Alexander Graham Bell once said: “When one door closes, another one opens.” Bell, who was known for inventing the telephone, was speaking about some of his scientific setbacks. But that saying is true for the volunteers of the Ben Nobleman Park Community Orchard too. In our park, disappointments can turn into new opportunities.

This year, we were so sad when we had to cut down one of our apple trees. It had been fighting a bacterial disease called fire blight for years and it finally lost the battle. We wanted to replace the tree. But if we planted another apple tree in that spot, it would likely become infected by fire blight.

It’s been hot. It’s been dry. But the team in the Ben Nobleman Park Community Orchard have been busy taking care of our plants and fruit trees. Here is what we’ve been keeping busy with!

Fruit trees are so generous. Each year they offer us a delicious harvest of organic fruit. Our fruit trees feed us…. but how do we feed them in return?

Each year, the Ben Nobleman Park Community Orchard team uses our fundraising money to buy 3 cubic yards of compost to feed our fruit trees and pollinator garden plants. We feed the plants early in the season by mulching or topdressing with the compost to ensure that these plants have the energy to stay healthy and productive.