Global warming and recession: studying currant affairs can keep you in credit
As Britons suffer hard times, soft fruit is coming into its own
In his book The Last Food of England (Ebury Press, £25), written over many years, during which time the term "credit crunch" had not been invented, Marwood Yeatman declared that "most of England, from the Surrey heath to the high fells, has supplied food and may yet be required to do so again". Our country, he goes on to say, "has more fruit cultivars and possibly vegetable seeds than any other". With lean times ahead, these facts should not escape us. The question for us gardeners is, what sort of food should we grow to ease the pressure on our pockets as the crunch bites?
The price of vegetables has risen by up to 30 per cent over the past 12 months. Summer staples such as runner beans and salad packs fetch silly money - never mind the gourmet end of the market, where you will find bundles of asparagus and globe artichokes. Fruit prices have also risen. But the perennial nature of fruit plants, as with the latter two vegetables, hands the advantage back to the gardener because they keep producing year after year. If you invest in fruit for the garden, you will be safe from the scourge of market madness.
Top fruit such as apples, pears and plums need a few seasons under their belts before delivering in bulk, but the soft or bush fruits are soon into their stride and will be cropping next season if planted now. This is where the value lies and the savings are to be made.
Nothing eases the pain like a little luxury, so strawberries should be top of the must-have list. Versatility, as well as taste, is the strawberry's strong suit. The plant is hardy, it can grow in pots and containers as well as in the open ground, is unfussy about soil type and can be propagated from an everlasting supply of "runners" that are produced through the summer. Crowns are still available and should be planted at least 1ft square apart. Birds and slugs are the principal enemies, so get there before they do when the fruit starts to turn pink.
Also in the exclusive category are currants - red, white and black. The first two make the jelly that goes so well with lamb while blackcurrants yield the best jam in the cupboard. They are expensive to buy, even in these times of pick-your-own fruit farms, and they freeze well, thus making them constantly available for cooking purposes.
As with strawberries, currants also provide material for propagation but only after the parent plant has been established for two seasons. Hardwood cuttings can be stuck directly into the ground in autumn and by spring the magic is done and roots will have formed. They can be lifted and positioned to suit but only after a further year in the ground. Time was when bush fruit was banished to the bottom of the garden under the shroud of the fruit cage. But, in truth, there is no need for a cage if you are aware of when the fruit is at the ripening stage and show more determination than the blackbirds. Currants look perfectly at home anywhere in the garden. They are also excellent subjects for hedging, where you can pack plants together at closer distances of just under 3ft and create an edible barrier.
Raspberries, the other bankers of the summer season, have the best flavour of all when homegrown. They are available as canes from the beginning of November. They will not crop fully until their second year but, once established, yield heavy crops year after year. Try a vigorous variety such as the spine-free 'Glen Ample' which will keep you in summer fruit for eight years or more. They do need support, but if long lines of posts and wires do not appeal, they can be planted 18in apart around a teepee of stout canes. This was how it was done before wire came along in the 18th century.
In autumn, fresh raspberries are a luxury item, so varieties that fruit at this time of year - such as 'Autumn Bliss' - are worth consideration. They need no support and crop heavily from August until hard frost. Their flavour is exceptional.
All this planting of perennial fruit will perform one other task which is very important to remember in these times of hardship and uncertainty: it will lock up plenty of carbon, performing a commendable service in the fight against global warming. Lest we forget.
This article originally appeared in the Telegraph on 19/11/2008. link