This young orchard on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia is situated on 5 acres of land about 20 miles (30 km) north of Victoria, BC. It is in the south end, which is wilder and less developed part of the island, with the ocean just a short walk away.
The orchard, on a slight south facing slope, was created from scratch on land logged in 1980, with the first apple trees planted in 1986. It consists of about 300 trees (150 connoisseur apple varieties) of mostly apples, but also plums, pears, cherries and Asian pears. The soil is very rich, deep and well drained with the organic content improving every year. Very few rocks exist in the loose, loamy soil.
A 7 foot high fence (installed fall 1985) very successfully keeps the many deer out of the 3 acre orchard.
My emphasis has been on the best tasting connoisseur apple varieties in the world, both heritage and new, plus red-fleshed apple varieties. At present I have about 14 red fleshed varieties including Hall’s Pink, Surprise, Almata, Pink Pearl, Burgundy, Mott’s Pink, Webster’s Pink Meat, Winter Red Flesh, Red Flesh, Baldwin Red Flesh and Aerlie Red Flesh (AKA Hidden Rose), and I am always searching for other red fleshed varieties. Contact me if you have others. Thanks