By Dean Di Quinzio
Werribee Park Heritage Orchard celebrated the start of Autumn with it’s Orchard Open Day on Sunday, March 5, where over one hundred established pre-grafted fruit tree varieties were up for grabs.
All money raised will go into the upkeep of the orchard to keep the trees healthy and help it hold on to Werribee’s precious heritage fruit tree collection.
Despite the overcast conditions, budding fruit enthusiasts of all ages garnered an array of knowledge, skills and plants from the orchard’s volunteers, attending orchard tours and pruning classes and paying close attention to horticulturalist Craig Castree’s captivatingly curated grafting presentation.
Other highlights included Werribee’s bee keeping presentation and a visit from the Werribee Mansion’s volunteers elegantly dressed in 19th century attire, who ran a wool spinning demonstration.
If you didn’t manage to make it to the big day but still want to sharpen your skills and grow your knowledge of all things fruity, you’re in luck: The Werribee Park Heritage Orchard volunteers meet every Friday at Werribee Park (down the road from the Werribee Mansion), from 10am to noon, where they teach pruning and grafting, and show you how to get your fruits to thrive in a close knit, hands on environment.
Details: werribeeparkheritageorchard.org.au/ or www.facebook.com/werribeeparkheritageorchard.
