Who are we ?
For all who love growing fruit
The RHS Fruit Group was formed in 1945 with the object of encouraging fruit production in private gardens, and bringing the findings and practical experiences of fruit growing professionals to bear on new problems. This objective is brought up to date in our constitution: to encourage and improve the study and cultivation of edible fruits generally grown in the UK.
Our Team
Fruit growing enthusiasts
Chaired by leading fruit grower Gerry Edwards, grandson of one of its founding members, the RHS Fruit Group is run by a team of amateur and professional fruit growing enthusiasts, for the benefit of its members.
Join us
You must be a member of the RHS
The RHS Fruit Group operates from the RHS Garden Wisley - there are also regional branches with additional local activities for the South West, based at RHS Garden Rosemoor, and for the Midlands, based at Pershore College. If you live in either the South West of England or the Midlands you will also be enrolled in the appropriate Branch, for which there is no extra subscription.
email membership@thefruitgroup.org.uk
The RHS Fruit Group also has links with the Northern Fruit Group
Meetings are held at RHS Garden Harlow Carr. Working sites are at Harewood House Walled Garden near Leeds, and at Huddersfield and Doncaster.
For more information visit the website www.northernfruitgroup.com
Visits 2021
If you are you an RHS member you can join The RHS Fruit Group for an additional £7 each year.
In addition to the four Fruit Group meetings at the RHS Garden, Wisley, and the Zoom meeting, there are three major external visits for members during 2022. Costs vary for each visit, please contact: events@thefruitgroup.org.uk
for details.
Details of visits correct as of 31/12/2021, but may be subject to change.
Tuesday 7th June 2022
Hatfield House, Hertfordshire for a tour of its orchards.
As part of the visit we will be shown the walled gardens and kitchen garden as well as experimental fruit plots where seedlings and wayside fruit trees that are being trialled.
The House itself will not be open on that day.
Wednesday
7th September 2022
Ridgeview Estate Winery, East Sussex
For our second external event of the year, we have arranged a visit to a commercial vineyard,
the Ridgeview Estate Winery, on the edge of the South Downs, in Sussex.
Our visit will include a tour of the vineyard, winery and cellars followed by a tasting of Ridgeview sparkling wines, plus a talk on the production of verjuice by Tony Cozzi of Verjuice Ltd.
Tuesday 20th September 2022
Keepers Nursery, Kent
To follow up on his talk at our Wisley meeing in January, Karim Habibi has invited members to visit him at Keepers Nursery for a guided tour.
