NEWS-January

Please note that orders for trees to be grafted must be in by the end of February. Please also be aware that we no longer operate a delivery service and trees must be collected from the nursery.

Important Changes at Bernwode Fruit Trees

We are taking essential time out, to put our house in order, renew parts of the nursery and to give our collection the attention and maintenance it deserves, lacking to date. There will be some significant changes as detailed below and supply will be affected. Please let us know, before your journey, if you want a specific variety.

Grafting to order – We are a small nursery with a very wide range of varieties, and that has grown out of balance.We continue to make available old and rare varieties, to ensure their survival in the wider world, but the number we now list makes it impossible to carry a wide stock for ready availability, especially on a range of different rootstocks.

We moved over towards a system where we graft specific requests to order, but customers still expect to obtain whatever they want instantly. We do not (cannot) 'get things in'. We have to produce them and that takes time. Customers have been reluctant to order for grafting in good time. We graft from January to early March and new trees are then available for planting in September. Please let us know what varieties (on what rootstocks) you want by the end of February and be prepared to wait until September. We will continue to accept orders for emergency work on endangered old trees at other times.

Stock Levels - are low in some areas. We will continue to graft some trees for stock and they will come through in the autumn, when stocks are at their highest level. That is a good time for planting, in a normal year, when the ground is not drought affected and not rock hard! Container grown trees continue to grow their roots, even when going dormant above ground. We have a large number of apples but possibly not a specific variety you are looking for. If your wants are flexible then we should be able to find plenty of options from current stock. The remaining pears are very few, small and of varieties that are not so well known. Visitors can ask, but please do not email in lists of pears as the chances are they will be out of stock. We still have a fair number of plums/gages and the same for peaches/nectarines/apricots. We still have some cherries but only on Gisela rootstocks. There are some walnuts and hazels and a few quinces and medlars but no mulberries and the range of soft fruits is limited. Despite the reduced stock levels, we still hope to see you at the nursery.

Our interest in researching old and rare fruit trees is undiminished, so please tell us if you have something special.

The much enlarged 8th Edition printed catalogue can be ordered by telephone. At 206 pages, an increase of 36 from the 7th edition, it now includes several important variety additions. Before ordering, please be aware that we no longer operate a delivery service and trees would need to be collected. Please click on 'Get Printed Catalogue' above, left.

We collect, conserve, grow and sell trees of traditional British fruit varieties, or foreign trees that have long made their home in these Isles. They are container grown, can be planted at any time of year and can be collected from the nursery throughout the year. Please see opening times below.

There is no online ordering of trees for collection, given the range and quickly changing availability. Our trees are rare and living things, which cannot be ordered up out of a warehouse. Customers are welcome to advice at the nursery and to order or ask questions on the telephone.