The short but glorious season of the British plum is upon us. We must gorge ourselves on them or be defeated by the wasps, whose partiality for them verges on the desperate. Plums can't be kept, except by the tried and tested method of bottling, but the recipe book beckons at such times. As soon as the harvest is complete, the trees should be pruned, as winter pruning exposes the wood to the danger of the dreaded silver-leaf disease. The plum tree is a rather ragged creature, and pruning can usually be restricted to the removal of any damaged and crossing branches.
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What everyone is talking about this week: 'People who tended to be more obedient about lockdown are now its fiercest critics'Week in, week out, Will Hosie rounds up the hottest topics on everyone's lips, in London and beyond.
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From the archive: 'This retina-awakening advert for British Nylon Spinners Limited sums up the swinging 1960s perfectly'Every Monday, Melanie Bryan, delves into the hidden depths of Country Life's extraordinary archive to bring you a long-forgotten story, photograph or advert.
