A plethora of soft fruit

We are luxuriating in an excellent season for soft fruit. We have an abundance of lovely raspberries, many find their way into the fruit salad each morning, others will be frozen and used in other ways. We have made several gooseberry desserts, there are many blackcurrants and the redcurrants and whitecurrants are doing well too. The strawberries are disappointing, but i think this may be because we have not given them the TLC they need. Although the soft fruits are in a fruit cage, there is a blackbird who is totally unfazed by this and has found a way in and easily gets out again.

We are starting to use the courgettes in the polytunnel, and the runner beans, peppers and tomatoes as well. The beetroot are slowly coming along, the broad beans and peas likewise. The cornflowers and calendula make for nice table decorations. This is panning out to be a better year by a long way for the garden than last year was.