You could have a laurel hedge, taking up the sunniest spot in the garden. Or you could have a fruit cage, where the fruit might be as sweet as can be.

We chose the latter, and took a preverbal sledgehammer to the laurel. Well a chain saw and a mechanical digger to be precise.

Adding soft fruit to our crops at The Secret Acre has been a while in the planning. We hung on to some garden vouchers, received as a present to purchase fruit canes and bushes, for three years.

From Laurel Hedge to finished Fruit Cage, the construction process from top left to bottom right.

Then in winter 2018 we finally took the plunge and felled the unwanted laurel hedge that was taking up about five square foot or more of prime garden site. It took two full days to burn it all!

Early summer last year the digger came cometh and took a full day to remove the not inconsiderable roots.

Creating and planting up the beds.

We left the soil to rest and settle before feeling confident enough this winter to finally invest our vouchers, set to creating the beds, planting up, and building a 6m square fruit cage from the nice folk at Gardening Naturally.

The latter being helped to completion of course by the unexpected extra time on our hands right now thanks to the Good Life on Lockdown!

But in the midst of these strange days, we are at least now looking forward to enjoying our first pickings of soft fruit this summer.

The finished Fruit Cage.