iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Look at these cigarette cards from 1914. Really interesting! 🙂

020

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

My first Pineberry, she's a beaut. I think I'll name her Penelope! She has a lovely blush due to all this sun however, some years she will be white, then the red seeds will really pop! It's sweet, then tangy and then a hint of pineapple comes through.

042

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

When potting up our bare root raspberry canes when they arrived. We had lots of fibrous root trimmings left over. Rather than throw them in the composter we thought we'd just plant them all and see what happens. I'm pleased to say it looks like we will have many more plants from them.

251

Reposted by Paula Fleming

Mark @rfcider.eurosky.social · 10/05/2026

One of several wholly unnatural tree forms, but I’ve always had a soft spot for a well trained Espalier, this one an Apple Tree on the wall at Lyveden near Oundle. #TreeOfTheDay

Espaliered Apple Tree against a stone wall.

0131

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

🌸 🍭 Apple Blossom lollipops 🍭 🌸

050

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 19/04/2026

I enjoyed a fantastic opportunity yesterday to learn propagation techniques from some of the best in the industry #hortistry is a new venture bridging the skills gaps in horticulture. A big thank you to @thedirt_news It was a great day of learning, sharing and networking with others.

020

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

The beginning of every fruit. Every flower is potentially one fruit...if someone doesn't come along and pick them of course! However, we wouldn't want every bloom to be pollinated as the tree would be very stressed (as would the orchardist who has to thin the fruit out!)

1113

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

🍓 🍓 Our strawberry seedlings have been pricked out and are now nicely settled in their own cells. Varieties sown by seed are Gariguette, Mara de Bois and many wild Strawberries. All the other varieties were brought bare root. We will be trialling 14 different varieties, one of which is a climber.

271

Reposted by Paula Fleming

Orchard Notes @orchardnotes.com · 02/04/2026

It's very nearly apple blossom season in our neck of the woods, so it seems like a good time to re-post the photo essay I put together in 2023: 'Lifecycle of an Apple, From Bud to Blossom to Fruit' orchardnotes.com/2023/03/28/l... Many, many more photos via the link. #apples #blossom #fruit

Apple buds just beginning to break open in spring.

An apple fruitlet, surrounded by leaves.

A 'Herefordshire Russet' apple glowing in the sunshine.

0243

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

A day of appreciation! A lovely day, lovely trees, lovely pear blossom, pruning almost finished... Although, I was swiftly brought back down to earth when I hit myself on the head with my secateurs whilst moving the ladder! #igotskills 😂✂️🪜🤕 #blossom #kitchengarden #orchard #peartrees

271

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

I spent a lovely couple of days this week helping out at a Family run PYO Cherry farm in Buckinghamshire. The trees are trained on the UFO system. UFO stands for Upright Fruiting Offshoot and is a system of growing Cherries to maximise light, yield and airflow. It also makes picking a lot easier.

182

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

We will be growing lots of new fruit at Le Manoir. Starting with Almonds. A few tips - 🥜 They are related to peaches, so Peach leaf curl is something to look out for. 🌞 They want as much sun as you can throw at them!

151

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

Now that's an Espalier! Note tools on bottom right for scale!!!

1193

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 29/12/2025

A leaf hammock for some of our best beneficial insects in the orchard. Aphids are one of the biggest pests in orchards. One ladybird can eat up to 60 aphids a day! Or up to 5000 in their lifetime. That's a lot of help. At the moment, they are hibernating and having a well deserved rest.

191

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 18/11/2025

It does make me laugh that the Kiwis are absolutely fine every single day. Then the first proper frost makes it say "nope" and every leaf comes off. Some plants have proper personalities...or maybe I've been around them for too long! 😄 Anyway, the kiwis are harvested, that is now all the fruit in!

092

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 08/11/2025

Medlars are now harvested. Let the bletting commence. After grading the tray on the left is unbletted and the fruit is still hard and has that lovely golden colour still. The tray on the right are bletted so they are a darker brown and squashy.

3396

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 07/11/2025

A few days in the life of some of our apples. These will come back to Le Manoir as apple brandy in 5 years time. A big shout out to Capreolus distillery who we have worked with for a few years now. I love seeing the outcome of so much work over the growing year.

1519

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 03/10/2025

It doesn't look appetising I grant you, but look at the colour of the tickled pink apple pulp before pressing. 🍎 I didn't take a picture of the juice but you can imagine how red that was. 🍷

0132

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

Probably the best smelling trailer in the world....ever! The Quince harvest is in. We have Champion and Portugal and it's about 220kg! Red falstaff and Granny smith apples are there too. Hiding underneath we have Christmas Pearmain, Orleans reinette and Chivers delight.

3747

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 23/09/2025

This Bramley has watercore. The flesh goes translucent and is very sweet and watery...not what you usually associate with a Bramley! We wouldn't generally want this in the UK but in places such as Japan, they market this as special. Particularly with their Fuji apples.

5214

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 16/09/2025

The Quince are absolutely stunning this year, a bit small but stunning nonetheless! A few splits but so far so good! As with everything else they're early this year and will be ready in a few days!

