Gettysburg Daily

Sherfy’s Peach Orchard Significantly Helped by Recent Rains



The peach trees in Joseph Sherfy’s Peach Orchard, more commonly known as “the Peach Orchard,” were replanted at the beginning of April, 2008. To our untrained eyes they appear to be thriving. This view was taken from the southwest corner of the Peach Orchard. The monument to Ames’ New York Battery is in the left background. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately at approximately 11:45 AM on Thursday, June 18, 2009.

The recent rains have led to the National Park Service spending a lot of extra time cutting grass, but it also has led to what appears to be a very healthy Peach Orchard. The National Park Service should be commended for bringing the Peach Orchard back to life in such a significant way after not allowing any trees to grow here for two years. We’ll take a walk around the Peach Orchard and show their growth.



To give us an idea of how big the trees are growing, we’re on West Confederate Avenue near the position of Miller’s Battery of the Washington Artillery. The Mississippi Monument is out of site on the right. The Louisiana State Monument is out of site on the left. The peach orchard is now visible from this location. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 11:45 AM on Thursday, June 18, 2009.



See, there they are. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 11:45 AM on Thursday, June 18, 2009.



Let’s start walking around the Peach Orchard. We’ll begin at the wayside exhibit on the northeast corner of the orchard. The Longstreet Tower is in the right background. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 11:45 AM on Thursday, June 18, 2009.



Let’s show the progression of some of the trees over the last couple of months. The Longstreet Tower is on Seminary Ridge in the right background. This view was taken facing west at approximately at approximately 9:00 AM on Monday, April 13, 2009.



The same trees after they stopped blooming. This view was taken facing west at approximately 8:30 AM on Friday, April 24, 2009.



Here are the same trees this week. This view was taken facing west at approximately 11:45 AM on Thursday, June 18, 2009.



The Peach Orchard as seen from the intersection of the Emmitsburg Road in the foreground and the Wheatfield Road on the left. This is the northwest corner of the Peach Orchard. Little Round Top is in the left background. Big Round Top is in the center background. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 11:45 AM on Thursday, June 18, 2009.



A view of the Peach Orchard when the trees were blooming in mid-April. Big Round Top is in the background. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 9:00 AM on Monday, April 13, 2009.



The same peach trees this week. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 11:45 AM on Thursday, June 18, 2009.



Approximately 120 trees have been replanted. Here is a view of the Peach Orchard from its southwest corner near the monument to the 2nd New Hampshire Infantry Regiment. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 11:45 AM on Thursday, June 18, 2009.



A view of the monument to the Third Michigan Infantry Regiment before the peach trees were planted last year. They were just marked with the pink flags. This is the southeast corner of the Peach Orchard. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 4:30 PM on Friday, April 4, 2008.



A year later, instead of pink flags, we had trees with pink blossoms. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 9:00 AM on Monday, April 13, 2009.



At the end of April, after the peach trees stopped blooming. They are blending into the hillside. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 8:30 AM on Friday, April 24, 2009.



Here are the same trees less than two months later. All the rain has made sure the trees no longer blend into the hill. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 11:45 AM on Thursday, June 18, 2009.



A great job by the National Park Service. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 11:45 AM on Thursday, June 18, 2009.

See the following related posts:

Peach Orchard Progress on April 4, 2008
Peach Trees in the Peach Orchard on April 7, 2008
Peach Orchard and Millerstown Road Updates on April 29, 2009.