APPLE season is well underway and the blossom has mostly been blown off the trees. When the trees are in full bloom County Armagh looks stunning.
Every year, The National Trust hosts Apple Blossom Sundays at Ardress House – a beautiful big farmhouse opposite our orchards.
Greg and Sarah went along this year to both Sundays where crowds of people gathered to celebrate the orchards, eat apple treats and take part in lots of fun family activities.
The Apple Blossom Sunday celebrations are a great way for people to get into the orchards on tours, taste local ciders, buy local apple produce and the children loved meandering the apple trails.
There’s always something at Apple Blossom Sunday for all. There were children’s entertainers and demonstrations of butter making – the old fashioned way.
Children also got to enjoy the popular children’s playground while adults enjoyed the delicious apple teas, from Lady Ada’s Tea-Room at the Argory which were served throughout the day. There were really interesting displays on the history of farming through the ages with its variety of old farming machinery. The miniature ponies, sheep, goats, ducks and a range of chickens were all back in the farmyard.
We are so lucky because we work in the heart of orchards day in and day out. Well, Greg does. Sarah, on the other hand, spends her time in and out of pubs, bars and restaurants the length and breadth of Ireland. But when she’s not on the road she’s straight back up to the orchard county to enjoy the peace and tranquility the orchards offer.
So it’s fair to say, we are so lucky to be where we are and to be doing what we are doing.
Making great tasting cider from the apples grown in the orchards is the perfect job. But The National Trust hosting events like the Apple Blossom Sunday opens the orchard experience to the public and people love it. We love talking to people about our orchards, cider varieties, apple varieties, our cider press, pruning and apple picking as well as the story behind the company.
A big thank you to everyone who came to say hello to us – great talking to you. We’ll see you the next time. In the meantime, keep enjoying a good old gargle of Mac Ivors Ciders. #followthefox
