Portobello Community Orchard

02/09/2026

A REMINDER
It's the PEDAL AGM and TCV talk tomorrow, THURSDAY 3 SEPTEMBER, AT 7.30 PM in the Baptist Church cafe, 189 Portobello High Street, EH15 1EU.
After the short AGM formalities there will be a talk by Matt Orwin of The Conservation Volunteers (TCV). TCV have been helping us at the community orchard, including making a lovely new table, which you can see in the photo.
TCV Scotland offers a wide range of environmental activities in Central Scotland for people from different backgrounds, ages and abilities to help protect and enhance our local greenspaces and biodiversity.
Participants learn new skills, improve their physical and mental health, and engage with like-minded people. TCV are also committed to providing a diverse range of training and learning opportunities, including a training programme for 16-24 year olds. If you know anyone in this age range who might be interested in such opportunities, please share this information with them.
For more information, please follow this link: https://www.tcv.org.uk/scotland/?gad_source=1...

SEE YOU THERE - ALL WELCOME

30/08/2026

It was a lovely warm, sunny day at the orchard yesterday and we had a good turnout so got lots done.

We continued trying to clear bindweed and brambles, which were threatening to overwhelm some of the trees. Some repair work was done to the dead hedge at the top of the site.

We picked up a few windfalls for cooking and some apples to store for Apple Day. We also picked brambles and there are lots more coming if you don’t mind getting a few scratches along the way.

Some bag hooks were added to the underside of the new table, which we really enjoyed using for our refreshment break. This also meant there was actually room to sit down on the benches, which are usually cluttered with flasks, cups, biscuits, etc!

25/08/2026

The young people on the TCV (The Conservation Volunteers) outdoor skills programme made a lovely new table for the orchard last week.

If you would like to hear more about TCV's work and the training programmes they offer for people of all ages, including a prgramme specifically for yong people aged 16 - 24, please come along to the PEDAL AGM and TCV talk on 3 SEPTEMBER, AT 7.30 PM in the Baptist Church cafe

For more information about TCV please follow this link: https://www.tcv.org.uk/scotland/?gad_source=1...

Please share this information with anyone you think might be interested in coming along

ALL WELCOME - SEE YOU THERE!

23/08/2026

It is our next work day at the orchard on SATURDAY 29 AUGUST FROM 10 AM TO 1 PM.

We shall be clearing around and checking the trees, chopping down perennial weeds, cutting back brambles (there may be some to taste!) and removing bindweed.

We will have a break for refreshments and a chat as usual.

Please bring gloves and hand tools if you have them.

We look forward to seeing you there.

15/08/2026

Orchard is looking beautiful. Fruit is starting to ripen. A message is up on the notice board about when to pick.
I am looking forward to Apple day

10/08/2026

Come along to our AGM to hear more about the work of the lovely people from TCV who have been helping us out at the orchard over the last few months.

A wide range of activities to help all protect and enhance our local greenspace and biodiversity whilst learning new skills, getting fit and meeting people.

29/07/2026

It started off grey at the orchard on Saturday but then the sun burned through and it was a lovely warm, sunny day.

There was a great turnout, with the regulars and some new folk as well, so we got a lot done. Top of the to do list was removal of bindweed. This has really taken hold now and we removed several bags of it to the tip. Work was done to the willow patch and the recently planted blueberry and young trees were watered.

We cleared around the trees, cut off suckers and carried out summer pruning on some of the smaller apple trees. This will help more fruiting spurs to develop for next year.

We spotted a new plant that was buzzing with bees and discovered that it was a burdock. Unfortunately dandelions are one of the few weeds we don’t have at the orchard!

18/07/2026

It is our next orchard work day on SATURDAY 25 JULY, from 10 am to 1pm.

We'll be clearing around the trees, chopping down perennial weeds and chasing the bindweed! We'll also be taking time to admire nature, immerse ourselves in greenery and spot butterflies.

There will be a break for refreshments and a chat as usual.

Please bring gloves and hand tools if you have them.

30/06/2026

It was a gloriously sunny day at the orchard on Saturday, with a fantastic turnout of some of the regulars, some new faces and some of the lovely people from TCV (the Conservation Volunteers), who created our dead hedges last autumn.

We got a lot done, including clearing the paths at the top of the site, cutting back brambles and clearing the top beds, which revealed some lovely, ripe redcurrants and blackcurrants. Also, we continued to try and keep the bindweed at bay, a bit like painting the Forth Bridge used to be! The Willow bed was weeded.

A new blueberry bush was planted to replace one that had died and a ground cover rose bush was planted in front of one of the dead hedges, which will in time produce an abundance of lovely flowers.

We carried out some pruning of plum trees and did some summer pruning on some of the smaller apple trees to encourage more fruiting spurs.

One of the new apples trees we planted last year had woolly aphid, which is difficult to control so it was cut off just above the graft. We hope it will re-grow healthily.

The wildlife is enjoying the biodiversity at the orchard as we have let the grasses and “weeds” grow. We saw painted lady, red admiral and ringlet butterflies.

It was a lovely, sociable morning, with a feeling of the abundance of high summer - great for the soul.

25/06/2026

Good to do a burn and orchard litter clear before the workday on Saturday 27th 10.30am to 1.30