Soft Fruit

Boreal Blizzard, a Lonicera caerulea Honeyberry variety, earned its name from the University of Saskatchewan evaluators who were amazed by its fruit size, productivity, and outstanding flavour. The fruit resembles a surfboard, with rounded, narrower ends and a wide center that is slightly flattened. This variety produces large, sweet berries with an excellent flavour that includes a nice tangy zest. With an upright and dense branching structure, it develops a dome-shaped crown. Blooming in April, it produces fruit from June to July and requires little pruning due to its dense crown. It can thrive in any well-drained soil and under full sun, although growing it in light shade can reduce its susceptibility to aphids. To ensure good fruit set, it is recommended to plant at least two shrubs for cross-pollination. After about a decade, the central woody stem can be cut back to approximately 50cm.

Rhubarb Livingstone is a distinctive British-bred rhubarb variety that has no summer dormancy, resulting in a double harvest in spring and autumn. It features lengthy, succulent stems in a vibrant strawberry red hue with a near stringless texture. This variety is known for being hardy and straightforward to cultivate. It is self-fertile and requires a planting distance of 75cm. Livingstone is a prolific cropper, yielding from April to October, and grows up to 60cm tall and 100cm wide.

An early fruiting spine free variety with superb fruit quality. The fruits are large, firm, long and conical. They have a bright and attractive appearance and the juicy berries have a truly excellent flavour.

Long established early variety that is very vigorous and reliable. Ideal for heavy cropping or for a protective screen. The large berries are sweet and juicy and are superb for freezing and all other purposes.

The Merton blackberry is a mid-season thornless variety that produces a bountiful harvest of medium to large-sized fruit with exceptional flavour. This vigorous variety is exceptionally easy to manage thanks to its thorn-free branches, which make maintenance simple. While this variety is hardy, it may be vulnerable to hard frosts in very exposed areas.

Superb variety originating from New Zealand. Karaka Black has long arching stems that bear lobed mid-green leaves and white flowers in Summer. The flowers are followed by exceptionally long and large shiny black fruit that is firm, easy to pick and above all has an excellent flavour. The berries are superb for freezing and ideal for all-purpose use. Very long season running from early July onwards. Karaka Black is quick to establish itself and very easy to grow, it also has an excellent disease resistance to downy mildew. Recommended by the RHS as an excellent attractant and nectar source for bees and other beneficial insects. A quite outstanding performer!

An good looking variety with parsley shaped leaves and white flowers flushed pink. Produces good crops of medium sized juicy fruits on thornless stems. Perfect for small gardens.

An early thornless variety. Waldo is a heavy cropper of firm, attractive fruit with a glossy appearance. The berries are extremely large and have an exceptional flavour.

Ben Alder is a very high yielding mid-season variety. It is widely grown commercially for juice production due to very high yield & content of Vitamin C. Small currants but high disease restistance. Late flowering so misses the spring frosts.

Ben Connan is an early-fruiting blackcurrant variety that is highly popular due to its exceptional fruit quality. The berries are large, glossy, and black with a deliciously rich flavour. This variety has a compact and neat growth habit, producing fruit on medium-length sprigs that are easy to pick. It is a heavy cropper and often outperforms other varieties in trials, with its branches heavily laden with fruit. Ben Connan is also highly resistant to mildew, leaf spot, and leaf-curling midge. Its exceptional frost tolerance makes it ideal for cultivation in colder climates. This variety is perfect for gardens with limited space. It is self-fertile and typically crops in early July.

Ben Lomond is an upright strong grower with a compact habit which makes it ideal for growing in small gardens or containers. A reliable cropper of very large fruit with a sweet flavour. Currants freeze well and are good for all purposes.

Ben Sarek is an excellent early variety with a neat, compact growth habit making it ideal for growing in smaller gardens. High yielding crops of large fruits with an excellent flavour. Can be used for all purposes and freezes well. Can also be planted quite close together to make an edible hedge.. Considered by some to be the best garden variety.

Ben Tirran is a late flowering variety that is vigorous and has a compact growth habit. Consistently heavy crops of late ripening currants with a rich tart flavour good for preserves and pies. Freezes well.

The Big Ben blackcurrant variety was selectively bred by the Scottish Crop Research Institute and boasts several impressive qualities. Its most notable feature is the production of exceptionally large blackcurrants, two or three times the size of other varieties. Developed specifically for the fresh market, the fruit has a soft, shiny skin and is exceptionally sweet, especially when consumed directly from the bush. Mature bushes of this variety develop a slightly arching habit, making it easier to harvest the fruit and enabling the plants to be wire-trained if desired. The Big Ben is resistant to both powdery mildew and leaf spot, two common diseases that can affect blackcurrants.

