I recently heard about some naughty veggie thieves who've been raiding allotments, chopping off cabbages for their Sunday Lunch. What a cheek! Although I suppose it does mean that the real value of fresh fruit and vegetables is finally being recognised.
Fresh has always been best and it's a wonderful thing to be able to harvest your own produce. In the past this has tended to be a labour of love, the sort of thing only keen gardeners have the patience for, but nowadays it is becoming a very cost effective option.
For me, having fruit and veg outside the back door is fantastic. There's the added bonus that you don't get tempted down the chocolate aisle when you pop out to pick up supper from your own garden and you don't use any petrol getting there.
Forget 'Pick Your Own' Fruit... Grow Your Own
What could be nicer than a home-made pie or pudding made from freshly picked fruit? One made from fruit that you have collected from your own trees or bushes. Home-grown fruit also makes great preserves and juices.
Here's what Richard says about Soft Fruit Bushes:
"No garden is complete without at least one soft fruit bush.
When I was a child, my mother used to say that she'd "have my guts for garters" if I kept pinching all the gooseberries off the bush. The Fruit Fool she made from the few that I missed was to die for.
Whilst I still love chomping on crunchy goozgogs straight from the bush, one of the best summer treats is the Summer Pudding that my wife Sarah makes. A host of redcurrants and blackcurrants wrapped in a juice sodden bread shell is something very special indeed. But you know, one of the best bits is that we can simply pluck the berries from our own bushes."
If you fancy having a go at growing your own fruit, we have lots of fruit trees and bushes that are ideal for planting in your garden. My favourites at the moment are blackcurrants and gooseberries and we've got a Subscriber Special Offer on two delicious varieties for you:
Blackcurrant Ben Sarek
Offer Price: £5 (you save £5) Code: S0877
Gooseberry Invicta
Offer Price: £5 (you save £5) Code: S0878
These offers are available only whilst stocks last - you'll need to hurry because we've only got 41 of each bush left.
Living in Herefordshire means that we have some superb local apple juices on our doorstep, I liked them so much that I added them to our range. Apple juice from Wiggly Wigglers isn't the usual blended stuff, each bottle contains juice from a single variety of Herefordshire grown apple. Ranging from the sharpness of Bramley to the sweetness of Worcester Pearmain, no two flavours are the same.
Why not try our Herefordshire Apple Juice Selection Box - a mixture of six 750ml bottles - for your next summer party? Or, if you fancy yourself as the Jilly Goolden or Oz Clarke of the apple juice world, enjoy a blind tasting session with our Wiggly Apple Juice Taster - six different varieties in 250ml bottles, packed in a gift box - you won't even need to spit!
The 2008 Wiggly Garden Open Day
The Wiggly Garden will be open in aid of the NGS from 2pm to 5pm on Sunday 27th July this year. Admission is £3 (children under 12 just £1). There will also be talks, walks, pond dipping, demonstrations, homemade teas and cakes, plus Farmer Phil's 'Tractor and Trailer Safari' to enjoy (he only has
30 spaces onboard, so please book your place in advance by emailing him to avoid disappointment). I hope you'll be able join us for a lovely afternoon out in the country.
Stop Press
The Wiggly Wigglers website has just been updated and I think it is looking great! There are some cool new features - like Customer Reviews - and it is now easier than ever to find what you are looking for. Check it out for yourself at wigglywigglers.co.uk and let me know what you think.
Happy Harvesting!
Heather