Try your hand at growing stone fruit

Every year, when the first peaches, plums or apricots of the season hit the shelves, Platteland readers write to us to share nostalgic tales about the syrupy-sweet fresh fruit that used to come from Oupa’s apricot orchard or “the best apricot jam/chutney/tart/pudding in the whole world” that their late Ouma used to conjure up from an abundant harvest.

But it’s funny how no one has memories of Ouma carefully examining every apricot for worms, nor how Oupa first had to scare away