We planted the orchard to give a wide variety of fruit for as much of the year as possible. There are early and late apples, pears, plums, damsons, quince, green gage, apricot, white and black mulberry, and medlar. The orchard is also the perfect home for the poultry, food for the bees and a varied habitat for lots of insects. It provides the pigs with some of their favourite foods and the extra fertility provided by the poultry gives an annual crop of quality hay for the sheep.