lowdham apple day

Romans are said to have introduced apples to Britain.

Varieties do not come true from seed and so must be propagated by grafting.

When they do grow from seed they produce a new hybrid. Most are not worth having, but the Lowdham Apple Day on Sunday was testament to the years of apple cultivation and the resulting rich heritage of varieties we may now enjoy.

Of course, our choices as consumers are limited by the supermarkets' that restrict our choice of apples to a few varieties.

But set out here are just a few of the wide range of apple varieties open for the gardener to chose from. They are so diverse that no garden should be without at least one appl

e tree.

We saw juice extraction and tasted. We saw locally produced apple champagne and cider. We tested local honey. And tasted some of the apples on display.

A conversation with another enthusiast pointed us to Holstein as a highly flavoured apple. It was!

Lord Hindlip was commended as a variety that has excellent keeping qualities.

We are now beginning to think about our planned house move and the opportunities this will bring. Establishing a heritage orchard is a tantalising possibility.

Thanks to the enthusiasts at Lowdham for their energy and inspiration.