Community Apple Day Returns to Chiswick
With fruit pressing, seed swaps, and local heritage projects
Previous Apple Day's in Chiswick
August 30, 2025
Abundance London will host its first Apple Day in several years on Saturday 6 September, from 11am to 3pm, outside Chiswick Library. The free event invites residents to take part in seasonal activities celebrating local fruit, biodiversity, and community creativity.
At the heart of the event is the Big Apple Press, where visitors can help chop and press apples harvested from Chiswick’s gardens and public spaces. The fruit has been collected by Abundance volunteers over recent weeks, with early harvests donated to food redistribution charities including City Harvest, Emmaus, Felix Project, NourishHub, and Acton Homeless Concern. The final batch has been stored for pressing, with fresh juice available throughout the day.
The event will also mark the launch of The Chiswick Fruit Timeline: A History in Apples and Pears, a new publication tracing the area’s horticultural heritage. The book follows the success of Abundance London’s earlier Timeline volume and has been supported by local sponsors, with proceeds going directly to the organisation’s community projects.
At 12 noon, the Mayor of Hounslow, Councillor Amy Croft, will unveil the Cabinet of Curiosities and Seed Swap, a new installation inspired by traditional Wunderkammer displays. The cabinet will feature natural objects and free seeds, with guidance on planting green roofs and creating wildlife-friendly spaces in urban settings.
The apple press will be used on a huge amount of fruit. Picture: Abundance London
Additional activities include:
- Seed sorting with the Chiswick Horticultural and Allotments Society
- Wildlife education from Wild Chiswick, focusing on hedgehog habitats
- Creative workshops including life-size self-portraits in orchard settings and insect brick making
- Traditional games such as apple bobbing and longest peel competitions
- Locally made lavender bags from the Make & Mend team
The event reflects the broader mission of Abundance London, a voluntary organisation founded in 2010 to reconnect people with nature and enhance public spaces in Chiswick. The group harvests surplus fruit, plants orchards and hedgerows, and creates gardens and art installations—often in collaboration with schools, businesses, and local authorities. Notable projects include the Chiswick Timeline mural, the W4th Plinth, and a series of pocket gardens maintained by volunteers.
Apple Day is open to all and aims to bring together residents, artists, gardeners, and environmental groups in a celebration of seasonal abundance and community resilience.
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