Tony Gentil Tony Gentil has over 40 years experience in horticulture. He specialises in fruit and operates TLG Orchards on a 10 acre site at his home in the South Cheshire countryside. At Briarfields Tony and Liz maintain a restored and replanted mixed orchard close to the house, a plum paddock, a small pear orchard and a large apple orchard that contains their collection of apple trees. Here more than 400 varieties have been planted over the past 5 years. In addition to apples, pears and plums, Tony also grows cherries, peaches, apricots, medlar, quince, grapes, figs and a range of soft fruit for their own private use.

TLG SERVICES Tony grows only a small number of traditional varieties of apples on his own nursery but can suggest a range of fruit trees suitable for your requirements and recommend suppliers. A consultancy service is also available during which Tony will visit and assess your site either for new plantings or for restoration and replanting of an existing orchard. Various training events are arranged in Cheshire and Staffordshire by local organisations such as the Cheshire Landscape Trust, the National Trust at Styal Mill and Staffordshire Wildflife Trust. These include 'Starting out with Orchards', 'Maintaining and Pruning Orchards' and others. MASTER CLASSES Tony will also visit your orchard or garden and teach you how to prune your own trees. This individual master class will give you the confidence to care for your own trees and maximise fruit production. TRAINING DAYS Training topics include: "So You Want to Plant an Orchard?" "Specialist Pruning of Fruit Trees for Beginners" "Advanced Fruit Tree Pruning" "How to Cope with the Crop" Training for groups interested in orchards and fruit could be available in your own local area. Please email or phone to explore this possibility. THE ORCHARD DOCTOR TLG Orchards fulfill the role of Orchard Doctors to Powys orchard owners as part of the Glasu Perllannau Powys project. Do contact us if you live in the Powys area. Email to: theorcharddoctor@tiscali.co.uk

Author and Broadcaster Tony writes a regular gardening column for the Advertiser Group of newspapers and is well known in the local area, having previously been a lecturer in horticulture at Reaseheath College. As founder members of the Cheshire Orchard Project Tony and his partner Liz were major contributors to ORCHARDS OF CHESHIRE published by the Cheshire Federation of Women's Institutes to mark their 70th aniversary. Tony is currently planning a book on gooseberries. In addition he has taken part in various radio and TV programmes on horticultural topics and WAs involved in the production of a series of programmes about the restoration of the Fruit Garden at Tatton Park.

Contacting TLG Orchards Fruit trees are sold bare-rooted from December to March and must ordered in advance and collected from the nursery by arrangement. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALTHOUGH VISITORS ARE WELCOME WE ASK YOU TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT IN ADVANCE. Address: BRIARFIELDS WHITCHURCH ROAD ASTON NANTWICH CHESHIRE CW5 8DJ email: tonygentil@tiscali.co.uk location map