Introduction
Orchards of the World is a passion project that will culminate in the production of a coffee table book, due to be published in 2037.
It was borne out of a desire to tell the hidden stories of orchards, from the microorganisms living in the soil to the insects pollinating the fruit.
It includes the people managing and celebrating the trees, and the global pressures that orchard landscapes face.
With biodiversity at the heart of this story, you are invited to join the author on her voyage of discovery.
The photos and stories you are about to encounter are raw and unfiltered, and attempt to capture the orchards as they reveal themselves through the seasons.
"Bardsey and Beyond." The Mascall Centre. Ludlow. Friday 6th February 2026. Tickets £3.50 on the door
“It matters for people to be able to enjoy the beauty of that burst of blossom in spring, and it matters for nature”
Tom Dommett 2022
I will always attribute my love of orchards to the remarkable teachers at Bodenham St. Michael’s Primary School in Herefordshire. Every spring and summer, they read stories to us in the shade of the old, gnarled Bramley apple trees in the orchard.
The sweet smell of the grass, the beauty of the pink-tinged blossoms, and the contented buzz of the bees brought the stories and our dreams alive.
Roald Dahl featured heavily, and whilst it might be a cliché to say that my adventures were inspired by ‘James and the Giant Peach’, they really were.
Looking back, I think I was always destined to become an Entomologist.
With thirty years of experience in Ecology lecturing in Further and Higher Education, I decided it was finally time to step out of the classroom and fulfil my dream. In 2016, at Lancaster Motorway Services on the M6, I started the Facebook Group ‘Orchards of the World’. It was an attempt to connect with orchard enthusiasts, owners and growers, as a global orchard phone directory did not exist. It has proved to be a great adventure, and a wonderful space where people can network and share ideas.
Nearly ten years later, I have now gathered sufficient material to start sharing my story through this website. My travels were somewhat curtailed as a result of the Covid-19 Pandemic and war in Ukraine, but I started my research tours in the UK in 2022, and will widen my circles as circumstances allow.
All my travels will be via land or sea, with my intention being to visit approximately thirty countries in the next ten years. I will document the orchards I find in the blossom and harvest seasons, with my trusty companion, Dave (dog), accompanying me in the navigator’s seat.
If you have an orchard that you would like us to visit and include in the Orchards of the World story, please get in touch using the contact details below.
Welcome along.
We hope you enjoy the ride 😊
