I’ve often wondered why the plum is not one of those fruits that usually falls into the ‘fashionable’ basket. Not that I’ve ever been one to be influenced by food trends as such, but it does surprise me that the poor old plum gets regularly overlooked, especially when there are so many stunning varieties each offering a different flavour, fresh or dried, across the spectrum of this old fashioned ‘drupe’. Perhaps all it would take is the taste of a home grown specimen and the plum would find itself at the top of everyone’s favourites list once more. Then again, the flavour of home grown stone fruit of any kind is as convincing an argument as ever for home gardening.