Creating an urban orchard

Creating an Urban Orchard

When you think of an orchard, you may picture expansive spaces, but it's possible to create urban orchards in unused spaces in your neighbourhood.

In a town, it's helpful to adopt any open, unused spaces to create a sanctuary for birds and wildlife. You can do this cheaply by buying bare root trees in winter. You need to water trees well in their first year, but once they're established, they require minimal care. Surround the trees with other host plants for pollinators like butterflies.

In this orchard

• Quince
• Crab apple
• Medlar

A Managed Wild Space

This is not quite the same as rewilding because it does require some upkeep, particularly weed removal. The trees and wild buddlejas should also be trimmed, but these cuttings can be piled to create a refuge for animals like hedgehogs.

Year-Round Interest from Fruit Trees

Growing fruit trees in urban spaces is not just about the harvest. They provide year-round interest. In spring, fragrant blossoms are beloved by bees. In summer and autumn, delicious fruits appear. And in winter, the branches provide beautiful structure.

Creating Urban Habitats

If you are in a town environment with neglected pockets of land in your neighbourhood, team up with members of your community to try and fill the space with pollinator-friendly plants. Native species like nettles are the sole food source for caterpillars of several butterfly species. They also support a wide range of other insects, which, in turn, provide food for birds and other animals further up the food chain. Wildlife will thank you, and they are also a visual reward.

Your Assignment

Walk around your neighbourhood and look for any open gaps of land close to you that could benefit from more perennials or tree cover. Contact your local council to check the permission requirements before planting on public land.