Creative gardeners make impressive mosaic with leftover apples

It was created at Cotehele, a National Trust house in Cornwall

A gardener puts the finishing touches to the giant apple mosaic at the National Trust’s Cotehele in Cornwall in September 2023. (National Trust/James Beck / SWNS)

A National Trust house has turned leftover apples from its orchards into a giant mosaic.

Gardeners at the Cotehele in Cornwall created the apple display in celebration of its Heritage Open Days.

Staff used ‘windfall’ apples to create a perfect outline of a giant fruit on a patch of grass.

Cotehele is known for its ancient apple orchard.

Dave Bouch, senior gardener at Cotehele, told BBC Radio Cornwall: “It’s become a bit of a tradition.

“On our grass circle in front of the manor we have created a huge apple out of windfalls mainly, and fruit that wasn’t up to much good.

“It takes approximately two days to create.

‘’We start by marking out the outline, and then we gradually fill in the apple using brighter red fruit on one side, and gradually fading into more pale fruit on the other.

“Then we create a pair of leaves on the top, again using paler fruit and finally a stalk out of nettles. It’s a bit of fun, it’s a bit of creativity.”