We got a grant for this project from the Pebble Trust of £2,500 in 2021. The aim was to create an orchard in our city centre community by encouraging and helping local residents and organisations with growing space, to grow one or two fruit trees in their own gardens/grounds.

With the funding we bought a total of 100 fruit trees which we offered to local residents along with instruction on how to plant the trees initially, and how to look after them in the longer term. Trees were distributed to a total of 52 residents who took one or two trees each. We also provided trees to the local primary/nursery and secondary school, and a few local organisations like Inverness Creative Academy and the Scottish Highlands & Islands and Moray Chinese Association (SHIMCA).

We bought a selection of apple and plum trees, in a few different varieties to be biodiverse but also compatible for pollination, and on different rootstocks for different garden sizes. We are very lucky to have a local volunteer with a lot of experience of fruit growing who advised us throughout the project on varieties which should be successful in the local area, recommended suppliers and who helped out on all the distribution days to provide advice to all the participants on planting and after care. Each tree came with a stake and tie and a set of planting instructions as well as personal advice on the day.

We organised two distribution days to coincide with delivery of two bulk order of trees, giving advice on planting and growing and answering any specific questions people had.

Our plan is to keep in touch with project participants to give advice on eg watering, pruning and general after care and ultimately advise on what to do with the harvest. We will encourage sharing of surplus produce to neighbours, via the existing community cupboard and to other local organisations. We also plan in due course to organise events such as apple juicing days and harvest celebrations. This is quite long term as it will be a few years before the trees produce a crop.

Our first event was held recently on Sunday 5th March to learn about pruning.