171

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 13/09/2025

This week I had the pleasure of visiting Coton orchard @BonkersBusway and doing a talk for Coton garden club on growing fruit trees organically and working with nature. I can't possibly fit what I want to say in a smaller post. www.instagram.com/p/DOi8nJHiEK...

instagram.com

Welcome back to Instagram. Sign in to check out what your friends, family & interests have been capturing & sharing around the world.

020

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 11/09/2025

Some of our heritage fruit varieties. I love picking over these trees and seeing all the colours and differences. It's a happy picking bucket!

3321

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 05/09/2025

Varieties you can see... 🍎 Tickled pink (yes, they're a little under ripe but that's how the chefs want them.) 🍏 Blenheim orange 🍐 Beurre hardy 🍐 Gorham 🍎 Santana

1211

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 24/08/2025

Next up. Katy, the first pick of Red Windsor and Keswick codlin. That subtle pink is the most colour I've seen on the Keswick codlin.

2273

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 15/08/2025

Precoce de Trevoux is our first pear, much earlier than the others. Look at the size of this one, not bad for such a short growing season. It's from France and goes back to 1862. I think the one in my hand has to be the finest one I have grown!

1172

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 12/08/2025

The colours of the 2025 harvest are continuing with Discovery and Scrumptious. It hurts the eyeballs!! It's almost a shame to pick them as the trees look so bare now. This year these apple varieties are too sweet for my tastes, the flavours are incredible though!

2306

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 09/08/2025

Devonshire Quarrenden is our next apple variety to go into the pastry kitchen. This box is ungraded but once graded the best apples will go into the hotel rooms and breakfast buffet.

192

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 25/07/2025

Just like that...it's harvest time again. Three weeks early due to the warm dry spring. I wonder how the rest of the season will go. This is George Cave and he's very prolific this year! In apple terms he is a youngster and was bred in 1923 and put to market in 1945.

3653

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 21/07/2025

Attending the Raymond Blanc Gardening school today were our Redcurrants, Blackberries, Blackcurrants, Loganberry, Blueberries, Strawberries, Raspberries and Figs. Plus some very lovely guests!!

140

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 20/07/2025

I'm very excited to see sandy muddy "doors" covering these canes. It was all leaf coverings last year. I wonder what they are? Any guesses? The theory definitely works though, we have guests for the second year running.

2101

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 17/07/2025

The #ladybirds found their own bug hotels! It's usually #earwigs I find doing this in such numbers.

140

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 12/07/2025

If you squint your eyes, aphids are quite cute really...just not in huge numbers on our trees and plants! 🤔🪲 #aphid #greenfly #roseaphid #macro #closeup #entomology #pest #insectcloseup #britishwildlife #wildlife #wildlifephoto

1110

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 12/07/2025

Last weekends orchard dining. 🍎🍏🍐🙂

170

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 02/07/2025

My take on this unusual spring. The website is currently going through an overhaul so bare with if there's any issues at all. Have you got a similar story to us? thegroundedorchardist.co.uk/2025/07/02/m...

thegroundedorchardist.co.uk

My thoughts on this spring

I wanted to write a piece about this spring, the spring of 2025. It has been unusually warm, very dry and not at all windy. I was a little worried but also intrigued. How would the trees fair in su…

062

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 25/06/2025

So we have sunburn on susceptible varieties already! 😔 Our susceptible varieties are Rosette, Red Devil and Discovery. Thankfully most of our 153 varieties are fine.

2112

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 19/06/2025

I just took delivery of the new apple "rainbow" from @frankpmatthews You can see the leaves are starting to get their variegation which is unusual on an apple, the fruit and bark are stripey and all the one year growth has very red stripes too.

3849

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 17/06/2025

The Quince are looking amazing...picture perfect in fact. There are lots and they are naturally perfectly spaced out. That puts the pressure on a bit as they are VERY thirsty trees and the weather is not looking like we are getting rain.

230

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 15/06/2025

Taming the apple and pear espaliers. I quite like how where I've been snakes off into the background. Pruning these now keeps the shape, allows air and light into the tree, takes out unwanted growth and knocks back that energy into the tree.

110

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 08/06/2025

A great day yesterday visiting Capreolous Distilleries new Quince orchard and stunning meadow! It's wonderful to see orchards going in....rather than coming out! I'm really looking forward to watching this grow and I've never seen an orchard of just quince before. Exciting stuff!! 🙂

230

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

The start of the "June drop". A welcome sight where the tree naturally sheds some of its fruit. The ones that drop are usually small, poorly pollinated or damaged in some way.

281

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 28/05/2025

I'm absolutely amazed! I have found one apple with scab so far....just one. There's also no obvious signs of primary infection on the leaves either. I have never known an orchard with no scab. It must be down to having so little rain. This is an unsprayed orchard too.

161

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 23/05/2025

Look at our little soft fruitlets! 😊🥰 🍇Blackcurrants 🫐Blueberries 🍇Blackberries 🍇Raspberries 🍅Redcurrants 🍓Experimental climbing strawberries 🍈And Gooseberries. A bit of artistic licence with the emojis there! .

140

Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

In keeping with plenty of aphids this year there are more Rosy leaf curling aphid numbers then I have seen before. Tell tale signs are the curled leaves on apple trees but even more helpful is the red on the leaves! If you open up the curled leaves you can see the aphids inside.

120