A special joy in springtime is watching the plants leaf out, and flower. I enjoy walking around the backyard, observing the daily growth. The gooseberry bush has little berries, but it will be a while before they are ripe. When I make applesauce, I will add gooseberries to the apples.
I am pleased that the redcurrant bushes are doing well. Last year they were decimated by the saw fly. The saw fly lays eggs that develop into little caterpillars that are exceedingly hungry. They ate almost all the leaves on the bush! This year I can make currant jelly/sauce. The sauce is a nice addition to fruit pies.
The strawberries and the raspberry bushes have flowers. In July the elderberry bushes will flower and berries will come in August. I will make elderberry juice, and during cold & flu season, add a couple tablespoons to my tea. (Below is the elderberry flower.)
Berries have a long tradition in my family. My mother picked strawberries and wild blueberries with her mother, and so did I. When my children were little, we picked wild thimbleberries with grandma and grandpa in northern Michigan. We made thimbleberry jam as a family project.
My Finnish heritage has given me an appreciation for berries, wild and cultivated. Berries are abundant in Finland and an important addition to the diet. They contain vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
The pictures in this post are from a previous year.
Sharing this post with the Five Minute Friday writing community. Kate’s prompt is: BENEFIT
i can’t actually eat berries anymore, but my bushes in my yard aren’t going to waste… I make juice and compotes! gooseberries and currants…. compote over vanilla ice cream… lovely! 🙂
The seeds are a problem when they get caught in teeth. I put gooseberries through a victoria strainer along with the cooked apples to make applesauce.
Currants are strained for their juice–sometimes my attempts to make jelly turns out as a sauce.
Fascinating how many different kinds of berries there are and all their uses. 🙂 This was fun to read. 🙂
There is so much to notice in the world God created! In Finland I saw cloudberry plants. The berries look like yellow raspberries.
Beautiful berries. I have fond memories of picking berries with friends and family, both as a child and as an adult. They truly have benefit: tasty, healthy, and bring us joy. Thanks for sharing.