Cherry picking

We're now in the midst of the Scottish summer, where in the 2nd week of July the sun disappears and it chucks it down relentlessly until 1st September. Only difference this year is that it's cold as well. Fortunately the foraging season is in full swing to keep the spirits up. There is something special about going out and getting food for free - I guess it's a similar feeling to the one you got when filling in your expense claims in the 1990s. It starts here with elderflowers in June and goes through to October taking in blaeberries, brambles, chanterelles and hazels. July though is the month for plucking the ample fruit of the local native tree, the gean (Prunus avium).

They taste and look very much like sweet cherries, which isn't really a surprise because that's what they are. The biggest surprise is that no-one else seems to pick them or even know they are there. They rival the Kentish cherry for taste, just lack the same fleshiness. Biggest problem is getting there before the birds take all the low-hanging fruit - and these are huge trees. In future though, I hope to forgo this bit of the foraging season. I have planted a sweet cherry in my orchard, a compact tree that I can throw a fishnet over, together with a sour morello type, which I'm sure you are all aware is a different species, Prunus cerasus. These cherries are bound for a clafoutis, a rather fine stodgy batter pudding. The rest will go to make a French style jam with a few wild redcurrants to provide the pectin - perfect for the those late summer breakfasts in the September sunshine.

Gooseberry Question Time

Stan Thomas (83) writes in with a request to diagnose his gooseberry - what is going on here? Some are ok but about half have this horrible looking infection of some kind. Any suggestions greatly appreciated does it confirm your earlier diagnosis?

Low-hanging Fruit Garden

Another fine day yesterday, and the flexitime joker card was pulled out at the last minute. The layout of the fruit garden, started in October is finally complete. Your traditional favourites are there juxtaposed with some strange faddish berries, part of a currantly half-baked plan for producing my own dried fruit to plump out my muesli. So from the front: honeyberry (err... out of picture, good camerawork!), blackcurrant, in their wind enclosures are siberian hairless kiwi and chinese magnolia vine of five flavours (snappy name needs some works I think), followed by high bush blueberries with cranberry understorey, gojiberries, and four lines of rasps as they call them up here. Gooseberries and strawberries are the other side of the pebbleway. Some humungous blackberries will line up on wires on the windward side. Recruiting now, pickers for the summer season. Payment in spinach. Any takers?

Black leaves on blackberry

My new blackberry plant seems to be growing OK lots of new shoots etc, but in some of the older leaves its growing dark and blackening around the edges - any thoughts on what is wrong? I am watering it nearly every night.