It's easy enough to grow an outdoor fig and produce a thing of boundless vigour with handsome leaves, but if you want the fruit, which is rather the point, it needs to be taken in hand. The wise fig planter will have confined its roots in an underground chamber lined with paving slabs to encourage it to think about fruiting. At this time of year, it needs pruning. Look at the new shoots and prune each back to four or five leaves. This will get it thinking along the right lines. The leaves will merely adorn your statues.
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Five years, 10,400 miles and a boatload of stories: Mark Ashley-Miller on the Country Life PodcastMark Ashley-Miller, the man who sailed to every harbour in Britain and Ireland, joins the Country Life Podcast.
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Country Life 17 September 2025Country Life 17 September 2025 looks at the best homes for sale in the Cotswolds, indulges in country kitchens and examines Britain's Roman legacy.
