Here in the Pacific Northwest there lives the gladiator of all brumble bushes! One that dominates the roadsides, ditches, banks, fields and forests clear across our great nation-...The cursed (or blessed) Blackberry Bush!
A good lot of time gardening in BC is dedicated to fighting back the unrelenting influx of the most persistent, gregarious and stubborn of prickly vines! 99.9% of the time I wouldn't hesitate to say that blackberry bushes are the most annoying, cursed *&$^ing, plants in the world!
But for a few weeks ever summer I must admit a certain appreciation for the delicious, scrumptious, beautifully-bluish- purply-black-burst-of-juicy-flavor that they produce... Oh, yes! The BLACKBERRY!!!
But for a few weeks ever summer I must admit a certain appreciation for the delicious, scrumptious, beautifully-bluish- purply-black-burst-of-juicy-flavor that they produce... Oh, yes! The BLACKBERRY!!!
And I am not the only one to share in this opinion. Hawky dog has developed quite the taste for the hard-to-get-to/always-just-out-of-reach/oh-so-yummy-berries!!....
Did you know that Blackberries are actually not berries at all? They are actually considered an aggregate fruit!
Blackberries are actually a member of the Rose family?
And they are filled with antioxidants?
And did I mention that they are terribly annoying and a veritable menace....impossible to get rid of and, if left unchecked, they can take over whole acres of land? I did? Sorry... but they do you know!
I love Oregon blackberries! They area blessing and a curse!
ReplyDeleteI can remember picking them for my grandmother to make pie and being scratched from head to foot. But that pie was SO worth it. As expensive as they are to buy, it could easily cost $10 for enough berries for one pie.
ReplyDeleteWe have those in our back yard too. They seem to be taking over. But it keeps the boys occupied for hours picking them. My dad likes to eat them over shortcake and ice cream, like strawberry shortcake, only with black berries. I've heard they make a good jam too :) If you are that motivated to make jam.
ReplyDeleteLOL!!!! As a fellow PNW'er, I can totally agree with everything you just said. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd no, I didn't know that they were a memeber of the rose family, but that makes perfect sense, doesn't it????
Aaahh yes, the detestable, delicious blackberry. A true love/hate relationship to be sure. I just picked several handfuls last night and they are truly magnificent. I might be picking a few of those cursed things for a pie this weekend. :)
ReplyDeleteA pain in the ass but a delight when mixed with sugar and piecrust. Yummy!!
Oh and we tried some of your delish Canadian Maple syrup last night. Yummy for my tummy!!!
We don't have too many around here that grow wild, so I guess I wouldn't mind having them everywhere, since they are kindy pricey to buy. Easy to say when they aren't growing everywhere! ;-p
ReplyDeleteHow cute is it that your dog eats them right off the branches?
Well they've got to be an improvement over the stuff we had to fight back when I lived in South Carolina: The Kudzu. I swear if you stayed still you could watch it grow. It would cover and engulf a building within a few days. Crazy stuff.....but no thorns and no berries. Not sure what it's usefulness was, if any.
ReplyDeleteI prefer raspberries over black berries, but you're lucky to have such an abundance of the blackberries because if I wanted to buy them at the store they cost $3.00 just for a little pint.
Hawky Dog sure is cute! Cute pics!
~Lisa