Orchard trees

[heyjude]

Thank you Geoff and Johnboy for just the experience and advice I was hoping for!

I'll let you know how we get on. Meanwhile I'm going out to pick another bucket of John Downie. Our grown up daughter has Asberger's Syndrome and also an immense talent for making jam and jelly which she sells in local produce markets. Crab apple and lavender is a great favourite.

And I'm the horticultural labourer - it's as well I enjoy it!

thanks again

[Allan]

If you want a really early apple of about the same time as Beauty of Bath then try Devonshire Quarrendon, far more character thab B of B.
At the other end of the season Tydeman's Late Orange is an excellent choice.
Allan

[heyjude]

What about plums? We have a small round plum that I think is Rivers Early Prolific and seems to be the earliest around here. The latest I have seen is Marjorie's seedling which is just ripening in a friend's orchard now. Is that as good a spread as you all think we might get?

[pongeroon]

Crabapple and lavender jelly sounds lovely.

My partner's grandfather has a smallholding (near Tenbury Wells) which has many old orchard trees. My favourite apple from there is Scotch Bridget, it is a lovely eating apple and it keeps for ages. It also cooks well. We planted the same variety in our garden and in its second year it has six good sized apples

I love greengages too, and can't understand why they aren't more widely grown.

[Jenny Green]

Regarding plums, I grow Oullin's Golden Gage. It tastes wonderful but is a bit tempermental, so I wouldn't personally recommend it. I also grow a common greengage - Early Transparent, I think - but it's very young so don't really know enough to give an opinion.
Most people seem to grow Victoria as it's self-fertile. My fruit book names Opal as a good variety.