iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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

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

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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.

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

It really does. These were just the scrappy bits.

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

It really was a case of a layer of compost, put roots on top, put more compost on top of that, gently compress and water. It was as easy as that! I will let these grow bigger and see if any others come up.

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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.

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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.

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

🌸 🍭 Apple Blossom lollipops 🍭 🌸

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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.

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

This is mostly apple blossom, with a bit of pear and cherry at the back. There's lots of diversity here, not only colour and shape but also taste, even as petals! This handful made me very happy, isn't it lovely. I've decided this year's blossom pics will be in bouquet form. 💐 🙂

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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!)

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

It's in the plan but not got them yet. We are trying pineberries out of interest.

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

The plan is to grow as many as possible for the menu when we reopen. We have a muddle of English and French varieties so far. I wonder who will fare best in our trials!?! Exciting stuff!!! 🍓 🍓 🍓

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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.

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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.

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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

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

For more info about their PYO, search Horwood Cherries, Buckinghamshire.

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

The trees are planted at a 45 degree angle and trained onto a low horizontal point on your trellis. Any growth that will crowd out the main stems will be taken off, then the resulting vertical growth is tied in, this is where the fruit will be.

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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.

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

🏷️ This variety is Dulcis, we are hoping to grow Robijn as well. The blossom is stunning and I can't wait to see large trees full of blooms. That's my first baby Almond by the way. I'll name him Al! 😃 #almond #ukgrown #organicallygrown #newtrees #kitchengarden

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

🐦 Birds can be an issue, I'm hoping they are spoilt for choice in the orchard and won't decimate the trees. We might find out the hard way! 😡 ✂️ Pruning is much like apple pruning. 🚜 They don't like heavy clay....so we will have to amend the soil.

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

🌸 They bloom really early, just like Apricots so some protection may be required for frost. 🐝 Due to the early flowering, hand pollination is a good idea as most of the pollinators are probably still tucked up in bed.

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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!

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Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Yes, it's fantastic. Everything is promising except one on the right. I have utilised a Dutch cut to try and push something out into the space.

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Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Thank you, my pruning, sadly not my tree. We're trying to get that tenth tier in at the top and get the missing horizontals back.

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

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

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

Now I'm the pest as I try to not cut them in half or knock off too many off whilst pruning, they're everywhere! Which is a very good problem to have. 🙂 #beneficialinsects #workingwithnature #workingalongsidenature #ladybird #ladybug

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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.

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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!

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Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 15/11/2025

It's worth an ask. I shall email them and see if they will let me grab a couple of scions. Thank you.

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Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 15/11/2025

Amazing, thank you. I'm ashamed to say after living in Northamptonshire for a good 15 years or so I never visited Lyveden. It was.

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

Agreed, I tried one last week, it's not one for my taste buds! Not for eating fresh anyway.

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

A nice way of saying overripe 🙂

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

Not really as we do not have enough for the menu. Our development chef will play with some of them because we would like them on the menu in some way or for the bar. I'll take some too and the rest will go to staff.

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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.

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

I really wanted this video to put across the importance of small businesses and the loveliness of a family business. Also of course how important our home grown fruit is! #buybritish #applebrandy #organic #organicgrown

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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.

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Paula Fleming @paulafleming5.bsky.social · 04/10/2025

It's basically the same set up we had on the farm.

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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. 🍷

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

To be honest, I have loved this year. What a challenge. I am ready for a break though!

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

All the dates went out of the window this year...apart from Medlars. They seem to be behaving. 😄

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