Two summers ago the raspberry vines produced mouth-watering fruit. Many a summer’s day, we would head to the garden after dinner and eat them right off the vine. They were melt-in-your mouth delicious.
Last year I transplanted the vines to make room for an impromptu pumpkin patch. They pumpkins self-seeded in the compost bin and needed a place to grow. The raspberry canes grew into vines, but not a single berry. Not one! We missed them terribly.
For years I bought beautiful red berries at the market, only to be disappointed by the taste. After growing them I learned that the mouth-watering taste was in the dark berries. Red fruit looks pretty in the market, but doesn’t come close to delivering on taste.
I’m happy to report that the vines have recovered. They’re sending out healthy green leaves along their prickly, red stalks. Stage one is looking good. Next up: white flowers. Then I’ll know we’re back in business.
Raspberry vines and daffodils
Will the vines produce fruit? Only the shadow knows for sure
Healthy foliage, happy gardener
So, here I am counting my berries before they grow, but I can’t help myself. Fresh rain and the countdown to spring bring out the optimistic gardener.
Stay tuned.
Do you have a favorite berry?
Gardening Nirvana 
My goodness those are the healthiest looking raspberry leaves I’ve seen outside of a picture in a gardening book. Won’t it be a perfect summer if that stay that way? Do you think you will get fruit this year? I know some plants ‘sulk’ for a bit if you move them – a bit like us really…. 🙂
I love fresh raspberries straight from the vine – that mix of sweet and sharp and ZING! Like you I think the shop bought ones are tasteless – but when I get to the Farmers Market [we have the best farmers market in the country in this little city – it said so in a magazine :-)] then we can get the good tasting soft fruits. They are everywhere at the moment – my favourite part of summer with the glut of fresh fruit and vegetables at decent prices. My tiny garden is feeding me lettuce and spinach these days too so I feel really blessed!
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Oh yum! Your own spinach and lettuce. I bet they’re fresh and delicious.
Aren’t farmer’s markets wonderful? We have several here as well, but on different days and in different places.
I hope the plant stays healthy and produces fruit this year. So far we’ve had two years, no fruit, one year, fruit, and one year no fruit. I’ll keep you posted.
Thank you for flattering my ego. I’m so proud of my green garden, even when I don’t necessarily have anything to do with it. 😉
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I love raspberries, as do my kids. When they were very little they would put one on every finger and then eat them that way. 🙂
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I can absolutely picture that. How cute.
Do you eat yours straight up, or with ice cream?
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I hope it works out and blooms! I love raspberries. I like to pick them in empty lots around the area where I know it’s not parkland, but neither are the berries being eaten by other humans. Like the lands connected to certain government and clerical buildings. Of course, they sometimes bushwhack the area to make sure no trees grow that could fall on the buildings, and I hate the year or two after where I get no berries. Then they come back, and I’m happy as a clam, even if I look stupid scrambling through pricklers for a few bites of yumminess.
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Thanks for commenting. I love your story of foraging for the berries. I guess two years is the magic number. The plant is probably trying to recover for a year before producing again.
I remember picking wild berries near the train racks as a kid (probably blackberries) We just ignored all the scratches we would get in the interest of that great prize.
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It’s never as satisfying to pick them up at the store, and they tend to be expensive to buy, so I like the adventurous version 🙂 And we wouldn’t want those awesome fruits to go to waste!
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Absolutely!
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No doubt about it, raspberry is my favorite! I’ll look forward to hearing about the progress of the vines
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Thank you!
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I love raspberries! I don’t think I’ve ever had them straight from the vine. If you get fruit this year, I’d love to try some ;0)
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Absolutely, Sharon. Stay tuned.
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I hope you get a bounty this year! Raspberries are a huge favourite of mine, but I don’t have the space to grow them.
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I know these would take over the garden if we let them. Any chance you could plant them in a pot next to your house so you could keep the vines under control.
They are your favorite….;-)
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I see wonderful signs of life there. You can have a favorite?? Hmmm. I’ll give it some thought. The rain should help. I’ll keep my little red fingers crossed.
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LOL, Marlene. No favorite required. I love most berries, just not most berries at the grocery store.
Yes, the rain should definitely help.
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Oh look at you gardening away, what a beautiful sight. Anything green would be a gift today. I used to tidy the yard at Frans house and she had a giant patch of raspberry bushes. I swear I’d get in there and they’d want to grab me and keep me there forever. Her’s were very thistly, like a rose bush. Really, really pokey and scratchy. I can’t tell, are yours like that? I’d try to keep them out of the lawn but the lawn mower wouldn’t even saw them off. So I’d have to use the clippers and then they’d be stuck on my gloves….can you tell yet? I’m scared of them, they are monstrous, LOL
My favourite berry is the Strawberry. I just had them last night on Lemon Ricotta Pancakes and then ate the left overs with a squirt of whip cream for lunch 😀 Oh la la, Viva le Strawberry! Good luck with your own scary Raspberries this year hon, but be careful out there. You could go out to the garden and never come back
xoK
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It sounds like Fran had a naturalized berry patch that took over. I’ve been warned to keep the suckers and starters at bay. I already have several popping up. If I had the room, it would be fun to let them grow.
These vines are prickly too. Very painful to touch. I’m sorry you’ve been traumatized by the wicked raspberry vines. Wow, they are prolific.
Strawberry plants are well behaved and equally delicious. I like blackberries too. They used to grow wild at my community college in the spring, but also treacherous.
If you don’t hear from me mid-June send in reinforcements.
Lemon Ricotta Pancakes sound divine.
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Oh yes, definitely will come find you at the first hint of raspberry mayhem. The pancakes were very yummy too.
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I am glad to hear they are doing so well for you in those raised beds, that is how i would like to start growing mine. I bet you will have lots of berries this year. They don’t like being cut back or moved I bet. What kind of soaker hose is that you are using? Looks like a good one.
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You are so right. They don’t like being moved. Hoping they’ve settled in this year.
As for the soaker house, Mike picked it up at our local hardware/garden center. It’s narrow like irrigation tubing so it is light and easy to weave in and out of the boxes. It’s all hooked up to an automatic system, which helps conserve water.
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