“A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit.”

Winter is the ideal time to plant orchards. Fruit trees are dormant and can be transplanted easily ready to re-start growth in the spring.

There is real skill, however, in choosing the correct cultivars, rootstocks, staking and layouts.

The Inverclyde Shed is planting new heritage orchards and hedgerows this winter in partnership with St Laurence RC Church and Lomond View Academy. 

The project is supported by The Tree Council, The Woodland Trust, The Orchard Project, Inverclyde Community Fund and Volunteering Matters Action Earth.

(Image: Inverclyde Shed) Phase 1 will include 36 new heritage apple trees and over 200 native species hedgerow saplings in a wonderful site in the shadow of the striking Grade A listed St Laurence RC Church, not too far from the shed, just along the waterfront and up Orchard Street.

We have been out securing this site with a new fence, surveying, measuring, digging trial pits, testing drainage, recording biodiversity and native species and planning layouts with a team of volunteers from the Inverclyde Shed and Belville Community Garden.

Phase 1a will involve transplanting around 40 heritage apple trees to Lomond View Academy, involving the children learning new skills and investing in something that may well outlive us all.

We have already planted 16 apple trees at Lomond View Academy two years ago which are thriving and earlier this year we helped the school setup a ‘no dig’ growing space including 10 tons of imported compost, 40 barrels, and vertical gardening canes.

Phase 2 will involve planting a further 100 heritage fruit trees’ including plum, pear and cherry at the front of St Laurence RC and will be subject to successful funding bids which we’ll hear about early 2025.

This large orchard is the culmination of years of planting smaller orchards throughout Inverclyde, most notably at our Muirshiel Lane Community Garden, where we have over 180 Fruit Tree’s and Shore Street and the Walled Garden where we have over 80 Heritage Fruit Trees.

We have also planted orchards in over thirty schools, nurseries, churches and with other community groups, a big part of our recent RHS Community Engagement Award 2024.

Find out more about planning your own orchard here