Orchards; a brief history from the Garden of Eden till today

Bedfordshire Gardens Trust and Hertfordshire Gardens Trust are holding a joint talk, richly illustrated and presented by Kate Harwood at Luton Hoo for members and friends.

From the Garden of Eden and the earliest evidence of orchards at Pasargadae (6th century BC) to the development of community orchards of today, fruit trees have exercised a hold over people. Not only are they an essential to a good diet, they also were believed to have mystical properties and a great deal of religious significance. By the time of the Puritans in the 17th century, the idea of profit plus pleasure, as exemplified by orchards, was being promoted. This talk will cover this history with diversions to jam factories and development of cider orchards, the explosion of varieties in the 19th century, and the government interventions which reversed this.