The Orchard Project
Greyfriars Kirk are taking part in a new ecumenical project to create an orchard in the churchyard.
The Orchard Project believes that community orchards can transform lives, build resilient communties and improve wellbeing by helping nature to thrive. In the last 10 years more than 420 community orchards have been planted.
Five heritage fruit trees which were celebrated in the 17th century were planted as part of Church and Community Orchards Twinning programme and to mark the 400th anniversary of Greyfriars.
Visiting minister Rev. Anne Ross described the new project: “If I knew that tomorrow was the end of the world, I would plant an apple tree today. Martin Luther is often quoted as saying apple trees are a sign of hope.
"They are an investment in the future. In our case an investment in the future of the Greyfriars’ congregation, the Grassmarket Community Project and the future of the Kirkyard. We want to make this green spot in the middle of the Old Town even greener. We want to observe the seasons through the apple and pear trees. We want to look at them as signs of God’s generosity and life in fullness that he wants for us to experience. People from the Grassmarket
Community Project and the congregation want to care for the trees jointly and will be trained in doing so. Being aware of the long history of the church and the kirkyard, the selected varieties will include heritage apples from the 17th century.”
The project in Scotland has been inspired by a similar initiative in Hungary, where the Reformed Church planted more than 6,000 native Hungarian fruit trees in 165 church gardens.
Rev Dr Richard Frazer, minister of Greyfriars Kirk, was very keen to take part in the initiative. He said: “The Orchard Project forms part of our vision at Greyfriars to tend and care for our immediate environment, to engage members of the Greyfriars congregation, members of the Grassmarket Community Project (GCP) and local people to work together to beautify our famous and historic Kirkyard.
“Greyfriars is celebrating its 400th anniversary in 2020 with a range of exciting events running throughout the year, but the story of Greyfriars goes further back, as far as the 1400s, when a group of Franciscan Friars established an apothecary garden in what is now the Greyfriars Kirkyard.
“They grew medicinal herbs to treat the sick and tended to the needs of the poor.
"In 2010, we began to grow herbs again in the Kirkyard as one of the many therapeutic projects we undertake in the GCP.
“In the past, fruit trees were cultivated here, and there are still a couple of very ancient crab apple trees that produce fruit every year.
“Just as we make use of the herbs we grow, so also, in time, we
will be making jams and chutneys with our apple harvest.
“For many years, one of our aims has been to work in partnership with others to enhance the biodiversity of the Kirkyard and to improve the experience of the hundreds of thousands of visitors who find their way to this green oasis in the heart of the Old Town of Edinburgh.
“We are delighted to be working with Eco-Congregation Scotland and overseas partners in this international project to care for our environment.”
St Ninian's Scottish Episcopal Church in Comely Bank is also taking part in the scheme which is assisted by £17,000 of funding from European Christian Environmental Network.