Jan’s Orchard Notes: A Season at Merridale – Beginning the Orchard Journey

I think summer might be my favourite season at Merridale.

Not because it is the busiest season. Not because the orchard is at its most dramatic. But because summer is the moment when we can truly see the connection between everything that has happened before and everything that is still to come.

Right now, we are enjoying the gifts of last year’s harvest. The cider in your glass, the food on your table, and the spirits we share with you all began with the work of previous seasons: the planting, the tending, the waiting, and the care that goes into every fruit we grow and every product we create.

But if you look closely, you will see that another story is already beginning.

The orchard is changing every day.

The fruit is growing. The trees are carrying the promise of another season. The colours are slowly beginning to change, and the anticipation of harvest is building quietly around us.

Over the next few months, I want to invite you to join us on this journey through the orchard.

Through my Orchard Notes, I will share what is happening here at Merridale. The small changes we notice from week to week, the work happening behind the scenes, the people who bring this place to life, and the moments that make each season unique. Because the orchard has its own rhythm, and every season tells a different part of the story.

Summer is the season of gathering. It is when our courtyard fills with families sharing meals, children exploring, and dogs making new friends. It is when friends linger a little longer and people slow down enough to enjoy where they are. Then, as the seasons change, we will follow the orchard as it moves toward harvest – the excitement, the preparation, and the incredible amount of work that transforms fruit from our trees into the cider and spirits we share.

Merridale has always been about more than what we make. It is about the connection between the land, the people who care for it, and the guests who come here to experience it.

So, over the coming months, we hope you will join us – not just as visitors, but as part of the story. Because an orchard is never just about one moment in time. It is about watching, waiting, celebrating, and appreciating all the seasons that bring us here.

Welcome to the journey.