Peach (Prunus) Peregrine 7L

Peregrine is widely regarded as the finest white-fleshed peach for British gardens, and it has been a favourite with growers for more than a century. In early spring its bare branches are smothered in dark pink blossom, a beautiful sight and a welcome early source of nectar for bees. From mid-August into early September it produces heavy, reliable crops of large, crimson-flushed peaches with juicy white flesh and a rich, intense flavour. The fruit is freestone, so it comes cleanly away from the stone. They're best eaten fresh and warm from the tree, and also wonderful in tarts, poached, grilled or in summer desserts. It is self-fertile, so a single tree will crop on its own.

Peaches love warmth, so give Peregrine the sunniest, most sheltered spot you have. It is ideal fan-trained against a south or west-facing wall, or grown under cover, and in milder southern and coastal gardens it can also be grown as a freestanding bush. Plant in moist but well-drained, moderately fertile soil with plenty of well-rotted organic matter dug in. Because it flowers so early, protect the blossom with fleece on frosty nights, and hand-pollinate with a soft brush if few insects are about. To prevent peach leaf curl, cover the tree with a simple polythene shelter from midwinter until late spring to keep rain off the leaves. Thin the young fruits in early summer for bigger, better peaches, and prune in spring or summer while the tree is in growth. Hardy in most of the UK (RHS H4).

Supplied in a 7-litre pot.

Each tree is hand-selected before dispatch.

Available from Pengelly Garden Centre.