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People's Park Orchard

People's Park Community Orchard

To the east of the green flag, near Arden Place flats/Havelock Road.

Why is there an orchard in People's Park?

On 8 December 2019, kick-started by Orchards East, a collaborative project working to get more people excited about orchards, volunteers planted 20 apple, pear and plum trees in the north west corner of Bell’s Close, People’s Park. In 2022, the Luton Peace Garden initiative added 7 trees at the lower end of the orchard. All planting was done with the help of Luton Council’s Parks and Countryside Service.

Who cares for the trees?

Edible High Town and Friends of People’s Park volunteers look after the orchard with the help of Luton Council. We've trained in orchard pruning with Bob Lever and Sal Wileman to make sure we know what we're doing! And we’re always looking for new volunteers!

What needs doing?

Mulch and weed around the tree based to retain water and remove competition
Keep stakes and guards in good repair
Skilled pruning in winter (apples and pears) and summer (gages and plums)
Water in dry conditions

What's challenging here?

Weather

In the dry summer of 2022 (see photo), thanks to the layer of mulch, we only had to water the older trees once, the younger trees at the bottom had to be watered more frequently.

Humans

The trees suffer the odd breakage, where branches are ripped off. We do the best we can to minimise damage by careful pruning, and by keeping the fencing in good repair.

Grasses

Young fruit trees can struggle with competition, especially from grasses. We keep the bases grass free to help the tree get the nutrients and water it needs to thrive.

Trees in this orchard - cultival list

Apples (Malus)

Planted in December 2019:

Lady Henniker. Cooks to a strongly flavoured puree. Stores well. From Thornham Hall, Eye, Suffolk, 1840s.
Worcester Pearmain. Firm, juicy flesh, with strong strawberry flavour. From Worcester, Worcestershire, 1870s.
Blenheim Orange. Nutty taste, sweet and crumbly texture. Named after Blenheim Palace. From Woodstock, Oxfordshire, about 1740.
Ribston Pippin. Strong-tasting ‘aromatic’ apple, very popular in Victorian times. Good for cooking and juicing. Best flavour about a month after picking. From Rouen, France, 1688.
King’s Acre Pippin. Very rich flavour with a crisp, juicy texture. Introduced by King’s Acre Nurseries, From Hereford, 1899.
Egremont Russet. Sweet and firm with a rich nutty flavour. Possibly from Lord Petworth’s estate, Sussex, 1872.
James Grieve. Excellent flavour. Good for eating and cooking. From Edinburgh, 1893
Laxton’s Superb. Sweet and aromatic, similar to Cox. Good for cooking. From Laxton Brothers Nursery, Bedford, 1897.
Bramley ‘Original’. Cooking apple with sharp and acidic flavours. Propagated from the original tree. From Southwell, Nottinghamshire, 1809.
Saint Edmund’s Russet. Sweet, juicy, densely textured, pale cream flesh. From Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, 1875.Pears (Pyrus)

Planted in winter 2022

Bedfordshire Foundling
Beauty of Bedford
Laxton’s Exquisite
Pams Delight (Luton’s only very own variety…for now)
Rushmore Embroidered
Laxton’s Royalty and Court Pendu Plat (an ancient French variety needed to pollinate the Laxtons Royalty as it’s in a pollination group almost on its own)

Pears (Pyrus)

Planted in December 2019:

Conference. Sweet, juicy eater. Named after the National British Pear Conference, where it won first prize in 1885. From Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, late 19th century.
Williams' Bon Chrétien. Juicy and sweet. Eat when picked. Name translates as ‘Good Christian’, after an Italian friar who gifted King Louis XI of France a pear seed. From Aldermaston, Berkshire, 1765-1770.
Humbug. Green, yellow and pink-striped pear. Sweet and juicy. Also known as Pysanka. From Ukraine.
Concorde. Sweet and juicy. Heavy cropping. From East Malling Research Station, Kent, 1977.

Plums (Prunus)

Planted in December 2019:

Damson - Aylesbury Prune. Sweet fruit. Eat fresh or use it for cooking. Historically used in making clothing dyes. Possibly from Vale of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, early 19th century.
Gage - Cambridge. Small, yellowish-green, juicy fruit. From Cambridgeshire, late 19th century.
Damson - Merryweather - Deliciously sweet, blue-black fruits. Good for dessert and culinary use. From Merryweather Nursery, Southwell, Nottinghamshire, about 1907.
Gage - Coe's Golden Drop - Traditional yellow English plum, with a rich, sweet, gage-like flavour. From Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, late 18th century.
Marjorie’s Seedling - Large purple fruit that can be used in cooking. From Hillfoot Farm, Beenham, Berkshire, 1912.
Purple Pershore - Purple, almost black and very large fruits. Good for cooking. From Drake's Broughton, Worcestershire, about 1877.