Blueberry

Alpine strawberries produce small, intensely fragrant berries with a flavour that puts supermarket strawberries to shame. Unlike regular strawberries, they don't send out runners — instead forming neat clumps that make excellent edging plants for beds and paths. They fruit continuously from June until the first frosts, producing small handfuls of berries every few days rather than one big glut. They tolerate more shade than regular strawberries and are almost completely unbothered by slugs, probably because of their compact habit. Grow them from seed started indoors in March, or divide established clumps in spring. 'Alexandria' and 'Baron Solemacher' are reliable varieties. They self-seed freely once established, popping up in cracks and borders — a pleasant rather than problematic habit.

The Bramley is the definitive British cooking apple, producing large, acidic fruits that collapse into fluffy purée when cooked — perfect for apple crumble, pies, and sauce. It's a vigorous grower that can reach substantial size on standard rootstocks, so for smaller gardens choose trees grafted onto dwarfing rootstock M26 or very dwarfing M9. Bramley is a triploid variety, meaning it needs two other apple trees nearby for pollination (any eating apple flowering at a similar time will do). Plant bare-root trees between November and March while dormant, in a sunny position with well-drained soil. Annual pruning in winter maintains an open, goblet-shaped framework that lets light into the centre of the tree. A mature Bramley on semi-vigorous rootstock can produce prodigious quantities of fruit — you'll need a good recipe for chutney. Store apples in a cool, dark, airy place wrapped individually in newspaper; Bramleys keep well into January.

Raspberries are one of the easiest and most rewarding fruits to grow in the UK, producing abundant harvests with minimal effort once established. Summer-fruiting varieties (like 'Glen Ample' and 'Tulameen') fruit on the previous year's canes in June–July; autumn-fruiting varieties (like 'Autumn Bliss' and 'Polka') fruit on the current year's growth from August to October. Autumn types are easier to manage — simply cut all canes to ground level in February. Summer types require you to remove only the canes that fruited (brown and woody) and tie in the new green canes for next year. Plant bare-root canes between November and March, 40cm apart, along a post-and-wire support system. They prefer slightly acidic soil, rich in organic matter. Net the fruits against birds as they ripen — or share them. A 3-metre row of autumn raspberries provides enough for eating fresh, baking, and freezing.

Cultivated blackberry varieties produce far larger, sweeter berries than their wild hedgerow cousins, and modern thornless varieties like 'Loch Ness' and 'Oregon Thornless' make picking painless. Train the long, arching canes along a system of horizontal wires attached to posts or a fence. The simplest training method is to tie this year's new canes in one direction and last year's fruiting canes in the other — after fruiting, cut out the old canes and tie the new ones into their place. Blackberries are extremely tolerant of poor soil and partial shade, though they fruit best in sun. They're vigorous growers and need annual pruning to stay manageable. Plant bare-root canes between November and March. The fruits are superb eaten fresh, but also freeze brilliantly and make outstanding jam, crumble, and wine. A single plant trained along a fence will produce more fruit than most families can eat.