ORCHARD : Wander through the orchard and you will find the first plums and early pears beginning to colour up. Harvest them with a gentle twist rather than a pull — the fruit should come away cleanly when ripe. Fig trees are worth checking every two days now; ripe figs soften at the neck and droop slightly. Kiwi laterals can be tidied again, cutting back any new growth to keep the framework open and well-aired.
VEGETABLE PATCH : A fruit day is the gardener’s ally for everything that grows above the soil. Harvest tomatoes as soon as the skin yields gently under your thumb — flavour peaks when the fruit is still warm from the sun. Melons are ready when the stem begins to crack at the base and a sweet fragrance rises from the skin. Watermelons need a different test: tap the fruit and listen for a deep, hollow sound. Pick squash before the skin hardens, cutting the stem cleanly with secateurs.