The RHS Fruit Group
RHS Fruit Group, 2021, 75th Anniversary Year + 1
The Committee has decided, that it will go ahead to set dates and plan a year of activities for 2021, assuming that, initially at least, the ‘meetings’ will continue to be held remotely, as Zoom webinars.
We hope that we will be able to return to face-to-face meetings at some point, following Government guidelines and RHS direction - the health & safety of our members and speakers will be a priority at all times.
All dates/activities, may be subject to change.
Meetings at RHS Garden, Wisley or Zoom webinars, dates set, final arrangements to be confirmed:
Wednesday 20th January 2021, Zoom webinar, 14.00, Mark Lane, Landscape Designer, TV and Radio Presenter, will talk about his latest book ‘Royal Gardens of the World’
Tuesday 30th March 2021, 12.00, AGM; 13.00 Keynote Speaker: Nick Dunn, of Frank P Matthews
Tuesday 15th June 2021, 11.00am, Raspberries, Jim Arbury talk + tour of raspberry plantings
Wednesday 10th November 2021, 13.00, we have invited Sir John Starkey to talk about his Bramley’s
You will need to pre-register for the Zoom webinars and then a link to the meeting will be sent to you – full details in our membership Newsletter #68, December 2020.
External visit and events
Tuesday 8th June 2021, our 75th Anniversary Meeting at Hatfield House (meeting time and arrangement details to be confirmed nearer to date). Please note: this event has been cancelled.
Wednesday 11th August
2021, Tuesley Farm, the
Hall Hunter Partnership, top quality fruit
Wednesday 15th September 2021, Audley End, extensive collection of apples and other fruit.
In 2021, our 75th Anniversary Year + 1, we have planned meetings which will either be held as Zoom webinars, or at our home base, the fabulous RHS Garden, Wisley.
Final arrangements will be dependent on Government guidelines and RHS direction - the health & safety of our members and speakers will be a priority at all times.
All dates/activities, may be subject to
change.
Members old and new, all
welcome.
Updated 14/01/2021
Wednesday 20th January 2021, Zoom
webinar, 14.00
Mark Lane, Landscape Designer, TV and Radio Presenter, will talk about his latest book ‘Royal Gardens of the World’
You will need to pre-register for the Zoom webinars and then a link to the meeting will be sent to you – full details in our membership Newsletter #68, December 2020.
We are pleased to welcome Mark Lane, Landscape Designer of the Year 2020, TV and Radio Presenter, who will talk about his latest book ‘Royal Gardens of the World’.
Mark’s book, published on 24 September 2020, is a sumptuous exploration of 21 of the world's most celebrated royal gardens. You can journey from the formal splendour of Het Loo in the Netherlands and Fontainebleau in France to the Baroque World Heritage Site of the Royal Palace of Caserta in Southern Italy. Further afield still lies the Taj Mahal in India and Peterhof Palace in Russia, and lots more. Each featured garden will include the history, plantings and evolution of the garden as well as plant portraits of key plants and information about the design and layout of each.
Tuesday 30th March 2021, 12.00, AGM
13.00 Keynote Speaker: Nick Dunn, of Frank P
Matthews
Nick Dunn is Managing Director of Frank P Matthews, Worcestershire, which produces fruit and ornamental trees. He has worked to improve training and education in the nursery stock and fruit-growing industries.
Nick is a member of the Horticulture Board, the
Gardens Committee and the Fruit, Vegetable and Herb Committee. He
was Chairman of the Fruit, Vegetable and Herb Committee from 2014
to 2018. He has also been an RHS Judge and contributed to RHS
Fruit Trials. In 2018, he was presented the Society’s highest
award, the Victoria Medal of Honour.
Nick is a passionate fruit and ornamental tree nurseryman and runs a successful family horticultural business. His research in hardy nursery stock propagation for more than 40 years offers a valuable practical experience to the RHS Council.
Tuesday 15th June 2021, 11.00am
RHS Fruit Specialist, Jim Arbury, will be giving a talk on Raspberries – cultivation, management, the selection of cultivars and the latest results from RHS Raspberry trials.
Following his talk, Jim will take us on a guided tour of the raspberry plantings in the fruit field at Wisley.
Wednesday 10th November 2021,
13.00
We are hoping that Sir John Starkey will be joining us to talk about his Bramley’s, grown on own roots
Sir John Starkey is a leading figure in the British fruit growing industry.
In addition to growing fruit and producing fruit juice, Sir John is a historian of Bramley apples, which he grows on their own roots.
He has been instrumental in the protection of the 'original' Bramley apple tree which has grown in Southwell for the past 200 years, working with the University of Nottingham to preserve and protect the genetic material of 'Britain's favourite apple'.
Sir John Starkey says:
“Our Bramleys replicate exactly the properties which make the 200 year old seedling world famous. It is extraordinary that this affects the taste of the fruit but comparative tastings have proved that it does.”
If you are you an RHS member you can join The RHS Fruit Group and take part in all of our activities, for an additional £7 each year.
In addition to the four Fruit Group meetings at the RHS Garden, Wisley, there are three major external visits for members during 2021. Costs vary for each visit, please contact: events@thefruitgroup.org.uk
for details.
Details of visits correct as of 23/12/2020, but may be subject to change.
Please note that at a Committee Meeting, 14/01/2021, it was decided that that this event will be cancelled - having considered the situation regarding COVID-19 and the health & safety of members.
Tuesday 8th June 2021, our 75th + 1 Anniversary Meeting at Hatfield House(meeting time and arrangement details to be confirmed nearer to date)
We celebrate our 75th Anniversary in style atHatfield House, Hatfield, in Hertfordshire, on the 8th June, when Lady Salisbury has invited us to a private visit, on a day when the property is closed to the public.
A 75th Anniversary
Lunch will be held for all members present.
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 trialed.
The House itself will not be open on that day.
Numbers are limited for this visit, so we must restrict places to paid-up members of the RHS Fruit Group only, i.e. no guests.
Wednesday 11th August 2021
Tuesley Farm, the Hall Hunter Partnership, commercial fruit farm, growing top quality fruit
Our second external visit of the
year is on the 5th
August we visit Hall Hunter’s
Tuesley Farm
which is near Godalming in Surrey where
blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries are grown,
mainly under cover.
Tuesley Farm is highly productive and grows quality fruit for many of our supermarkets.
It is set in the beautiful, wooded county of Surrey and has stunning country views. As well as growing great fruit, there’s also a packhouse where the fruit is carefully packed for its customers.
Wednesday 15th September 2021
Audley End House,Nr. Saffron
Walden, Essex, CB11 4JF
collection of regional and historic apples and other fruit.
The third visit of the year is on the is to the magnificent Audley End, near Saffron Walden in Essex.
The house is surrounded by extensive ‘pleasure gardens’ and there is a very large walled kitchen garden growing fruit, flowers and vegetables, using organic principles.
The walled garden also features vast glasshouses with grapes and peaches, a restored ‘Orchard House’ designed by Thomas Rivers, an extensive display of trained fruit, and orchards with historic and local varieties.
The Fruit Group hasn’t visited Audley End for some years now and it seems perfect to visit another great house in our 75th Anniversary year.
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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