Orchard Trail Walk

Have you seen our brand new

Self-guided Orchard Trail Walk  

yet?

We are often asked about the orchard trail. Brilliant, folks would tell us, we love the idea, but where is it? Can I walk along it?

You always could, but you can now follow the trail with our new the orchard trail brochure! The brochure breaks the walk down into four easy segments, and guides you through a series of different habitats and hidden nature treasures in Hanwell, Norwood Green and Southall.

You can download the brochure for free from here. We will distribute paper copies in the local libraries and similar locations soon, watch out for those, too!

We hope to see you along the trail soon.

You are of course very welcome to help with the maintenance tasks along the trail, too. We meet every Tuesday evening and every first Saturday in a month, at times and in locations published in the side bar on this website. Anyone is welcome to come along. No fees, no pressure, no experience necessary. Give as much time or as little time as you can, and you’ll be rewarded with the warm feeling of having done something good.

We’ll be a-working today, Saturday 3-June-2017, from 11:00 in Blackberry Corner (later also at Osterley Lock). Join us and earn your free paper copy of this fabulous brochure!

 

Community Payback

Thank you, Community Payback! 

Arranged with the London Community Rehabilitation Company, 8 rehabilitating offenders came to lend us a hand in moving woodchip from St Margaret’s Open Space to the Piggeries Orchard. This was then used for mulching approximately 100 metres of hedging along the back wall and the towpath. Mulching helps retains moisture, slows weed growth and improves the soil by composting in place. On a second occasion, a group of eight finished the mulching at the Piggeries and applied woodchip to the hedge surrounding the St Margaret’s Open Space Orchard.

We certainly promote compliance with the law at all times, but we really do appreciate the help we received last week! The troupe enthusiastically moved approximately 70 wheelbarrow loads of woodchip and certainly earned our heartfelt thanks for a job well done.

We hope for more help from Community Payback with tasks like mulching, help with weed control or rubble removal. A true paying back to the community and taken some burden off our volunteers and park rangers for the benefit of everybody.

(Photo shows woodchip mulching applied elsewhere along the orchard trail to protect the privacy of our community payback helpers.)

 

Splish Splosh

We are fascinated by the ups and downs of the Piggeries pond. In the beginning, we had much too much water, as reported with the Piggeries Report. Water leaks in the adjacent streets were fixed, reducing the water feed into the pond significantly. The remaining feed was still stronger than anticipated given what little rain we had. Surface water drainage in the local area is subject to ongoing investigation, but in a recent and rather unexpected development, the water flow into the pond stopped all together. Now we didn’t have enough water!

Rainfall earlier this week raised the groundwater levels and water levels in the pond again, quicker than we expected.

We remain fascinated, puzzled and intrigued by the ups and downs of The Piggeries pond. Investigation of various aspects of local surface water drainage continues. However, we are most fascinated and most grateful to see just how many people stop by, inquire or simply enjoy the views of the pond and its tadpoles. Most tadpoles have been rescued and were re-housed locally during the recent water shortage.

We meant to create a natural habitat with seasonally changing water levels. In addition, we seem to have created a focal point for visitors of all ages, two and four-legged ones.

Why not stop by the Piggeries Orchard during one of your canalside walks, and watch nature do its thing in the middle of the metropolis?

 

Spring Picnic

It’s the famous and famously informal

Spring Picnic

Tomorrow, Sunday May 14, 2017, from 12:00

… and usually in mostly fine weather!

Bring a drink and food to the sharing table, bring a picnic blanket, a smile, a child and a friend! We’ll be by the sheep in Jubilee Meadows (map) and look forward to enjoying a relaxed Sunday in the company of friends, right in the heart of the most beautiful Spring meadows.

You can reach us on foot from the entrance at Trumpers Way by the railway line, or across the lock behind the Fox Inn, Green Lane. (Click for location and access details.) Get in touch with us if you need special assistance.

Bring food and drink to the sharing table if you like. Please bring only as much as your own party would consume and be prepared to take leftovers back.

Meadow Mulching Extravaganza

Please join our

Meadow Mulching Extravaganza
Today from 10:00.

We’ll be moving and applying woodchip and straw for mulching all across the Hanwell Meadows and, headcounts permitting, the Piggeries. Mulching suppresses weed growth, helps preserve moisture and composts down into nutritious food for the tree.

We can take any help we can get!

All you need is wear sensible clothes and sturdy shoes. Bring gardening gloves, digging forks, buckets or wheelbarrows if you can. Bring a friend, a packed lunch and a bit of sunshine. We’ll be done in time for the Hanwell Hootie!

Meet with us at 10:00 in Jubilee Meadow by the railway crossing (map), or find us at any time somewhere in the meadows.

Update 09-May-2017: Here are some photos, thanks to James:

All Hands On Deck!

Spring is here even though we enjoyed a chilly version this past week! With spring comes growth, with growth come weeds, with weeds comes weed control, and with weed control comes you! There’s also pruning and watering and all-sorts of jobs.

Please come help with the forthcoming activities. We have a huge area to manage and offer a simple yet rewarding opportunity to do the right thing and to get involved. Suntan gratis! (Subject to conditions.)

Hanwell Meadows Mulching Extravaganza

Saturday 6-May, starting 10:00 to end in time for the Hanwell Hootie. Meet by the railway crossing, bring a bucket or a wheelbarrow if you can. Gardening gloves, sturdy shoes and suitable clothing are a plus. Bring yourself and a friend!

