Island Life Magazine Ltd October/November 2006 | Page 49

COUNTRYSIDE & FARMING

Top ten varieties suitable
for the Island garden:
Dessert:
. Spartan (Oct/Nov)
. Chivers Delight (Nov/Jan)
. Discovery (Aug)
. Sunset (Oct/Dec)
. Jonagold (Oct/Mar)

Alison and David Harding have
been keen apple growers for many
years with Alison compiling an
‘Apple Directory’ to help identify
varieties and David being one of the
island pruning experts. They have
studied the history of the Islands
own apple varieties of which there
are over a dozen recorded. This has
resulted in Alison publishing some
of her findings in ‘The Isle of Wight
Apple Book’ which she has written
and illustrated. It doesn’t just stop
there. Alison would eventually like
to publish her own directory as all
good ones were published years
ago and are now out of print. This
is going to take many years and a

Cookers:
.Arthur Turner
Nice blossom (Sep/Oct)
.George Neil
Early cooker (Aug/Sept)
.Lord Derby (Oct/Dec)
.Annie Elisabeth
Good for keeping (Nov/Apr)
.Blenheim Orange
Good for keeping. (Nov/Jan)
lottery win! What is interesting is
that the older books describe apples
so much more vividly as they didn’t
have the luxury of photo’s to rely
upon.
Alison’s book can be bought from
IW Tourist outlets or direct on
[phone] at £6.00 +PP

Island Life - www.isleofwight.net

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