Nursery

Heritage Fruit Trees!!!
2010 Season is now open for orders.

Thistlebrook Nursery is now taking orders of bare-root, deciduous fruit trees for delivery in July 2010. Click here to download a catalogue, or send us an email and we’ll get one through to you.
Please note that our plants are available by mail order and at local shows and festivals. The nursery isn’t yet open to visitors, except for those who are attending one of our workshops, or picking up their tree order.

Thistlebrook houses a small, traditionally-run nursery specialising in fruit trees that are ideal for backyard growers. We sell a range of varieties including pome fruit (apples, pears etc), stone fruit (apricots, peaches, plums, cherries etc), citrus, and berries, all of which are suited to the temperate climate of the Darling Downs and beyond. We have a special interest in preserving antique and old fashioned fruit trees. You’ll find that these comprise the bulk of our growing collection.

Why Heritage Fruit Trees?

How could I resist? My grandfather Leslie Russell was born and raised in Herefordshire, and throughout the 1800’s, my Russell ancestors ran various pubs across the county, including the “Half Moon Inn”, the “Lamb Inn”, and “The Hostelrie” in the nearby village of Goodrich. Herefordshire is one of England’s great apple and pear growing counties, famous for its cider and perry.

Another ancestor, Tom Spring, was a pugilist renowned for his sportsmanship and generosity. He held the title of bare knuckle champion of England between 1821 and 1824, and was held in high regard by royalty and commoner alike. One of the crowd’s barracking cries was “Spring and old cider, Spring forever”.

Beyond family history though, our view is that heritage or heirloom fruit trees are ideal for the home orchard. Unlike most supermarket varieties, which are bred for qualities like enhanced shelf life and uniform appearance, heritage fruit varieties make a spectrum of flavours, textures, ripening times and uses available to the home grower. Then there’s culture. One of the things that sucked me into growing heritage apples was their poetic names, and fascinating histories. Try finding a Rhode Island Greening, or a Coe’s Golden Drop in the fruit and veg section of your local supermarket!

The final reason we think heritage trees make sense is one of preservation. Because old varieties tend to be unattractive to commercial growers, mature orchards regularly get ripped up and replaced with the latest whiz-bang variety to come on the market. But once an old cultivar is lost, it’s lost for ever. Backyard growers have an important role to play in ensuring heritage fruit varieties persist well into the future.

How to Purchase:

Thistlebrook Nursery sells plants via mail order to all parts of the Darling Downs, and to all states except WA and TAS. Our Hampton nursery is not open to the general public except by appointment, or during one of our open days. You’re more than welcome to drop by to pick up your tree order, but please contact us before visiting.