field are a number of old looking apple trees. These 2 are in a scrubby patch south of the Treehouse Apple tree).

(in the central hedge/tree line in the South West field are a number of old looking apple trees These 2 are in a scrubby patch south of the Treehouse Apple tree).

Third tree in the scrubby section south of tree house apple tree.

Blossom on the third tree

North of the Church

And to the North West on the map, near the church is a brick walled field (possible old walled garden?)

Following the path here there is a younger apple tree then a large old apple tree before the path heads left to a style over the wall. An old apple is visible amidst the brambles on the wall by the stile. A further set of pears and /or apples are present on the far wall to the northern edge of this field.

Pictured are some of the trees along the walls

(Blossom on the apple tree by the stile)

Walled  field trees (and lots of brambles)

Walled  field trees (and lots of brambles)

Recipes for Community Growing

Edible York's Recipes for Community Growers event last Saturday (21st - SPRING!) was such an uplifting event, my feet have only just touched the ground again.

So many inspiring people in one room, all engaged in one way or another in helping to make their local communities - and the wider City - become healthier, and better connected.  When I say better connected, I mean mostly that people are better connected to each other, but also that they are better connected to the earth beneath their feet and the food on their plates, in their mouths, in their bellies.

I would like to capture the vibrancy in the room... but of course that's impossible.  So I'll have to make do with penning a list of the projects that spoke up during the day, that shared their plans, dreams and schemes:

Back to Front
We were so fortunate to have the fine people behind Back to Front with us on the day.  This ace project - most recently funded by Esmee Fairbairn - has worked with communities in Leeds to turn front gardens into productive spaces that bring people together.  You can read more about them here

Red Tower Project
This fab project has emerged from TIM in York, who are working with various partners to turn one medieval tower in the City walls (opposite waitrose on Foss Islands Rd) into a community space, with edible beds, a kitchen and cafe.  They're meeting at the Tower on March 29th, 11-2, and you can keep up to speed with this dynamic project on their Facebook page

York Real Junk Food Project
Are hunting out a venue from which they can run their ace project, which seeks to divert food waste from landfill and make real food more accessible to more people.  Keep up to speed on their facebook page, here

St Luke's Church
Have created a lively edible garden following funding from Edible York in 2013.  Their work as an edible-eco-congregation is going from strength to strength!

Grow & Cook
Are running a training course which is equipping people with the skills to grow and cook (it does exactly what it says on the tin...!), boosting employability skills in the process.  They're holding a celebration event on Friday May 1st (10-1pm at Door 84) and would love local food projects to come along, especially those that are on the hunt for volunteers!

Greenfields Community Garden
Is hosting regular work sessions at their bountiful Haxby Rd garden on: 1st Sunday of the month (afternoon) and 3rd Saturday of the month (morning).

York Rotters
John Cossham is looking to reform this talented group of composteers via a Facebook group... watch out for a link on EY's facebook group.

YorSpace
Updated us on their bid to redevelop Oliver House (South Bank) into an affordable CoHousing project - which would feature community allotment facilities.  CYC's decision has been deferred for a month - keep up to speed at their website

Phew!  You see what I mean when I say it was VIBRANT!?!?!  Added to this were updates from Edible York's marvellous public veg beds and Abundance project, and new projects emerging during the day as the kind of people that make things happen mingled and mixed (Foxwood, watch this space!).

Thanks one and all for keeping on keeping on with the Edible dream.

I think - I hope- Recipes for Community Growing served the purpose of nourishing us to keep our projects in motion.

Wonky Veg at ASDA

Pleased to see plans for 'wonky' veg at Asda! Not in York stores yet, but let's hope the trial is a success so there is less food waste and a greater appetite for 'real food'.