The RHS Fruit Group
The RHS Fruit Group consists of a friendly bunch
of gardeners with a particular interest in growing
fruit,
including apples, pears,
cherries, currants, blackberries, raspberries,
peaches and strawberries.
The Group meets regularly to
exchange ideas and take part in talks and demonstrations
from experts and
professionals in the fruit-growing world. It
also arranges visits for members to gardens,
orchards, fruit farms, nurseries and sites of
fruit-growing excellence.
Though based at RHS Garden
Wisley, there are regional branches in the South
West and the Midlands,
and close links with the Northern Fruit
Group.
We are pleased to return to a full programme of meetings and visits in 2022 - Members old and new, all welcome.
Meetings at RHS Garden,
Wisley
Face-to-face meetings to be held in the Tulip Tree Room, at the Terrace.
Members will know it as the former ‘Wisley Restaurant’. Entrance is through the gardens.
Tea and coffee will be available from 10.30am before meetings start.
Wednesday 19th January 2022, 11.00am with Karim Habibi, proprietor of Keepers Nursery, the leading specialist fruit tree nursery in Kent.
Wedesday 30th March 2022, 11.00am AGM, followed by our Keynote Speaker - Liz Copas, internationally renowned cider pomologist. Also, Matt Pottage, curator of RHS Garden Wisley, will update us on the latest developments at the garden.
Wednesday 29th June 2022, 11.00am, Jim Arbury, Fruit and Trials Specialist at the RHS – ‘Summer Fruits and Summer Pruning’. In addition, Peter Laws will give us an update on the FruitID Project.
Tuesday 8th November 2022, 11.00am, Paul Read reports on his investigations into Malus Sylvestris, and we also welcome researcher and author Jon Spain on ‘Fruit Farming in the Cam Valley’.
Zoom Webinar September - date and topic to be confirmed.
You will need to pre-register for the Zoom webinars and then a link to the meeting will be sent to you – full details will be available once details have been finalised.
External visit and events
Tuesday 7th June 2022,
to
Hatfield House, Hertfordshire for a tour of its
orchards.
Wednesday 7th September 2022, visit to the Ridgeview Estate Winery, East Sussex
Tuesday 20th September 2022, visit to Keepers Nursery, Kent.
Full details with booking forms will be sent to members once finalised.
All dates/activities correct as at 02/02/2022, but may be subject to change.
Wednesday 29th January 2022,
11.00am
We are pleased to welcome Karim Habibi, proprietor of Keepers Nursery, the leading specialist fruit tree nursery in Kent.
Keepers Nursery is a family business established in the early 1980's. Most of its trees are grown at its nursery in Kent.
It is recognised as one of the best known and respected fruit tree specialists in the UK.
In addition to his talk, Karim has invited members to visit him at Keepers Nursery in September for a guided tour.
Wednesday 30th March 2022, 11.00am, AGM
Followed by our Keynote
Speaker:
Liz Copas, internationally renowned cider pomologist.
Liz was formerly the Cider Pomologist at Long Ashton Research Station and has been an Orcharding Advisor for the National Association of Cider Makers for many years.
As well as a respected
horticulturalist and botanist, Liz is also a gifted artist and her
botanical illustrations have garnered numerous prizes from the
A.P.S and a silver medal from the RHS. Her book
'Cider Apples: The New Pomona' is one of the most
authoritative books on the subject
www.lizcopas.com
Also, Matt Pottage, curator of RHS Garden Wisley, will update us on the latest developments at the garden.
Wedesday 29th June 2022, 11.00am
RHS Fruit Specialist, Jim Arbury, will be giving a talk on ‘Summer Fruits and Summer Pruning’.
Following his talk, Jim will guide us on the practice of summer pruning.
In addition, Peter Laws will give us an update on the FruitID Project.
Tuesday 8th November 2022,
11.00am
RHS Fruit Group member, Paul Read, reports on his investigations into Malus Sylvestris.
We also welcome researcher, author and member of the RHS Fruit Group, Jon Spain who will speak on ‘Fruit Farming in the Cam Valley’.
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.
For all who love fruit
growing.
Membership of The RHS Fruit Group is open to all
members of the RHS.
Join us for talks and specialist fruit oriented tours at RHS Garden, Wisley and elsewhere.
If you are you a member of the RHS you can join The RHS Fruit Group and take part in all of our activities, for an additional £7.
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