Winter Pruning: Training a ‘Bramley’s Seedling’ on M9 Rootstock
Training a tip-bearing apple tree is a tricky task at the best of times, but when it’s a vigorous Bramley, is it even feasible?
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Dr Alvin Wood Chase’s 1871 Recipe for ‘Apple Pie Which is Digestible’
Well, you wouldn’t want to have to choke your way through an indigestible apple pie, would you?
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The Latest Part of the ‘Beefing’ Apples Story is Now Live
This instalment details the convoluted story of the (re?)discovery of ‘Herefordshire Beefing’ by Dr Robert Hogg and Dr Henry Graves Bull in 1876.
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Anon, on the Pear’s Peculiarly Ponging Posy
Intrigued by a mention of an odd odour in a paper from 1934, I stuck my face in several clusters of pear blossom, and this is what I found…
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Guest Post: Lawrence Weston on Mapping Birmingham’s Fruit Trees
The city of Birmingham, UK, has over 1,600 publicly accessible fruit trees and this fascinating project has mapped and catalogued every one of them.
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Gallery: Fruit Blossom, Early Spring 2026 Edition
Early blossom has been hit hard by a cold snap around these parts, but not before I snapped a few photos.
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Winter Pruning a Small ‘Brown Turkey’ Fig Tree
It’s fig-pruning season, and our backyard tree was due for a trim. Here’s how I went about it.
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Winter Pruning: Canopy Lifting and Canopy Thinning in Action
An overview of three recent pruning jobs, in which significant changes have been made to the shape and structure of the trees in question.
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Ads of Yore: R. Halliday and Co.’s Hothouses and Orchard Houses
This 1873 advertisement for a local firm of engineers who once built vast glasshouse ranges caught my eye the other day.
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A Few Notes on My Apple Grafting Plans, 2026 Edition
Grafting season is almost upon us, and this year I’m planning to graft no fewer than forty eight new apple trees.
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Book Notes: Growing Fruit, by Chris Whitelock
This new volume covers all the essential fruit growing principles in a clear, concise and clearly illustrated style, and is ideal for beginners.
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A Few Notes on My Plans for 2026
I’ve got a busy winter pruning, planting and grafting season ahead, and I’ll be helping out at a few local orchards as well. Here are all the details.
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The Twelve Historical Fruit Recipes of Christmas
Tra la laaaa la la laaaa la, tra la la la la laaaa! It’s Christmas time, and here’s a selection of fruity dishes from the archives for your holiday dinner table.
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Gertrude Mackay’s 1913 Recipe for ‘Sweet Cider Frappe’
Here’s another recipe from Mrs Mackay’s early C20th apple recipe collection, this time for a rather super-sounding cider sorbet.
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Gertrude Mackay’s 1913 Recipe for ‘Apple Christmas Pudding’
This rice- and apple-based alternative to the classic Yuletide pud sounds rather delicious, but does it really scream “Christmas”?
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Fruit Harvest Highlights – Autumn 2025 Edition
Part two of my harvest highlights from a superb fruit-growing year features plenty of autumn apples, pears, medlars and more.
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Mrs Wigley’s 1877 Recipe for ‘Apple Snowballs’
Looking for an alternative to Christmas Pud? Here’s a recipe you’d have to be brave to attempt, but I think if you pulled it off the results could be quite impressive.
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Gertrude Mackay’s 1913 Recipe for ‘Stuffed Apples to Serve With a Roast’
Here’s another apple-y side-dish to accompany your Christmas dinner, from Gertrude’s collection of 209 apple recipes.
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Jerry Thomas’s 1862 Recipe for ‘Bishop a la Prusse’
Looking for a smoking hot, boozy treat to warm your cockles this Christmas season? Look no further.
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Gertrude Mackay’s 1913 Recipe for ‘Apple Ginger’
Here’s a not-so-quick, but definitely easy, recipe for a thickened apple sauce with ginger and lemon, to accompany your Christmas roast.
