Of the mind-boggling 1,800 species grown at Wakehurst Place in West Sussex, the bluebells are some of the finest - National Trust Images/Jim Holden Some countries have a fleeting spring, summer heat ...

Some countries have a fleeting spring, summer heat quickly taking over from the winter freeze. But here we have a long, slow build-up. So although there might be lots to do in your own garden, there ...

From heritage orchards in Cornwall to kitchen gardens in Devon and Somerset, the story is the same: a bumper crop of apples, pumpkins, squash and pears, arriving early and in astonishing quantity.