Autumn’s Last Light: Stories from the Orchard
Join me for a wander through the orchard at Rull, as skies glare heavily over trees now spent. To look at what we’ve been doing and what’s yet to come as autumn drifts towards the grips of winter.
Autumn in the Orchard
Join me for a wander through the orchard at Rull, as skies glare heavily over trees now spent. To look at what we’ve been doing and what’s yet to come as autumn drifts towards the grips of winter.
The season
As the autumn comes to an end the trees give in to the call to shed their leaves. Encouraged by the raging winds of the storms, the final fruit is fallen and boughs are bare. From a summer of drought came an autumn that drenched the tightened earth. The gentle rhythm of hand harvesting fruit, once fallen, settles into the low hum of dormant life. The cycle turning ever slower as buds frost over.
Around the Orchard
The hedgerows that nursed wounds have now recovered and seem unscarred from the winter’s laying. Their sanctuary glows golden with the maple and russet with the spindle. Berries dazzle like gems; haws, holly, spindle and rose hips all vying for the attention of the hedgerow’s residents. Sloes speckle sullenly but won’t be forgotten as we gather the plentiful berries for winter infusions. If we’re lucky we may beat the squirrels to a few of the hazelnuts; their skirts beginning to darken to more seasonal hues.
The Orchard
Our trees are beginning to embrace maturity; those from our first planting now ten years old and cropping well. This year has been abundant beyond our expectations and our fermentation will be our largest batch yet. Annually evolving as the trees mature and differing varieties flourish, we eagerly anticipate the outcome of our home orchard blend.
Within the Orchard
The meadow flowers have lessened their hold and few remain beyond the hawkbit dotted through the grasses. Errant oak seedlings stand proud above the meadowgrasses that are beginning to flatten amongst the trees. We’ll move these when dormant and rehome in our native woodland where they can reach their full potential. Our sown wildflowers have continued to thrive on the south facing bank beneath the barn, charms of goldfinch feasting on their seeds, pheasants gathering in droves. Soon the teasels will be all that remain, steadfast and regal in their dignity.
The Cider Barn
Not previously included in my seasonal round up but very much a living part of our orchard is the barn. A hive of activity at this time of year, apples and pears begin flooding in from late August until mid-December. The Rull vintage has fared well with the bumper crop we've seen this year. For the remainder of our ferments we head to local heritage orchards, teeming with veteran trees and the abundant nature they support. The fieldfare and redwing never fail to bring wide smiles and brimming hearts as their songs are heard for the first time each year.
Orchard Aspirations
As autumn moves into winter we continue to harvest from neighbouring heritage orchards. Varieties that hold fast on the dampened ground as the weeks progress into winter. We will gather these through the dew, folding back the long blades of grass and prizing out shining orbs for pressing. Our orchard will slumber through the months to come, a light prune in the depths of winter to see their path clearly into spring. More trees will be planted, rare perry pears that are seldom seen in these parts, perhaps the grafts that took well last winter. Largely we rest with the orchard, settling then dormant after the flurry of harvest and to prepare for the year to come.
