Not everyone likes gooseberries, but with this said they are a lovely fruit which most old English gardens would have growing in them. I remember picking some in my grandmothers' garden before they were truly ripe, but I still liked them. I started to grow gooseberry bushes many years ago and still enjoy picking some when they are still not quite ready because I do like that slightly bitter taste they have. I have ten gooseberry bushes in my garden which I tend to carefully because I love to make gooseberry jam and jelly which I serve with poultry.

Every November I prune my bushes and then in the springtime I mulch them using my garden compost with a little added chicken manure and my plants have really thrived. So far I have never had problems with mildew but if you do get this on yours, the best way to treat it is with sulphur which is an organically approved method.

If you are thinking about growing gooseberries of your own, you can get varieties which are mildew-resistant, so these are definitely worth considering. But the most important thing to do is make sure the bushes have plenty of air circulating around them as this will prevent mildew to a certain extent.

Birds and especially blackbirds are rather partial to gooseberries, so it can be a problem. Some people put up cages but I have never bothered as my crop of fruit has always been plentiful and I do enjoy watching the birds as they feast on them.

I start thinning out my crop at the end of May and continue picking the gooseberries in June as I use these for cooking. Then a little later, just a few weeks really, I have a second harvest and the gooseberries are always that much bigger and full of sugar. It is this second crop that we eat and I must say that between my family and the birds they do all vanish pretty quickly.