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mixture of bog-standard and rare varieties - which are now strapping adolescents, producing more and more fruit each year. It's been one of the most satisfying things we've done in this garden and has, generally, been a success. Although there is one

. Apricot trees (Prunus ameniaca) grow particularly well there because of the south-western aspect and because, before the invention of the gutter, they got lots of rain - apricots need lots of water to prevent the fruit from splitting.I mention this because

apples that we grow for fruit today come from grafted stock because apple trees grown from seeds will, almost always, taste sour enough to scour the enamel from your teeth. However, and this is the point, they will make darn good cider. Perfectly

spectacle of an ancient and gnarled tree, but of the chin dribbling-deliciousness of a ripe mulberry fruit. Those who have eaten mulberries will know exactly what I mean; those who have never tried them are really missing a trick. Mulberries are bigger

). 4) The quince.Correct: only one is a fruit.We have just harvested quinces from a neighbour's tree - the one that I planted is only a couple of years old and too pre-pubescent to fruit. The quince (Cydonia oblonga) is a rather neglected tree native

fruit but also for flowers and autumn leaf colour. They are pretty useless as a food crop, except that they do make the most delicious crab apple jelly that goes well with lamb, pork and poultry. However, they are really useful as a pollinator for many

, it's the apples and pears that have been the subject of my attentions. As we know, apple trees blossom picturesquely in spring. These flowers then develop into small fruits and then, in June, the tree shrugs and loses a fair few of these (this

in a pot, which will restrict the growth, but be very careful: if it doesn't get enough water the ends of the leaves turn crispy. The formerly delightful foliage will appear to have been dipped in broken biscuits.There are a series of miniaturised fruit

neighbouring plants, as illustrated in the David Attenborough documentary The Private Life of Plants. But it's the berries we're after. I'm lucky to have lots of hedgerows growing near where I live, so I collect plenty of fruit at this time of year. Obviously

was distracted by an extremely industrious bee working away at a particular blossom on one of their apple trees. Intrigued and a little captivated by this particular bee's tenacity she marked the spot with a piece of ribbon.As summer turned to autumn, the fruit