The Fruits of the Garden

The fruit plants are definitely benefitting from the early spring. 

I've never seen the strawberries bloom this early. Usually closer to mid-May or early June, but I can't remember ever seeing them in early- to mid-April. 

They always surprise me with how quickly they grow back. They'll go from almost nothing in March, after it starts to thaw, to quickly taking over that patch of land where I have them. Over the course of the summer, when they start to set fruit, I'll easily have a couple of quarts of strawberries -- but sadly, then I won't have any more until the following year, since I refuse to buy them out of season. One of these years I'll hopefully have enough that I can freeze them, and maybe even make ice cream.

I continue to adore the fruit bushes, and continue to be immensely proud of them. 

I planted them just about two years ago now, and had absolutely no idea what I was doing. 

I knew that I wanted something in this side yard so I didn't have to mow the lawn up there (because while I am passionate about urban agriculture, I am also lazy). And I knew I wanted fruit. So blackberries and raspberries it was. I didn't want to call the landscaper for an easy job (ha!), so I excavated the side yard, mulched it, and planted them. 

And admittedly, then called the landscaper to take out the mulch and put in the limestone, with a warning to be careful around the bushes.

I figured I'd be doing well if they survived the first winter. I figured they'd be doing well if they not only survived that first winter, but actually made fruit by the second summer. I harbored no such illusions that they'd fruit the first summer -- three months after they were planted. 

So imagine my surprise that first summer when that little raspberry plant on the end started setting fruit. And then ripening fruit. 

And my surprise was even bigger the first spring following -- 2016 -- when I looked out one day and saw that the blackberries were taller than I was. And then I got nearly a pint of fruit each week from all the bushes combined during the summer. 

This year, I got smart. Once I realized they were big enough, and were only going to get bigger, I bought trellises, and staked them up. 

Last check, they were almost four feet tall. 

And this is April.