ROSEMOOR'S Apple Day on October 10 is one of the biggest in the Gardens Event calendar and this year it promises to be bigger and better than ever.

This year it will feature the largest display of apples grown in the West Country and give visitors an opportunity to identify their own apple trees with the help of experts.

They include Kevin Croucher of Thornhayes Nursery in Cullompton, who is one of the West County's largest suppliers of fruit trees, and artist, author and cider apple expert Liz Copas, who has a wealth of experience in identifying peculiarly West Country varieties.

Visitors who would like apple trees identified are advised to bring along at least three examples of each tree's fruit and a limit of three different varieties per person.

Jim Arbury, horticultural specialist at Wisley will be bringing a display of apples and pears from Wisley's orchards to mount a display at Rosemoor celebrating what was believed to be the first and most comprehensive book on the identification of fruit, The Fruit Manual, first published in 1851 by Dr Robert Hogg. 

Rosie Sanders, renowned apple expert and artist, will also be at Rosemoor launching her new book 'The Apple Book' which is an updated and expanded version of her original book 'The English Apple' first published in conjunction with the RHS in 1988 and still one of the most sought after and comprehensive books on apple identification. 

There will be morning and afternoon guided walks of Rosemoor's walled fruit and vegetable garden by resident experts and in the afternoon there will be a demonstration on how to plant and stake fruit trees.