France and Fruitfulness

I sometimes feel that a garden is rather like a young child. If you are with them constantly, their growth is almost imperceptible. But if there is a hiatus in your relationship with them, then the change can seem rapid and radical.

Last week I was in France with my family for the wedding of my eldest niece, which took place at my sister’s home in Brittany. On my arrival, a toddler approached me who at first I didn’t recognise. To my surprise (and some embarrassment) this pretty little thing turned out to be my great niece, who I hadn’t seen for more than a year. Gone was the dark shock of hair and crumpled face that she was born with, replaced with long fair hair and a sweet little face of fine features. I had a image of what my great niece looked like, but she was altogether different, shaped by time I hadn’t shared with her.

On my return from France, I had a similar shock. The garden that I have watched over, day after day, during this long dry Spring, had become overgrown with vibrant green foliage, among which was a saturation of fruit - black and white currants, sweet cherries and even some premature raspberries, clinging to canes I should have cut back months ago. For weeks, I had worried whether I would get any produce this year, the growth of young shoots held back by the dry weather. Despite my intervention, it seemed that everything was stunted and struggling. Like many, I left my plants with some concern, wondering how they would cope during my weeks absence. But nature is both wonderful and resourceful. I returned to a garden almost unrecognisable from the one I had left. Rain and showers had caused a transformation of the green space around my home. Like my great niece, my garden had altered its appearance during a time I hadn’t shared with it. But oh how beautiful it is, and how grateful I am. All I need now is to come up with ideas as to how best use this pleasant surprise. This weekend I’ll be producing a blackcurrant tart, but any other ideas for using fruit, especially white and black currants would be much appreciated.

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