Garden Thyme programs are held on the third Saturday of each month and are FREE for members of Old Sturbridge Village. Led by Village horticultural and agricultural staff, these programs and workshops are held at various sites and deal with a variety of plant-related themes and topics. Participants gather at the Visitor Center at 10 a.m. each month and are led to the appropriate site or setting. On October 17, enjoy Eden’s Gems: A Walk in the Village Orchard, with Christie Higginbottom. Did you ever wonder why 1800s cooks and cider makers had over 800 apple varieties to choose from and we only have a dozen or so? Meet the Village’s historic fruits — the Mothers, the Spitzenburgs, the Russets, the Baldwins and the Sheepsnose apples. Learn about seedlings, scions and rootstocks. Find out how the art and skill of propagating these trees keeps our apple heritage alive. For more information, and directions, log on to www.osv.org.