We are visiting Seattle, and our daughter took us to Piper Orchard within Carkeek Park. This heritage orchard was abandoned during the Depression and rediscovered in 1981. It is now maintained by staff and volunteers. I was pleased to see that we grow at least twenty of the orchard’s apple and pear varieties. There are also other fruit and nut trees.
We had planned to go to Carkeek Park to get down to its beach along the Sound, so the visit to the orchard was an unexpected added treat.
Here is a slightly outdated map of the orchard.
Pattys egg eat is right across the street on Holman road. Best omelette in Seattle. Breakfast all day…
When ripe, most of the fruit there looks very bad. I’ve seen that volunteers sometimes bag some of the fruit to protect from pests, but I suspect the most significant problem is they are lacking key nutrients. Most people in Western Washington don’t realize how many apple varieties in our area desperately need more calcium than our soil offers.
I lived in the Seattle area most of my life,but haven’t heard of this place.
Neat, thanks for sharing. I grew up near Carkeek but have no recollection of this, will have to check it out next time I’m back
