- Ferguson Valley -
OUR ORCHARD
SPRAY FREE PRODUCE
A LABOUR OF LOVE
The property has an interesting fruit growing history as it was a noted
orchard property around the turn of the century.
The existing orchard was established in 2010 with an initial planting of around 75 different fruit trees and 30 berry and currant varieties. Since then, numbers have grown to around 105 trees and 46 vines and bushes. Species that do not produce well (or at all) are either replaced with something else, or have other varieties grafted onto it. So, it is always a work in progress.
The soil is alluvial river loam, so a vast contrast to Perth sand. The
quantity of fruit that is produced is amazing with over 100kg off some
varieties.
​
We must confess we cannot take credit for the orchard. While we tend to the cattle and the bees Dave's father, Brian, spends many hours pruning, thinning, and picking the fruit in the orchard.
APPLES
1850's | Massachusetts USA
​
The skin is dark red over yellow with a slight russet and lenticels. The white flesh is firm but not hard and is delicately sweet. A great apple.
​
Harvest | Jun
Location | Homestead West
AMERICAN BEAUTY
APPLE
United Kingdom | 1825
One of the most famous apples, it is excellent eating with a rich flavour... and it stores well.
​
Harvest | Feb to Mar
COX'S ORANGE PIPPIN
HERITAGE APPLE
USA | 1890
Top variety all over the world. Creamy flesh and a heavy bearer.
​
First Flower | Oct
Harvest | Mar to Apr
GOLDEN DELICIOUS
APPLE
USA | 1826
Red and yellow tinged skin. Crisp and juicy white flesh. Needs to be picked early as it tends to drop. Good cooking apple..
​
First Flower | Oct
Harvest | Feb
JONATHAN
APPLE
Canada | 1800
As well as being a very famous eating apple, the McIntosh is also good for cider. This white flesh apple may drop early and doesn’t keep.
​
Harvest | Mar
MCINTOSH
HERITAGE APPLE
Also known as Cripps Red and is a cross between Golden Delicious and Jonathan. This late producing apple has red-green skin and white flesh and is excellent eating. As well as being a good pollinator it also stores well.
​
First Flower | Sep
Harvest | Jun
SUNDOWNER
APPLE
New Zealand | 1952
​
A popular commercial variety in the UK. It is a high quality apple with a very crisp, juicy flesh and sweet/tart balance. It is okay for cooking.
​
Harvest | May to Jun
BRAEBURN
HERITAGE APPLE
Japan
Highly rated all over the world. Sweet and creamy flesh. Stores well refrigerated.
First Flower | Oct
Harvest | Apr to May
FUJI
APPLE
Australian Seedling | 1860
Tart-tangy, crisp flavour and bright green skin. One of the best apples for eating and cooking. Heavy cropper.
​
First Flower | Oct
Harvest | Apr to May
GRANNY SMITH
APPLE
New Zealand | 1924
This apple is a cross of Cox's Orange and Red Delicious. It is an excellent eating apple with creamy white flesh. It is aromatic, crisp and sweet.
​
Harvest | Feb to Mar
KID'S ORANGE RED
HERITAGE APPLE
Western Australia | 1979
This apple is a cross between Golden Delicious and Lady William. The skin has a pink blush over a yellow undertone. Its crisp crunch and smooth texture assure the ultimate in dessert quality eating apples. Best in cooler regions.
​
First Flower | Oct
Harvest | Apr to May
PINK LADY
APPLE
1898
Very good bittersweet cider apple with good tannins, sugars and acidity slow to ferment. Drops when ripe and tends and to be biennial.
Harvest | Apr
YARLINGTON MILL
HERITAGE APPLE
United Kingdom | 1813
This large fruit stores well and is the most popular cooking apple.
​
Harvest | Mar to Apr
BRAMLEY'S SEEDLING
HERITAGE APPLE
New Zealand | 1934
A top quality apple that keeps well. It has creamy, firm and crisp flesh.
​
First Flower | Oct
Harvest | Apr to May
GALA
APPLE
Holland | 1700's
Excellent fresh or cooked but poor keeping. It makes a pleasant cider.
Harvest | Jan to Feb
GRAVENSTEIN
HERITAGE APPLE
Western Australia | 1935
This Donnybrook seedling likes a long warm autumn and can hang until August. It has a firm white flesh and stores well.
​
First Flower | Sep
Harvest | Jun to Jul
LADY WILLIAM
APPLE
USA | 1800's
This heavy cropper has large glossy red fruit and is very sweet when fully ripe. Good eating and prized for cooking.
​
Harvest | May to Jun
ROME BEAUTY
HERITAGE APPLE
BERRIES
Developed by CSIRO. This fruit was planted here in 2018 and has thumb size fruit with blood red skin. We have yet to get a good harvest off this one, but we are looking forward to it maturing further.
​
First Flower | Nov
Harvest | July
RED CENTRE
FINGER LIME
Deep green to yellow seedless fruits with an acidic flavour. Best picked when just ripe (at first sign of a yellow blush).
The fruits will drop when yellow.
​
This is an abundant producer, forcing us to be creative to limit fruit wastage. There is only so much lime cordial you can drink!
​
First Flower | Sep
Harvest | May to June
TAHITIAN
LIME
The fruit is large, thin skinned and seedless. The fruit is sweet and juicy late the in season, and will drop if left too long on the tree.
​
First Flower | Sep
Harvest | June to Aug
WASHINGTON NAVEL
ORANGE
Medium to large seedless fruits with a very juicy, rich flavour. This tree produces heavy crops and tends to drop the fruit. It is always a mad rush to progressively pick before they fall to the ground.
​
First Flower | Oct
Harvest | Jun to Dec
MARSH SEEDLESS
GRAPEFRUIT
Of the 4 trees that we have, 2 fruit much later and produce fruit with thicker skins and more seeds. The 2 earlier fruiting trees are on Trifoliata rootstock. Each pair of trees were purchased from different sources which could account for the vast difference between the fruits despite them being the same variety.
First Flower | Sep
Harvest | Jul to Aug
IMPERIAL
MANDARIN
This tree produces fruit all year round. While the fruit is perfectly balanced on the palate with very few seeds, they do have a very think pith.
Alexander has been known to wander down to the orchard straight from the school bus, to pick the lemons to make fresh lemonade - just in time for his sisters to arrive home from highschool!
First Flower | Oct
Harvest | All Year Round
EUREKA
LEMON
These seedless fruits have thick skins with a sweet flavour. They are very good for juicing. While they look ripe, we don't pick them until they turn sweet, which can take many more months.
​
First Flower | Sep
Harvest | Oct to Mar