Scary apples for Halloween and Apple Day

Apple Day is 21 October and it's a chance to pay tribute to one of the best-loved fruits of this land. But why not use apples to enrich another festival? Carving pumpkins is an October delight, but scary apples are an innovative twist on a halloween tradition.

Making apple monsters

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© Andrew Montgomery

© Andrew Montgomery

© Andrew Montgomery

© Andrew Montgomery

© Andrew Montgomery

• Collect the twigs, leaves and anything else you can find in the garden.
• Armed with these and a pile of windfall apples use pliers, scissors, bamboo skewers and more to make holes and dig out gaping mouths.
• Use florist's wire for a few more intriguing designs.
• On a sheltered shelf outside, these monsters will survive for weeks and become more and more ghoulish with their decay.

Creating apple bird feeders

Garden designer Arne Maynard has used this technique before, which is essentially hanging a perfect string of apples from pleached trees. Add twigs between the apples to give the birds a place to perch while feasting.

Make a hole through the centre of the apple first (an awl is a useful tool for this), then string them together with a knot and a twig between each one.