A gift of welcome for Bishop Graham, the variety of fruit tree saplings should be fruiting in the next three to four years. In the shelter of the garden walls the trees were planted in an area that was originally a fruit orchard in the 1800s. A pear tree in the centre probably dates to that time. “The pears from it taste delicious when slow-baked in a range oven for 12 hours!” Bishop Graham commented.
The 12 new trees are being grown organically and are a mixture of plum, pear and apple with evocative names: Blenheim Orange, Doyenne du Comice and Herefordshire Russett. They will co-exist with the wildflower labyrinth and in the spring their blossoms will provide welcome nectar for the Bishop’s bees in the nearby hives. A Pershore Purple Plum was also planted – a gift from Bishop Graham’s previous diocese. Head Gardener Sam Garland tutored the whole group in the niceties of tree planting and they all got down to work.
The Norwich School pupils chatted with Bishop Graham while planting about the environmental projects they work on in their school, from ensuring the photocopier paper is recycled to keeping a check on other carbon footprint issues. Norwich School’s Head Master Steffan Griffiths and Director of Development Jonathan Pearson also got their hands dirty, digging and planting!
