This page provides a series of resources, ideas, and links for orchard celebrations and new orchard-related projects. It is intended for local communities and organisations thinking about starting a new project themselves.
Its about baking that fresh idea into a pie.
You can try one or many of the recipe ideas below.
If you have any other resources or ideas that you would like to share, then please contact us at freshpies@orchardrevival.org.uk, and we will add a link.
UK Orchard Blossom Time Celebration 2025
This is a celebration of the arrival of one of nature’s wonders – orchard blossom in spring. Consider the three ‘B’s’ and two ‘C’s’ of why we should celebrate and promote orchard blossom – Beauty, Bounty, Biodiversity, Community and Culture!
We are working with our friends at the People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) and the UK Orchard Network to promote UK Orchard Blossom Day, which is scheduled to take place each year on 29th April, but since blossom comes out a different times depending on where you live, your celebration might be earlier or later.
There are a number of wonderful resources to help you think of some ideas for running events, whether you have fruit trees in your garden or community growing space, look after a community orchard, or are a commercial grower.
Resources
About Orchards Blossom Day – The PTES site has information about blossom time and how you can get involved.
Register your Blossom Time project on the UK map – Put your project on the map.
Find a Blossom Time project – Search on the map for an event near you.
Ideas
A “Poetry Picnic” under the trees with a picnic, to bring the arts together, exploring relevant poems, poetry readings (or a workshop on how to write nature-based poetry), creating art in the orchard, knitting in the orchard, or a herbal workshop with an orchard tour.
Contact TV companies to invite them to make a feature of the event(s) eg BBC Radio Scotland’s Out of Doors.
Last year in the Strathearn B-Lines Project, there was a series of Yoga in the Meadow events.
Schools Poster Competition – As so many schools have orchards, hold a simple activity or competition to design a colourful poster. Community orchard groups could also hold a similar competition.
Hold a “Bug Hunt” for adults or children. Check out your Local Biodiversity Action Plan Partnerships for advice. Workshop ideas include: a Bumblebee ID session, a lichens workshop, and a Moth “Breakfast”, where a moth trap would need to be set up the night before (which could also be run as an event, perhaps also looking out for owls and bats), plus a morning ID session to see what’s been caught (and then released).
A Blossom Walk – An example is the Woolhope Circular in Herefordshire (and it takes in a pub or two!).
The Big Apple Association celebrates with a Blossom Festival in the parishes of the Marcle Ridge in Herefordshire. There’s guided walks (cider and perry trails), craft talks, cider & perry tastings, Morris Dancing, and blossomtime lunches and teas.
Other Project Ideas
Project Initiation Document templates to download
Local Hosting of the National Orchard Inventory for Scotland
