I planted a gooseberry bush really early on in this garden, about 17 years ago, and it got its feet down & grew. I’ve been picking more than 10 kg of fruit annually. I always think of my grandmother when I ‘head & tail’ the fruit as I remember her sitting happily occupied doing this in my parents’ garden in Edinburgh.

I am though very worried about it. Last summer I was away during a period of heat and drought and when I came back , the leaves were just wilting on the bush around the crop and the twigs just appeared dead. I have been anxiously waiting to see how it grows this year.

The smaller birds find shelter & safety within the bush & I am seeing the odd sign of life around them with a few leaves opening out but I’m conscious that the bush is not greening up as it did last year. The photo with Ben in it from one year ago does look as if the bush is greener (in the far corner) than in the other from this year. I’m hoping that most of it has survived but will cut out what transpires to be dead later in the spring to allow the rest to sprout back.