Jewels

The blackcurrant harvest is underway. They look like clusters of black pearls, hanging all over the bushes. I picked 2kg today, which took more than two hours. I always forget how time-consuming they are compared to raspberries.

Bean helped by vacuuming up all the fruit I dropped, as well as some that were overripe and had fallen off the plants. She also kept herself busy tidying the gooseberry patch where a few old berries had fallen to the ground.

My picking was therefore accompanied by the slurping sound of a gutty dog. I’m a little concerned about the possibility of blackcurrant botty later on: she ate a lot of them. I’ll be on alert for a fast exit into the garden.

It’s a good crop of blackcurrants, although not quite as big as last year because I gave the bushes a very hard prune after they fruited 12 months ago, to reshape them.

Given that two of my blackcurrant barterees have left the area it’s not going to make an iota of difference to my own supplies. I already have somebody lined up to take a few kilograms next year, when the plants should be back to full production.

I have continued to refine the plan to resolve problems with the thorn in my side.