Prague is full of organic fruit, it can be picked for free in orchards all over the city, the guide advises – Žena.cz
Next year will be eight years since a group of friends founded the unusual Na ovoc association, which maps places in the Czech Republic where you can pick fruit or herbs for free. Years ago, the Prague orchards inspired them.
“When discovering Prague, where we gradually moved from small towns, we often found something as amazing as orchards in the middle of industrial zones. Such small pieces of greenery full of wild nature, which we often don’t even know the locals. And this very discovery inspired us to map , “says Lenka Linhartová, the graphic designer and editor of the project, at the beginning.
“We have found that Prague is the city with the largest number of orchards in the world’s capitals. In addition, these orchards are constantly expanding and the municipality takes care of them – they regularly renew and repeatedly plant old varieties of fruit,” he adds. Five years have passed from the idea of the book to its realization.
The publication is provided by the City of Prague, but the authors now raise money for the publication through a crowdfunding campaign in Hithit. Lenka Linhartová has extensive experience with a similar campaign, as she applied for money two years ago to publish her book The Emperor in the World, which describes traveling with her three-year-old autistic son to Thailand. Last year, her unusual travelogue won the Hanzelka and Zikmund award.
“You don’t have to buy fruit in the store”
The forthcoming guide to the Prague orchards describes fifteen selected places throughout the capital, but there are many times more fruit orchards in Prague. The main authors are Dominik Grohmann alias Potulný sadř or ecologist Markéta Vrbová. The book is also based on photographs by Richard Hodonický, who focuses on landscape photography.
“We selected the sets in the book in cooperation with the municipality. We tried to put very old sets and new privileges in the book so that there would be diversity,” Linhart said. The oldest described orchard is Klíčov, the youngest is Biocentrum U Vinoře. But you can also find in the list, for example, Cibulka, Hostivař Forest Park or Milíčov Park.
“You don’t have to buy fruit in the store, as it grows unnoticed all around us. And a trip to the orchard can be a nice trip with family or friends at any time of the year,” the book’s editor convinces. In addition to cherries, pears, apples and plums, you can also pluck apricots in Prague orchards and enjoy them. In addition to orchards, you can also find mulberries, figs or mispulas in Prague.
“The largest cherry orchard is in Hrdlořezy, where there are about 1,500 trees. Every year in mid-June, we organize cherry trees here. We rent ladders and baskets so that people can pick local fruit for free without chemicals,” says Lenka Linhartová.
The apple from the main road meets the parameters of a children’s snack
Although the number of cars in Prague is constantly growing, the quality of the local fruit is excellent. “Everyone has the idea that Prague fruit is of poor quality and full of lead, but this has not been true for a long time. Of course, you have to wash it after tearing it, but it does not have metals in it.
According to members of the Na ovoc association, people also often believe that they cannot pluck fruit in a park or orchard. “I often think that fruit trees belong to someone and it’s not public and therefore allowed,” he adds.
In recent years, however, people have begun to realize that organic fruit can also be found in supermarkets or markets. “In addition, social life has begun to develop in the orchards. They hold various festivities or workshops, which bring people to them and find out that there are other parks and places going green outside the most famous ones,” he muses.
The association wants to promote the visiting of the orchards in any season. “The places are beautiful and pleasant in any season,” says Lenka Linhartová. She herself likes Klíčov in Prague 9.
A green room full of abundance
“This is where the contrast between the industrial environment and the green orchard is the greatest. When you enter it, it’s like you’re in a green room. I wouldn’t have thought that there was such a thing,” he adds. The interesting things about Klíč are the local sheep and goats that graze the grass, or the fruit dryer, which is available to people. In addition, administrators take care of the operation of the orchard here – which are local people without a permanent home.
In addition to the history and interesting facts about individual places, readers will also find in the book a description of some old varieties that ripen in the orchards, a calendar when the fruit ripens and is therefore suitable for harvesting, as well as suggested walking routes. There is also an afterword about suitability for prams or wheelchairs, as well as Japanese haiku (short poetic unit with a natural theme and a triplet, note. Red.). The poetry for the book was chosen by the painter, bohemian and translator Hiromi Ogata to suit the individual specifics of the sets.
In addition, the fruit collected in some of the Prague orchards can be used to prepare delicacies according to the recipes given in the book. The duo Marie Koudelová and Edita Hornová from Beskydy Okoštuj catering took part in them, as well as the unusual cook Divoženka in the kitchen, focusing on collecting wild fruit or herbs and preparing recipes from them.
“The recipes were created spontaneously in a garden in Wallachia, where we were surrounded by variations of fruit trees and ripening fruit. ) We were inspired by traditional Old Czech recipes, but also by our own creativity and experience.
The authors are not afraid of looting orchards
Denisa Šimlová alias Divozenka adds her experimental ideas in the kitchen for salty fermentation of fruit, pickling in honey, fruit vinegars, flower drinks or fruit parchment.
The book can currently be purchased in advance at the crowdfunding campaign and at website association.
The authors are not afraid that the publication of the book could lead to the looting of orchards. “Our map has been around for almost eight years and contains more than 20,000 marks. We haven’t seen any looting in the life of the project. On the contrary. Our supporters are people who simply care about the fruit trees around them thriving and bearing fruit, and that is why they treat them with care, “defends one of the members of the Na ovoc association.