Harvest Time Heroes

Harvest Time Heroes

If your garden is anything like mine you've been reaping the rewards of the good weather with a fantastic crop of fresh vegetables. So much worked for me this year it was almost as if someone else took over to really show how it's done. I've been skipping about collecting slender French beans, pulling smooth fat beetroot and crunching cucumbers in nearly every meal (there's only so many cucumbers you can eat!).

I was thinking the other day I wasn't cutting much of a dash out there collecting my beans in the golden evening light with my Lidl plastic bag. Then I started worrying about you! Would you have the most stylish equipment to bring in your hard won harvest? Where would you get charming trugs, baskets and hessian sacks? Could I let you brave the busy town centres and brightly lit shopping arcades looking for this kind of stuff? I most certainly could not!

Never fear, the Quickcrop research bureau don't see problems, they see solutions. After working night and day on the conundrum, true to their usual form, they delivered in spades. The following fantastic list is the result of their endeavours:

Wicker apple picker

The Apple Picker €12.95 This apple picker is a lovely thing. Made for wicker it's a fruit picker used for harvesting apples, pears and plums. Helps you collect out of reach fruit which falls into the the collecting basket at the end of the handle.

Multiple fruits can be collected before being emptied into your harvest basket or bag.

Apple Picker Dimensions: Handle 3ft (90cm) long. Hopper 8in (20cm) long x 6in (15cm) diameter.

Apple harvesting basket

Wicker Harvesting basket €19.50 The Wicker harvesting basket is the perfect companion for the wicker apple picker.

The very attractive woven basket can be hung from a nearby branch by the clever forked hanging stick making picking your lovely fruit a doddle. These 2 items are a very pretty pair and make a wonderful gift.

Harvest Basket Dimensions: Height:60cm, Width:30cm, Depth:30cm. (23.6in x 11.8in x 11.8in)

Wire work harvesting trug

The Wirework Trug €33.60 This lovely old fashioned wire trug can be used for collecting fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers as well as carrying your garden tools and accessories.

The wire basket trug is finished in a cool retro light green and features a comfortable wooden handle making collecting your garden harvest a pleasure.

Wirework Garden Trug Dimensions: 34cm high x 49cm wide x 28cm deep. (13.38in x 19.29in x 11in)

Wire garden basket

Large Wire Basket €49.50 Not just for vegetables this generous sized wire storage basket can be used for collecting potatoes, apples or other bulky crops or, as my wife does, use it as a laundry or attractive waste paper basket.

These baskets are very attractive pieces and lend a cool 1950's charm to any setting.

Wire Basket Dimensions: 42cm high x 52cm wide x 44cm deep. (16.5in x 20.5in x 17.3in)

Wooden apple store

Wooden Apple and Vegetable Store €125.00 The wooden apple and vegetable store is a beautiful and practical storage unit for your kitchen or garden shed.

The unit consists of 4 chunky drawers which allow air to circulate helping to keep your apples or other vegetables fresh through winter storage.

Apple Store Dimensions: 70cm high x 58.5cm wide x 60cm deep (27.55in x 23in x 23.6in)

Joseph bentley wooden harvesting trug

Joseph Bentley Wooden Trug €29.50 This traditional wooden trug really does look the part in the garden. It's a beautifully made gardening basket used for collecting all sorts of fruit and vegetables.

Stick on a gingham if you're a woman or a pair of breeches if you're a man (or the reverse, it's up to you) and make like you're in little house on the prairie.

Garden Trug Dimensions: 55cm long x 32cm wide x 14cm Deep   (21in x 12in x 5.5in)

Joseph bentley pruning knife

Joseph Bentley Pruning Knife €12.95 I have only recently started carrying a knife in my pocket (I've moved to a rough neighbourhood) after noticing old hands like Klaus Laitenberger or Dermot Carey are always whipping out their little knifes to prune a tomato shoot, peel an apple or cut some twine.

Treat yourself to one of these folding pocket knives and instantly feel you're the real deal.

Dimensions: 23cm when opened, 11cm when folded.

Authentic french apple crates

Authentic French Apple Crates €14.50 My wife is an interior designer and is responsible for these authentic French apple crates. I have to say I was scratching my head with all the trouble it took to import them from France but when they arrived they did look pretty cool.

Is the word patina? I think so. These are real crates for French apple farms, they've taken a few knocks and been left outside but when you use them in the right situation they just look fantastic. I guess that's what interior design is all about.

Size: 550mm x 350mm