Raspberry Surprise

While working frantically to complete all my planting and mulching chores in June and early July, I found time to enjoy one of this year's outstanding—and unexpected—garden treasures: a crop of red and black raspberries.

Wild Raspberries

If you've ever ignored a bed or area of the yard for a year or so—reverting to nature in all its weeds and wildness—you've probably found some thorny bushes growing in it. Around the Northeast, and especially in New York, I've learned that these prickers are really wild raspberry bushes. Where do they come from? Why do they sprout up? Are their roots or seeds hanging around, waiting for you to look away so they can grow again? I have no clue.

But take some care with them and they'll produce yummy berries for you. That's what happened to me this year. I found two or three bushes in a semi-shady spot under the pine trees were producing black raspberries, another half dozen of the same were in the sunny spot just below the woods behind the house, the red raspberries behind the garden were heavy with fruit, and the berry bush on the spite fence was rewarding our work with loads of berries!

Picking and Grinning

I remember picking wild raspberries when I was a kid, and how hard it seemed—at least compared to how many ended up in the bowl. You'd get scratched (wear long pants and a long-sleeved shirt!), it took for-ev-er to fill a medium-sized bowl, and Mom would still tell us it wasn't enough for jam.

I enlisted some help (see photo), and together we made two batches of freezer jam. Now I'm ready to cultivate the berries for next year. I've told Mike we should move a couple bushes to a better spot, clear away some of the weeds, and maybe add some mulch and a fence. Can't wait for next year's crop!