Celebrating a bumper harvest, October 21
Thanks to such a wet season, we’re drowning in apples up here in the North East, just in time for National Apple Day! The best by far has been my young Red Falstaff variety, now totally in its stride.
It’s grown on a west-facing wall, originally in a half barrel, but that got subsumed in a vegetable bed, so the tree’s roots will now be far out beyond its original range. The wall is painted black, not just as a fashion statement. It absorbs the heat during the day, slowly releasing it at night to protect plants from severe frosts. Give it a go – I’m still picking runner beans growing next to the apple tree despite a couple of cold nights.
Why National Apple Day?
The first Apple Day was launched on October 21, 1990, by Common Ground. The aim was to create a modern custom, even an autumn holiday. It was intended to be a celebration of apples, but also a warning of what we could lose. In the latter context, not just apples, but the diversity of landscape, ecology and culture.
The apple has become a symbol of what is being lost in many aspects of our lives. With a spirit of hope, it also stands for positive change. Now, doctors’ surgeries, coronary support groups, and the Cancer Research Campaign have used Apple Day as a way of encouraging healthy eating.
Each year, tasting, juicing, baking, pruning and grafting take place. Gardeners can ask experts to identify forgotten varieties in their gardens.
