British gardens brimming with bumper crops of exotic fruit

UNUSUAL fruits such as vila-vila and cucamelons have been flourishing across Britain thanks to the summer heatwave, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has said.

The hot weather and hours of sunshine have led to the most successful harvest in years for rare fruits.

Unconventional crops such as figs have developed an “amazing” crop at RHS Harlow Carr in Yorkshire whilst cucamelon, wonderberries and tiny red tomato-like fruit called vila-vila have flourished at Hyde Hall in Essex.

The RHS said that hundreds more fruit than usual had been produced on a pomegranate tree at RHS Garden Wisley, and at RHS Garden Rosemoor in Devon, kiwano, also known as African horned melons, are the best example of the fruit gardeners have ever seen.

The weather has also seen more traditional fruits enjoying a bumper crop.

Guy Barter, the RHS chief horticulturist, said: “After a disappointing 2017 ... everything has come together to produce an incredible bounty of pears, plums, apples, tomatoes, grapes, berries, olives and all sorts of other delicious edibles all over the UK.

“Thankfully the Beast from the East actually helped by holding back the blossom and there were no late frosts.

“Since then, the heat and sunlight has furnished the required energy for the extraordinary abundance of crops we’re seeing now.

“We would strongly urge people to get gathering and enjoy the best harvest we’ve seen in years.”

Bolts from theblue Unusual “cloud streets” have been spotted across Britain as the Met Office says the humid weather is responsible for the dramatic display. Keen weather watchers from across England were quick to share their pictures of the phenomenon, which occurs when cooler air arrives following a period of muggy weather. Horizontal convective rolls, more commonly known as cloud streets, form when warm air close to the ground rises to meet cooler air. Paired with a strong breeze, this makes the clouds form a linear pattern.