From Blackberries, Blackcurrants, Redcurrants to Grapes, its all fresh and its ready for planting. If you plant over the winter you will gain with a bigger fruit yield in your first season as the plants have had time to settle and get ready for the year ahead. We also have a selection of fruit trees, just right for that fresh, just picked off the tree taste like the Victoria plum, Laxton's Superb or Cherry; and what about a Grape Vine or even a Fig to tempt your growing skills.

Recipes

Take a look at our list of recipes to get the most out of your fruit trees and bushes. 

View Recipes

All our fruit is pot grown to give you the best possible start to your fruit growing.

Fruit tree pruning is best done in late winter. Pruned at any other time causes the tree massive stress, which leaves them open to diseases. When adding mulch around the base of fruit trees, keep the mulch a rew inches away from tree trunks and the crowns and stems of plants. This will help to reduce rot on the stems of young plants and will protect the bark of young fruit trees.

Blackcurrants

Extremely easy to grow, producing bunches of dark purple to black fruits in mid-summer. Blackcurrants have a tart flavour and provide an invaluable source of vitamin C. In the kitchen use them in pies and jams, to make cordials and even cassis. Blackcurrants are quite happy growing in containers if you are short on space.

Twenty Pence Garden Centre always sells pot grown certified stock to avoid virus problems. One bush should yield about 4.5kg (10lb) of fruit. Blackcurrants tolerate a wide range of soil conditions, but prefer well-drained, moisture-retentive conditions. They will happily grow in part shade but for the best results and of course best cropping then grow them in full sun.

The plants are best planted over the winter period from October to late February. Before planting into the ground it is best if, a few weeks before planting, you can clear the soil of all perennial weeds and add a generous amount of well-rotted manure. Apply a balanced fertiliser such as Vitax Q4 at the rate of 85g per sq m (3oz per sq yd).

Dig a hole at least twice the diameter of the root ball, and spread the roots out when planting. Set each plant at least 6cm (2.25in) deeper than it was previously. Deep planting encourages young, vigorous shoots to develop from the base. Mix the soil from the hole with well-rotted organic manure and backfill the hole. Firm it in well before watering.

If growing in a container, choose one that is 45-50cm (18-20in) in diameter. When planting, place some crocks (small pieces of broken concrete, clay pots, or polystyrene) in the bottom of the containers to help drainage. Use a good-quality compost such as multi purpose mixed with John Innes.

Raspberries

Really popular summer fruits and are very easy to grow. Just a few raspberry plants will reward you with plenty of fruit from mid-summer until mid-autumn. If you end up with more you can eat then raspberries also freeze well. It doesn’t matter how large or small your garden is you can grow raspberries, and you can grow them in containers very successfully as well.

Raspberries thrive in fenland soils, the soils offer a slightly acidic water retentive growing conditions and if placed in part shade to full sun will produce their lovely flowers followed by their juicy fruits. Raspberries can be planted any time during the dormant season, from November to March so long as the soil is not frozen when the plants are put in.

Raspberries produce their fruits from early summer into autumn, so picking your preferred varieties can give you 5 months of the delicious fruit. At Twenty Pence Garden Centre we sell raspberries in bunches of 5 in a pot, this gives you the chance to have several varieties to produce fruit over an extended period. They will require planting between October and late February.

The raspberry plants are traditionally grown in rows and trained along a wire and post system, but if you have a smaller garden you can grow them up a single post or a climbing frame. If you really like your raspberries why not a rose arch?

All raspberries are self fertile and pollinated by insects, to help with pollination it may also be necessary to plant insect attracting plants nearby, such as lavender. To get the planting site ready clear it of perennial weeds. The plants will need spacing at 45-60cm (18inch to 2ft) apart, then give them a thick mulch of bulky organic matter or a bark chip, we highly recommend J. Arthur Bowers Farmyard Manure as this is very well rotted down, avoid the use of mushroom compost which may burn new shoots.

For container growing, grow 3 canes to a 30cm (12inch) pot, using multi-purpose with John Innes. The only thing different from growing in the ground is to remember to feed and water well in the summer, Twenty Pence Garden Centre highly recommends Vitax Q4 for feeding the canes.

In March when the weather warms up apply an egg cup full of Vitax Q4 around the base of the canes but not too close so as to avoid burning them, then add a J Arthur Bowers Farmyard Manure mulch. If you find you have weak growth on the new canes you can add sulphate of ammonia at 34g per sq m (1oz per sq yd).

