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-tinged blossom - far prettier than many ornamental trees.It's a real delight to see fruit trees right now as they're breathtakingly beautiful. I can't help wondering why more people don't grow tree fruit. There is the misconception that it requires acres of space

The weather this year has been far from ideal for raising squashes - my plants are still undersized and you'd almost need a magnifying glass to see the fruits! Courgettes and marrows, though, have had a brilliant year, with the marrows reaching epic

visiting people loaded with large punnets of the things. All the varieties I've grown this year have performed extremely well; even the beefsteaks, which often produce just a few fruits, all inclined to split. The numerous cherry varieties are positively

, studded with little fruits. To help it along I covered it with the largest cloche I could find.The strawberries, including the summer fruiters I mentioned in my last blog, are still producing fruit (unlike the raspberries). We harvest a cereal bowl full

to start early because although there is now a tremendous crop on some of the Prunus spinosa that we planted shortly after we moved here (the excuse was that it is of course, a great native hedging plant!).Those by the footpath will be cleared of all fruit

'Hundreds and Thousands', and I was lucky enough to be given a trial pack of seeds. It's a funny variety, with low-growing plants covered with numerous marble-sized fruits. I grew one plant unsuccessfully in the greenhouse and many very successfully

inspection of the peppers and, having been off recording Gardeners' Question Time for a few days, I was horrified to find grey mould (Botrytis cinerea) had taken a hold on several fruits.The 'Romano' peppers were slow to crop this year, but each plant is now

of allowing un-ripened fruits to enjoy the ethylene gas given off by the over-ripe banana really does work!)Now I know I'm lucky to have my good-looking, super greenhouse, but the point is, that any greenhouse will help us to enjoy the luxury of tomatoes

've been enjoying the fruits for months. Several cinnamon dusted apple cakes have been made and frozen, with the remaining apples to be eaten raw or left for the birds. Cut in half and wedged on to cut stems on the ancient hornbeam hedge along our drive

The weather has been pretty grotty lately, and I've had to grab every possible opportunity to get out in the garden. I don't think I've ever been so far behind with sowing and planting fruit and vegetable crops. This time last year my courgettes