FRUITY LESSONS FOR BUDDING GARDENERS
GREEN thumbs can learn to grow healthy fruit gardens at a historic Wallington orchard.
Lomas Orchards co-owner Alan Lomas said the family orchard dates back to the 1930s.
“Since then we’ve grown just about everything – a variety of fruits,” he said.
“At the moment mainly stone fruits and we have a lot of heritage variety apples.”
Classes on offer include pruning pomme fruit trees – including quince, apples and pears - and espalier workshops, which guide growing fruit along fences.
In stone fruit season, gardeners can learn the art of pruning those fruit trees.
“The classes are ideal for novice gardeners because we take you right back to the basics,” Mr Lomas said.
“We teach people how to identify fruit buds from leaf buds and how to shape trees.
“We started out classes about 15 years ago and they get bigger and bigger.
“We’ve added extra this year because of the amount of people that want to do them.”
Bookings can be made through the Lomas Orchards Facebook page.