A DWARF mulberry, Morus Charlotte Russe (also called M. Matsunaga), was voted plant of the year at the 2017 Chelsea Flower Show and has sold in its thousands since it was introduced by Suttons last spring.
Although developed from a Thai species, M. rotundiloba, it’s hardy, easy to please and easier still to accommodate, being fully grown and heavy-cropping at only 3ft tall. Diminutive but delectable, its beaded berries appear among the small, aspen-like leaves all summer and autumn, synchronously in different stages of ripeness, so that the bush appears to be studded with fruit pastilles.
This miniature of immense appeal was bred by Hajime Matsunaga, who, at 90, is still conjuring up marvels at his nursery in Japan. ‘He’s so happy that the British like his little tree,’ said my partner, Yoko, after talking to him. ‘Like is understating it,’ I replied. ‘The last time we bought this many mulberries, we were commanded to by a king who fancied beating Europe at its own game.’
Early in the reign of James I, silk shipped from producers in Italy, Spain and France became our largest raw-material import. Much as this filled his coffers with customs revenue, the King judged that there was more to be gained from developing a domestic silk-production industry.
For that, the nation would need not only silkworms (Bombyx mori), but also the mulberries (Morus) from which they took their sustenance and name.
Denne historien er fra August 29, 2018-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra August 29, 2018-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
