Yesterday, the kids and I went to an Apple Day at Calke Abbey. The National Trust has been restoring the gardens and orchards at Calke for a number of years now and the orchards are now producing a wide assortment of locally developed apple varieties. Their apple event showcased these heirloom fruits.
We had slices of several varieties to sample the different flavors and textures. We drank cider fresh from the press. The King of the Pippins variety, shown above, was the base of the juicing operation.
The walled orchard and kitchen garden also hosted a story teller who told a variation on the story about how the apple got it’s star. We enjoyed checking out all the scarecrows amongst the vegetables.
The gourds and pumpkins were particularly colorful. These gourds were trellised over the pathway.
There were some incredible flowers still blooming. Apparently, the walls were built around the garden to protect the plants from wind by providing a sheltered micro-climate. I’d always assumed that they were deer protection, but maybe that’s just my New England background? At any rate, it was very warm and sunny while we visited and the flowers seemed to be thriving.
The kids were inspired by the light and color and took quite a few pictures of the blooms.
We had a picnic lunch, ran into some friends, and played some silly games.
It was a lovely way to spend the afternoon.
We had a nice walk through the estate, hiding in the ferns,
and finally ending up back at the incredible tree that is so suited for climbing.
October 19th, 2008 at 6:46 am
wow, what delicious looking apples..my mouth was watering!! my mom and bill’s parents have been sending us some n.e. apples, they’ve been great!! what lovely pictures of the flowers too. we miss you guys a ton!!
aloha to you all!!
danielle