Blackberries Are Here!

Dark, juicy, sweet (sometimes tart!) blackberries.  Yum!  They are one of my favorite fruits.  Last year at the farmer's market we bought two blackberry bushes on a whim (unusual for a compulsive researcher like myself).  One was a Navajo blackberry and the other a Natchez.  We got two kinds because they ripen at different times, spreading out the harvest.

Taunting me with her blackberries.

We came home, amended the soil on one side of the house, and planted them.  They were then forgotten in the mad tomato/cucumber/squash/pepper/eggplant harvest of summer.  I remembered them in February, threw some compost on them, built a (flimsy) trellis, and crossed my fingers.

Fast forward a month or so.  We have started to get berries.  Not a lot mind you.  A handful every couple of days.  Truth is I rarely get to eat any because my 3 year old claims them all (that is her in the photo above taunting me with her berries).  I am, however, ecstatic that they are producing berries.

Yummy ripe blackberries.

In hindsight I realize the plants we got were pretty puny.  I should have done my homework and shopped around.  Also, a little TLC their first year probably would have helped.

I have high hopes for these bushes next year.  One of them is sending up some hefty canes.  They are also on my radar now and will get the TLC they deserve.  Finally, we have a year to work on sharing with mommy. Maybe I will get some next year!