a yard update

[mellowtigger]

I worked for several more hours in my back yard yesterday and today.  I'm down to just 15 more brick garden tiles to lay down.  I transplanted some more thornless blackberry.  All of these photos are from yesterday.

I'm still a long way from taming the north side of my yard by the neighbor.  You can tell from this image of that area.  If you look closely, you can see several ripe cherries.  The bees are enjoying the flowering bergamot, although I'm noticing fewer bees than usual.  The mustard and poppy are also blooming these days.  Overall, it's quite enjoyable, and I hate to "tame" it by trimming them back for a walking path that's supposed to be though that low area in front of the bergamot.



Immediately after taking that photograph, I picked the cherries.  They are SO good.  So much sweet/tart flavor that a single one keeps my mouth watering for at least half a minute.  I'm still eating the last of them today.

Meanwhile, towards the end of yesterday's work outside, there was a helicopter circling directly overhead.  The police and increased State Patrol presence.  They're "helping".  At least it was during the day this time instead of the usual 10pm-to-2am stuff.



The jostaberries are about a week from picking.  The elderberries are just now beginning to form.  The blackberries are flowering.  I'm harvesting the thornless raspberries (also very yummy).  All of these fruits are why I want to stay in this house.  It took years to reach this point, and they're just going to produce more as they better establish themselves in the coming years.  Free, healthy food!

Comments

[mtbc]

Those fruits and berries sure do sound attractive. (-:

[mellowtigger]

I don't have enough of anything to make jelly or pies or things like that. But they're still great for freezing and adding to a bowl of yogurt. :) I didn't pick my raspberries until after yesterday's post. Today, though, they're frozen and ready for snacks.

[mtbc]

They look great. (-:

[darkoshi]

All those berries sound good. Are the thornless black&raspberries totally without prickles? I didn't know that existed.

[mellowtigger]

Yes, and they truly are thornless. I've never been hurt by any of them, which is great. :)

The raspberry plants are small and slow-spreading, so they don't take over an area easily. It's taken many years of splitting them out to get as many as I have now. Which still isn't tons. They're the "Strawberry Shortcake" variety. Unfortunately, the annoying Japanese beetles like them, and I lose half my crop every year to them now. :(

I don't remember where I got the first thornless blackberries, but they're the typical canes-aiming-everywhere blackberries that can take over if you don't work to contain them. But large berries. And the bees like them, which is good.

[darkoshi]

It would be nice if I could replace some of the bushes in my yard with fruit-producing ones like those. The only edible I have here is a fig tree. But doing the replacing is more work than I can handle at present. The opposite of you, getting away from this yard and all the work it entails is one reason I sometimes consider moving. It feels like all I ever do out there is cut/chop/mow things down and pull things out. Although I do enjoy the seasonal blossoms and the space and the view. And the sounds of the insects. And the birds. Aah well.