There is nothing quite as delicious and satisfying as a bowl full of home grown berries, with a drizzle of fresh single cream!
Well, that is what Kim and I have been eating for the last few evenings as our dessert.
Our thornless Loganberries are fruiting abundantly. This year has been the best harvest we have ever had. I tried something different, and didn’t cut the canes right back in winter, leaving about two feet of last years wood above the ground. The results have been more than impressive. Kim has been harvesting a punnet a day for the past week, with plenty more on the bush.
As for the strawberries, we have about 15 plants supplying us with about a bowl of berries per day for the past week. The smallest ones are the sweetest. This has also been the best year for strawberries, as I moved them to the south side of the house, right outside Kim’s office door. She keeps them well watered, which has helped enormously. We have had the plants netted for two weeks to stop the birds and our naughty dogs from eating them. No problem with snails this year, as they are either elevated or off the ground on a wooden deck. This has made a big difference to the quality and quantity of the fruit.
We still have blueberries that are just about to ripen in the next week or so, with one bush heavily laden with fruit. We will probably harvest about three punnets in total off the two bushes.
The mulberry tree that is located in Cluckingham Palace, is growing very well. All that natural fertilizer and moist soil is providing ideal conditions for growth. We did have a heavy crop of mulberries, however I didn’t net them in time, so the sparrows have eaten them all. Next year I will know to cover them earlier.
So there you have it. Berries galore, and simple to grow in a suburban garden, as long as they are protected from the local wildlife.
Once the berries are finished in a couple of weeks, the first lot of stone fruit will nearly be ready. I really love all the home grown fruit at this time of year, especially that I know it is organically grown.
Have you had a large berry harvest this year? Do you have any tips or tricks to share to ensure a bumper crop?