An excellent mid-season variety often grown commercially producing high quality fruit with a rich flavour in open clusters for easy picking. Fruits are good for all purposes. Lovely autumn coloured foliage too. Self fertile but bigger crops if grown with a pollination partner. Needs acid soil but can be grown in pots.

One of Nature's best kept secrets! Originating in the Himalayan highlands, it is thought to be one of the most powerful nutritional and anti-ageing foods. The attractive red berries have a mild, sweet liquorice flavour and contain more Vitamin C than an orange! They can be eaten fresh or dried on their own, or put in with muesli. The fruit is also rich in anti-oxidants and trace elements. Hardy and drought tolerant, Gojiberries are extremely easy to grow and highly prolific. Self-pollinating.

The gooseberry known as Hinnonmaki Green is a highly robust and resilient variety that is well-suited for mid-season cultivation. Originally bred in Finland, it is notable for its resistance to disease and hardiness in adverse weather conditions. This variety is a reliable producer of abundant and sizeable fruit with a superior flavour. The fruit is characterised by its olive-green colour and deliciously sweet and aromatic taste. When fully ripe, the fruit can be consumed directly from the bush. Hinnonmaki Green is highly resistant to powdery mildew, making it an excellent choice for growers.

The Hinnonmaki Red is a remarkable variety of gooseberry that is highly resilient and hardy, typically yielding a bountiful crop of large, sweet, and red berries of outstanding quality in mid-July. Originally developed in Finland, it was selectively bred for its superior hardiness and resistance to disease, including powdery mildew, making it an excellent choice for those who prefer organic growing methods. This variety is ideal for small gardens due to its strong but slow growth. It can be used for culinary or dessert purposes, as its berries are excellent in both sweet and savory dishes.

The Hinnonmaki Yellow is a superior gooseberry variety that is highly resilient and produces yellow fruit during mid-season. It has a spreading growth habit and may require support as it matures. This variety is known for its heavy crop of medium-sized greenish-yellow berries with a distinctive and aromatic flavour that experts describe as having a hint of apricot. Originally bred in Finland for its hardiness and resistance to disease, it is particularly resistant to powdery mildew. The fruit is sweet enough to be consumed directly from the bush and is excellent in desserts and preserves.

The Invicta is a highly sought-after gooseberry variety due to its vigorous growth and exceptional yield, producing nearly double the amount of fruit compared to other varieties. The berries are large, pale green, and have a smooth skin with an intensely sweet flavour. Although primarily a culinary variety, it can also be consumed fresh. The fruit's firmness makes it ideal for cooking, and it maintains its shape and flavour when frozen, making it suitable for later use. The Invicta is resistant to mildew and leaf spot, which are common diseases that can affect gooseberries.

A loganberry is a type of fruit that is a result of crossbreeding between a raspberry and blackberry, and is notable for being thornless. It produces an abundance of large, elongated, cone-shaped berries that begin ripening in mid-July. These berries have a strong aroma and a juicy, tangy flavour that is more intense than that of raspberries. Loganberries are versatile and can be used for a variety of purposes, and are best harvested when they turn a deep shade of red. The plant is vigorous and bushy, requiring permanent support for its branches, making it suitable for training against a wall or fence. It is also self-fertile.

The tayberry is a type of fruit that results from the crossbreeding of blackberries and raspberries, and is known for its robust growth. It produces abundant yields of juicy, sweet, and fragrant berries that can weigh twice as much as a large raspberry. Compared to the Loganberry, the tayberry consistently produces higher yields. The long conical fruit is best harvested when it turns a deep shade of purple-red and is perfect for making jams and desserts, but can also be eaten fresh. It can be frozen for later use as well. The plant's sturdy and prickly stems require permanent support, making it ideal for training against a wall or fence. It is also self-fertile.

This thornless hybrid is a cross between a blackcurrant and gooseberry, resulting in a fruit that combines the large size of a gooseberry with the unique taste and high vitamin content of a blackcurrant. Jostaberries are very nutritious and the berries are double the size of regular blackcurrants. The plant is very vigorous, with an upright growth habit that produces reliable heavy crops of large, shiny black berries during July. The fruit has a good flavour and is rich in Vitamin C, making it excellent for preserves. Jostaberries are highly resistant to mildew and are also resistant to big bud and foliar diseases, but they will require protection against frost. At maturity, the plant reaches a height and spread of 1.5m (5ft). Jostaberries are self-fertile.

This variety is an early modern Dutch cultivar that is highly regarded for its strong growth and consistent heavy yields of large, juicy fruit that hang in long trusses for easy picking. The currants are especially noteworthy for their excellent flavour, making them a favourite among enthusiasts and growers. For optimal results, this variety is typically grown as a cordon.