Apple Picking

Apple Picking season is here! Our FTVs Isabel and Richard went with Countryside Manager Pete Carty and Volunteers Pete and Dick to Dudmaston yesterday to pick apples. Some of these will be made into delicious apple cake in the Tea Room, and some will be stored for the crafts day next weekend when they will be pressed to make apple juice!

 


Gardener Mark shows Isabel the best apples



Apple picking is a delicate task, as the apples will not store if they are bruised. They are picked off the trees only when ripe using special equipment, then stored in pallets in a clean, dry shed.



Pete and Dick depositing their pick



Keep an eye on this blog for more infomation about the Craft Day!

Helping Out at Dudmaston

Last Wednesday the Rangers and TTF volunteers; Eileen, John and Helen, went to the Dudmaston Estate to help the gardeners, Dan and Guy. They spent most of the day trimming back a large Laurel hedge and numerous overgrown bushes. The brash was then fed through the chipper and into a trailer. Dan kept some Leylandii aside for some wreath making workshops he is running in the next few weeks.

Feeding cut brash through the chipper.



Dudmaston Fungal Foray

Last Sunday I joined members of the public and the Shropshire Fungus Group on the Dudmaston estate. We were finding, identifying and recording different fungi species using keys and the expert knowledge of Roy, who runs numerous fungi courses and forays. We made our way through Comer Wood and out onto the grassland next to Big pool opposite the hall.



Roy and Cherry identifying a species.



Roy telling people how to correctly identify a fungi by Big pool.

 

We found an abundance of mushrooms and a variety of species in both the woodland and grassland habitats, and Roy shared his techniques of identification and some information on each species with us. If you are also interested in fungi and want to get involved then you could join your local fungus group or come along to a fungal foray such as this one.



Sulphur tuft fungus growing on dead wood.



The beautiful Mycena archangelina



Apple Gleaning at Dudmaston

Over the past few weeks numerous members of staff and the TTF from Carding Mill Valley have gone to the Dudmaston estate to pick and press apples from the many orchards on the estate. There are many varieties and they were used to make juice and cider. Some of the apples have also been used in the Carding Mill Valley tea room to make apple cake.



Working as a team to hand pick and pack the apples



Using the apple press to extract the juice



Pete Carty decanting the fresh juice into bottles



Dudmaston Garden

Two CMV Rangers and a select few of the TTF (Tuesday Task Force) spent a day on the dudmaston estate helping the head gardener prepare for mothers day opening. Tasks included tidying the heather and ladies bath borders in front of the grand hall.



Heather Border




Ladies Bath Border