Pettys Orchard, Templestowe - Frday, 31st October 2014

Cnr Monckton Rd and Homestead Rd  Templestowe   | Map 
 Telephone: 0418 665 880

Hi there,

We went to Pettys Orchard, the enterprise began when Thomas Petty arrived in Australia in 1853, seeking a new life for himself and his family.  They created an orchard which remained with the family until 1981, when Parks Victoria purchased it.  "The Heritage Fruits Society manages and maintains the "heritage fruit" collection at the orchard."

I've been following this orchard for a short while now, with my family, whose new garden contains three apple trees, two citrus trees and several Blackthorn trees and, coming to stay with them, helping with some gardening and being vastly interested in all things fruit, orchards and all food, including organic food items.

So a suggestion to visit Pettys was a "must-do" event, ,particularly as I follow Common Ground's Apple Day celebration in England, cook and preserve apples, etc. and was actually at Common Ground's first Apple Day Festival at Covent Garden on 21st October 1990.

I thrill to the whole idea of preserving our cultural traditions and customs, preserving and saving our heritage through connection to our fruit orchards and our apples, and love the fact that Common Ground took as its symbol, the apple.

So, as I said, a visit to Pettys was an absolute "must-do" event and I really want to visit it again before I return home in a few weeks time.

Well, enough words from me!  How about a few photoshots to wet the appetite and get you interested in this historic orchard......

the Demonstration Orchard - 2 hectares of an ancient orchard

Here are some of the once used quipment which worked the orchard and land...

 And my photoshots of various antique artefacts........

Pettys Orchard is its own "living legend" - still existing today as an orchard, part small historic entity with a separate commercial fruit enterprise managed by another business facility.  The thriving Heritage Fruits Society which cares for and looks after the apple collection is part of a world wide entity determinedly conserving and protecting historic apples from extinction.

I couldn't get close enough to the orchard today to take photos of the actual fruit trees but they looked well, healthy and fit for today and tomorrow.  Members of the Society make regular visits to Pettys to
care for the orchard and its survival and their work must be applauded.

Catering and organic food sales at Pettys are under the auspices of Yarra Organics - shop@pettysorchard.com.au - 

they provide a brilliantly satisfying cafe, full of gorgeous foods, and some excellent gluten-free items plus a wonderful array of organic fruit and vegetables, and packaged food items of a staggering variety.

There is an excellent eating area, a children's play area and local musicians to delight the ear as you eat, drink and chatter away the hours in a supremely relaxing and attractive venue.

Here for your delight, my photos of the foods, products and eatery at Pettys Orchard.....

Thanks Wikipedia for much needed back-up info as I'm away from home and needed their help...
Address details and website details correct at time of publishing this post...Daisy
Daisy

Cloudhill Garden Spring Festival, Olinda - Saturday, 26th October 2014.

To Olinda up a steeply winding road flanked by huge ferns, towering eucalyptus trees and brilliant flowering rhododendron bushes, all growing happily in the moist atmosphere of this area.  The plants are well-known, as is the area, for its natural beauty, mists and good growing condition, all amounting to a brilliant drive up to Cloudhill, just beyond Olinda.

We didn't stop at Olinda to view their wonderful array of local indie shops, we were too long at Cloudhill, but their "High Street" looked enchanting!

Cloudhill - an enchanting name too, don't you think?  The Gardens, in residence since the early 1990's are wonderful, glorious and full of endless green possibilities.  We spent a few  peaceful hours wandering about their green oasis looking at the plants and trees, eating a delicious lunch and listening to a fascinating talk about companion planting, which is a much great topic of conversation than just making sure you under-plant your roses with garlic, lavender and chives.  The subject goes much deeper than that, soil-wise!

Here's a few photo-shots of our day.....

they have wonderful hedges of beech and hornbeam and glorious trees....

Can't wait to go again!!!

Daisy

The Yarra Valley - Monday, 27th October 2014

Too beautiful for mere words, here's my photo-shots of our visit last week,  to remind myself of it's inherent beauty, when I'm far away back home...
So, photos of the area about the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery....Yering Station and of Yarra Valley Dairy...what a smashing venue that is.  Can't wait for my return visit.  Just love their food!!!

Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery area...

Wide blue skies, hot sun, light breeze and wonderful, wide vistas...what more could the yearning visit look for.  It's all here, in the Yarra Valley.  I will return onr day....

Daisy