GROWING YOUR OWN

Hazelnuts are brilliant plants, very easy to grow in sun or shade, and tolerant of poor and fairly dry soil. Plant one each of a few different varieties if you can, as they will help to fertilise each other and you’ll get more nuts, although there is often pollen around from wild hazels, which will also do the trick. A hazel will take a few years to get established after planting, but beyond that it will produce nuts dependably year after year. Except, of course, in the years you chop it right down to the ground. This is called coppicing and, if you do it, the plants will produce straight poles perfect for use as supports around the garden. I have three hazel plants and I take turns to cut each back like this every five years or so, for bean poles. The plants produce nuts again within a couple of years.

Three to try: ‘Butler’ A relatively new American variety, popular commercially because of its large crops of big, well flavoured nuts. Available from orangepippintrees.co.uk.

‘Kentish Cob’ The traditional Kentish cobnut. Long, large nuts with wonderful flavour; traditionally picked before fully mature and eaten when juicy and crunchy. Beautiful in salads. Available from victoriananursery.co.uk.

White Filbert’ Produces lovely creamy nuts and it’s the most reliable cropper if you live in the north. Available from otterfarm.co.uk.

Grow a few different varieties of hazels if you have the space, as they’ll fertilise each other and give you a better harvest