The Bens and Glens

With this blog, I realise that I'm going to be able to keep track of what I've planted. I was so sure that I would remember the varieties of strawberries and raspberries we'd put in 18 months ago, but not a trace of their names remains. The raspberries did have a label attached, but it blew off in a winter gale. The Chris Bowers catalogue I ordered from is no help, as I've marked some items with question marks, but nothing with a tick or other positive sign that 'this is the one'.

The strawberries MAY be Norfolk Nectar, 'a new British strawberry in the old fashioned style'. The raspberries MAY be Glen Ample. I guess we'll know if we get 'quite amazing quantities of impressive large fleshy fruits blessed with a lovely sweet flavour'.

While browsing the fruit catalogues in search of my varieties, I was struck by the Bens and Glens. Blackcurrants are Ben Sarek, Ben Gairn, Ben Connan, Ben More, Ben Lomond, Ben Nevis, Ben Hope, Ben Alder, Ben Tirran. Ben Sarek and Ben Connan aren't, but the rest are all Scottish mountains/hills. Ben Tirran sounds as if it should be in Narnia. I hadn't heard of it before, but here are some views from it.

The raspberry glens are Glen Ample, Glen Rosa, Glen Magna, Glen Clova, Glen Moy, Glen Lyon and Glen Prosen.