Late fruit

Despite autumn taking hold, and some of the strawberry plants' leaves turning colour and dying, there is a fresh flush of fruit at the moment. How delicious.

The strawberry plants are descendants of half a dozen runners that a colleague gave me soon after I arrived in NZ in 2008. I bartered them for some chutney I had made almost as soon as I touched down in Christchurch.

I have grown them in a trough, in the ground and in pots over that period, and every two years I have nurtured and grown on more runners, then composted the old plants.

They fruit well and for a long period, at least in years when they have been well-watered and fed regularly. Some years I've been less interested in strawberries and have simply aimed to keep them alive for the next. I'm a bit fickle about strawberries (but never about raspberries). But I'm glad I've kept them going because when I'm the mood, nothing beats a sun-sweetened strawberry straight from the plant. And Bean loves them.

The early night led to a long solid sleep and I woke this morning restored. Whatever it was that laid me low yesterday is gone, thank goodness. Thank you so much for all the kind well-wishes. Blip is such a generous place.