Natures bounty

I can’t recall a time when hedgerow blackberry bushes have been so loaded with fruit, or the fruits so large and succulent. I’ve been picking blackberries the size taste and look of commercially grown fruit sold in supermarkets.

The sloes are heavy too, and such a beautiful iridescent blue

Today on a walk along a short stretch of busy country road we found a pear tree laden with fruit; they were too high to reach but we picked up a dozen windfalls. They look like conference pears. They’re firm and I’m not sure whether to leave them to ripen or to peel and poach them in red wine.

Nearby was an apple tree with red fruits but we have plenty of apples in our back garden -- our trees are laden this year

Wish I could say the same, Peter. This is the year I was going to resurrect a childhood memory for my children and husband and make blackberry jam and mixed berry jam like I did decades ago. With the hot weather and scant rain in almost 2 months, the blackberries look like the nipples on prepubescent youth. Barely anything there, and what is there is anything but succulent! Hope next year I have better luck.