Spring Orchard Picnic

Sunday 14-May, starting 12:00. The social highlight of the year so far! Meet by the sheep in Jubilee Meadow. Bring food and drink to the sharing table. (Please only as much as your own party would consume. Please be prepared to take back left-overs!) Bring a game, a child, a friend, a neighbour, and a smile.

Every Tuesday Evening

Every Tuesday Evening is Tree Tending Tuesday. We meet in various locations along the orchard trail at 19:00, spend 1 1/2 to 2 hours with various orchard tasks, then retire to a local public house for a chat and a drink. See our website or follow our Twitter for location and last-minute updates.

Every First Saturday in a Month

Join us and help apply Saturday Orchard Love every first Saturday in a month. We meet in changing locations around 11:00 for 2 to 3 hours of orchard care. The perfect opportunity for everyone who can’t make the Tuesday evenings, or just get enough of it! See our website or follow our Twitter for location and last-minute updates.

Please support the orchard trail and become an active part of it. We manage over 100 fruit trees, spread over more than 2 miles, and we take all the help we can get! Nobody needs to be there all the time; you can help once in a while, for an hour or with every activity from start to finish. Experience, special tools or skills are not required. Satisfaction guaranteed!

 

Suntan Studio, Gym and Social Club

Did you know there’s still plenty of opportunity for everyone to get that suntan, to join our very own free-of-charge outdoor gym and social club in Hanwell’s Grand Union Canal corridor? Join us for your chance to explore Hanwell’s most beautiful hidden gems on your very own hands and knees!

A small yet determined taskforce met for last Saturday’s Piggeries informal opening, mulching and weeding. We entertained ourselves with the removal of many bramble roots and pulling of horsetail shoots, applied woodchip mulching and top-soil to hedges and rockeries. The hedges were weeded and watered, even more rubbish found and removed, stones and rubble collected. We spread meadow seed to boost growth. Glorious sunshine was enjoyed by all, with a celebratory slice of cake or two.

Every Tuesday evening and every first Saturday in a month present perfect opportunities to come out and join in the fun. We always have a variety of tasks for all abilities and ages, whether you can spare an hour or an entire day, whether you have a green thumb or two left hands. No experience necessary!

Please check the sidebar for details (bottom of the page for mobile phone users).

Happy Easter!

 

Who We Are, What We Do

The best way to find out who we are and what we do is to head down to The Piggeries Orchard right now. Today, Saturday 8-May-2017,  we’ll be mulching, clearing and sowing, and celebrate the event with a speech, a cheer and a slice of cake!

Our resident videographer Steve Haskett has produced a new short clip about our group and our work. Take a look if you need some extra motivation, if you can’t join us today or if you are reading this at a later date.

Thank you, Steve!

The Dutch Solution

The Hanwell and Norwood Green Orchard Trail would not exist, no fruit trees would have been planted and friendships would not have been formed without the inspired idea and promotion by Julie Long. Julie invited the inaugural meetings and helped hands-on and at the debating table, leading the group as chairperson for over two years.

While Julie will continue to be a member and attend the committee in an advisory role, she decided to step down from her role as chairperson due to other commitments.

Julie, we can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done over this time!

Let’s all meet at the Piggeries Celebrations next Saturday, 8-April 10:30 – 15:30!

We’ll be combining work with pleasure, mulching and celebrating. Yes, there will be cake!

It also is the perfect opportunity to meet Mirjam van Bentum, who kindly accepted the committee’s nomination for acting chairperson, initially until the annual general meeting in autumn. Mirjam is a committee member already (Elthorne Ward representative) and is actively preparing our part in the Museum of London’s City Now City Future exhibition.

The photo shows both Mirjam (left) and Julie (right) in their natural habitat.

Spring Dates

The events are rolling in for the Spring 2017 season; please mark these dates for fabulous opportunities to be involved. It’s never to late to make new friends, meet the orchards or to take it out on some brambles and nettles!

Sat 8-April 10:30 – 15:30, Piggeries Celebrations

We’ll be pulling more weeds and digging more brambles, apply woodchip for mulching the hedges along the fence and the back wall, and sow the meadow and wetland areas with native grasses and flowers.

We’ll also celebrate the opening of the Piggeries Orchard with a slice of cake and a speech!

Sat 6-May 10:00 – 14:00, Meadows Mulching

Mulching in the beautiful Hanwell Meadows, with an early start and finish on account of the Hanwell Hootie. This is the first event in our new Saturday Orchard Love series, and we need every hand we can get with this one!

Sun 14-May 12:00 onwards, Spring Orchard Picnic

The big event in every local orchardist’s calendar, the popular spring orchard picnic in the heart of the Hanwell Meadows by the sheep! Bring something to eat and drink to the sharing table, bring a smile, a child, a friend and join us for a relaxed social event in the centre of this most beautiful hidden treasure.

1st Saturday in each month, Saturday Orchard Love

Starting 6-May at 10:00, normally at 11:00. Your regular opportunity to apply orchard love in varying locations along the trail. See the right sidebar on our web site for details of every event (at the bottom of the page for mobile phone users), or follow our Twitter.

Every Tuesday evening, Tree Tending Tuesday

Tree Tending Tuesdays are back! A grand reason to finish work and get out into nature, apply some general tender love and care to the orchards, the orchard trail and its surroundings, and (optionally) finish with a refreshment at a local public house.

As always, be sure to check our web site,  Facebook or Twitter for details or last-minute announcements and changes. See you soon!