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of bramble, such as Loch Ness, which are slightly less impertinent in habit and can yield much larger fruit. For the tastiest berries grow the plants in full sun. And if you're out blackberrying in the wild, don't bother picking fruit from north

are relatively simple to make and many people have their own twist to the classic recipe. This one for cordial is my wife's adaptation:• Pick 25 flower heads (they should always be picked while they are in full sun for the best taste)• Boil 2 litres of water

were decorated with sparkly cobwebs. On the way back we stopped off to pick up some windfalls from beneath the apple trees, avoiding those already chewed by the fox and muntjac.At lunchtime I sat outside and ate a piece of toast (with home-made apricot

is the Latin and they have the most divine scent. The secret is to grow the long-stemmed Spencer varieties and to keep on picking them: pretty much every day. If you stop and let them start seeding then they will flower much less vigorously.But, I don't want

aphids on my pyracanthas, which are dealt with by a strong jet of water, and stripy mullein caterpillars on verbascum, which are easy to pick off.I mention all this because I came across a very ancient shed the other day with many of the original

, which has gloriously felted leaves and pale yellow flowers with jam-coloured centres. This species doesn't seem to suffer as much as some others, but I always keep an eye out and pick the caterpillars off whenever I see them. I found one on the kitchen

on so many levels. It satisfies an inquisitiveness; it allows us to compare our gardens to others; it gives us the chance to admire great design and plantsmanship; it is a chance to eat excellent cake in convivial surroundings and to pick up something

into your garden at night with a torch and pick up as many slugs as possible. I used to pay my children to go out with collecting buckets to do this. Their record was 496 (that was an expensive evening).Try and keep the garden relatively tidy: slugs love