Recipes

White Currant Wine Recipe
  • 4-5 lbs ripe whitecurrants
  • 2½ lbs granulated sugar
  • 6½ pts water
  • 1 crushed Campden tablet
  • 1 tsp yeast nutrient
  • 1 pkg Burgundy wine yeast
  1. Put the fruit in primary and crush.
  2. Add 1 quart water, crushed Campden tablet and yeast nutrient and stir. Meanwhile, add half the sugar to 1 quart water and bring to boil while stirring to dissolve.
  3. Add to primary and stir. Cover and allow to cool overnight.
  4. Add activated yeast, recover, and stir daily for 5-6 days.
  5. Strain through nylon sieve and transfer juice to sanitized secondary and fit airlock.
  6. Bring another quart of water to boil and stir in remainder of sugar until dissolved.
  7. When cool, add to secondary and refit airlock.
  8. After 3 additional days, top up with water, refit airlock and set aside until fermentation stops.
  9. Rack, top up and refit airlock. After 60 days, rack again, top up and refit airlock.
  10. After additional 60 days, rack into bottles and age 6 months before tasting.
Raspberry Ripple Jam Recipe
  • 750g raspberries hulled
  • 450g white cane sugar
  • 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 vanilla pod halved and seeds scraped out
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 130°c 110°c fan oven gas mark 1
  2. Put 3 280g jam jars in the oven for 15mins to sterilise them.
  3. Put half the raspberries into the pan and crush them gently, then add the remaining half of the raspberries along with the sugar, lemon juice and vanilla seeds.
  4. Stir the mixture over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved, then ring to a rolling boil and cook for 5mins.
  5. Test the set by using the plate test: place a small drop of jam on a cold plate and leave for 1minute, then gently push it to see if you get a wrinkle. If so, its ready. If you want a firmer set, pop the pan back on the heat for a further 2-3mins and repeat the tests.
  6. Once setting point is reached, remove any scum. Cool the jam for 5mins - this will ensure that the raspberry seeds do not float to the top of the jam when it is poured into the sterilised jars.
Blackcurrant Curd Recipe
  • 450g blackcurrants, de-stalked
  • 450g cooking apples, peeled and chopped
  • 225g unsalted butter, (for each 450g fruit puree)
  • 4 large eggs, (for each 450g fruit puree)
  • 450g caster sugar, (for each 450g fruit puree)
  1. Put the blackcurrants and apples in a pan with a drop or two of water, and cook slowly until softened.
  2. Pass through a nylon sieve.
  3. Measure the puree and assemble the unsalted butter, eggs and caster sugar, following the guidlines above.
  4. Put the puree into a double saucepan or a bowl over a pan of simmering water.
  5. Add the butter and sugar and dissolve.
  6. Beat the eggs lightly, strain into the mixture and stir until it thickens. Do not allow it to get too hot or boil as it could curdle.
  7. When thick, pot and store. Eat within 3months and keep in the fridge once opened.
Blackberry Chutney Recipe
  • 500g blackberries
  • 1tbsp olive oil
  • 1 red onion, finely chopped
  • 3cm ginger, finely chopped
  • 2 large red chillies, finely chopped
  • 45g caster sugar
  • 30ml red wine vinegar
  1. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan.
  2. Add in the red onion, ginger and chilli.
  3. Fry gently for 4-5mins until softened.
  4. Add blackberries and cook for 3-4mins, stirring now and then.
  5. Add in the sugar and vinegar, mixing well.
  6. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15-20mins until thickened.
  7. Allow to cool.
  8. If being stored, spoon into sterilised jars, when still hot and cover.
Blueberry & Pear Cake Recipe
  • 200g blueberries
  • 450g (1Ib) wholemeal self raising flour, sifted
  • Pinch of salt
  • 250g (9oz) butter, diced
  • 350g golden granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs, beaten
  • 4 large pears, peeled, cored and sliced
  • Pre-heat the oven to 190°c/375°f/gas mark 5
  1. Grease and baseline a 20.5cm round tin.
  2. Rub together the flour, salt and butter until they look like breadcrumbs.
  3. Add 250g (9oz) of the sugar and the beaten egg and stir.
  4. Spoon half the mixture in the bottom of the tin, top with the sliced pears and blueberries, keeping a few slices of pear and a few blueberries back.
  5. Sprinkle with some of the remaining sugar and spoon over the remaining cake mixture.
  6. Place the remaning fruit on top, pressing down slightly, and finish off the left over sugar.
  7. Bake for 1hr-1hr 10mins, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
  8. Cool and remove from the tin, serve either warm or cold.
Red Currant Jelly Recipe
  • 1.8kg (4lbs) red currants
  • 1.8litres (3 pints) water
  • 450g (1lb) sugar per pint of juice obtained
  1. Wash and drain the red currants without removing the stalks.
  2. Put the fruit into a pan with the water and stew until the fruit is pulpy.
  3. Test for pectin.
  4. Turn into a jelly bag and leave to strain for 3 or 4 hours.
  5. Measure the juice and heat in a pan.
  6. Add 450g (1lb) warmed sugar to each pint of juice, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
  7. Bring to the boil and boil rapidly until the jelly sets when tested.
  8. Remove the scum.
  9. Pot and seal whilst still hot.