Apellunden
Appellunden at Näs is a stylised apple meadow. Our staked apple trees create the sense of a grazing horizon and the plants in the beds all originate from meadow flora, but are a little more colourful and vigorous, and attract both butterflies and bees. The row of apple trees provides both a nice screen between the outdoor seating and the path and at the same time forms a map of the old ‘apple Småland’ that once existed.
Apple Map
In the row of apple trees, we continuously graft varieties that have previously been commonly cultivated in Småland, such as Stor klar Astrakan, Borgherre, Charlamovsky, Husmoder, Grågylling, Kaniker, Ribston Pippin and Urshults Kungsäpple.
A story about old-time Småland
In olden times, apple meadows were cultivated in Småland as a way of using the same land for many purposes. Essentially, they were meadows with apple trees, often wild apple trees on which varieties of edible apples were grafted. The meadow was scythed the flowering was over and the hay was harvested for animal feed. Cattle were then released into the meadow to graze for the rest of the summer. This meant that the lower apples were also grazed, forming a grazing horizon, a line in the tree canopy above which the fruit was out of reach to cattle.
“In every garden the apple trees were in blossom. And what blossom! I have never seen fruit trees bloom so richly. And never before or since have I smelt spring as I did then.”
From ‘Mitt vackraste barndomsminne’ in ‘Livets mening’ by Astrid Lindgren
