August Garden in Massachusetts

Rudbeckia or Black-eyed Susans Early August 2025

Zucchini Early August 2025

Eggplant Early August 2025

Cherry Tomatoes Early August 2025

Zucchini Early August 2025

Eggplant Early August 2025

Peppers Early August 2025

Blackberries Early August 2025

Coho Raspberry

Coho raspberries planted on the first of May in the back garden in Boylston.  Rubus idaeus 'Coho' is a high yielding raspberry, named for the bright red colouration, and late spawning habit of the Coho Salmon. A late-season raspberry variety with fruit ripening in late July and August.

May 1, 2022

 

Blackberry Bushes

 

May 1, 2021

3 Blackberry Bushes purchased today in Boylston, MA

Blackberry bushes planted May 8, 2021

Brandywine

Brandywine in Salem, Connecticut.  Grandmaman would love to plant this bush in Central Alberta but looks like it is meant for warmer climates.  Zones 5-9.

 

Schubert Chokecherry Tree

This Schubert Chokecherry grows in the backyard of a Lakehouse on Sylvan Lake.  And yes the berries are edible although due to flavor and pit best used for juice, jellies and syrups.

Schubert Chokecherry Tree

Chokecherry and Crabapple Jelly

8 cups ripe chokecherries

2 cups water

12 cups quartered crabapples

1 1/2 cups sugar

To prepare juice, combine chokecherries and 2 cups water in a saucepan.  In a separate saucepan, combine crabapples with enough water to cover.  Bring mixtures to a boil: reduce heat and simmer, covered, until fruit is soft.  Mash mixtures occasionally while cooking although I find that it is best not to mash the crabapples too fine (harder to juice).  Strain separately through jelly bags.

Measure 3 cups chokecherry juice and 3 cups crabapple juice.  In a Dutch oven, combine chokecherry juice and crabapple juice: bring to a boil.  Add sugar and stir until dissolved.  Bring mixture to a boil and boil rapidly until jelly stage is reached, about 20 minutes.  Remove from heat and skim foam if necessary.

Pour into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.  Wipe jar rims thoroughly.  Seal and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Yield:  about 6 cups

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Wild Rose

Wild rose bushes are abundant in the wild areas surrounding the cabin at Sylvan Lake.  The pictures below were taken in late June this year (2014) and indicate that the blossoms have been out for a while and are almost done.  This shrub, which can grow up to 15 metres tall, is renowned for it's prickly stems, beautiful  pink flowers and nutritious rosehips.  The wild rose is Alberta's provincial flower.

Hot tea made from wild rose petals and leaves or a cold "julep" made from soaking fresh petals with an equal amount of cool water then lemon juice and honey are wonderful drinks that many also enjoy.

 

The bright red rosehips have an applelike flavour and are very high in vitamin C.  Rosehips are best picked immediately after the first frost and can be make into jams, syrups and jellies. Hot tea made from wild rose petals and leaves or a cold "julep" made from soaking fresh petals with an equal amount of cool water then lemon juice and honey are wonderful drinks that many also enjoy.

July 13, 2019 Norglenwold

July 13, 2019 Norglenwold

Blackberries

 These berries grow in sandy soil in Lansing, New York on a hillside overlooking Cayuga Lake.  The ripe berry is black.

  In the blackberry, the drupelets remain attached to the core which comes off with the fruit when picked.

Lily of the Valley

Hardiness Zone 3B

This lily of the valley was transplanted from the frontyard garden to the backyard gardens in Red Deer, Alberta. Planted in areas for ground cover and the beauty of the tiny bell flowers in the spring, all the locations are shaded.  This perennial spreads invasively and should be closely monitored so that it doesn't spread to unwanted areas.
This year, 2013 the flowers were first notice in early June.

The plant has many meanings.  From Christian legends it represents  Mary's Tears during the crucifixion of Christ, a symbol of humility in paintings and/or a sign of Christ's second coming.  The lily symbolizes life to Pagans.

Care should be taken not to ingest or allow animals to chew on this perennial as many references state that some parts of it are toxic.

Saskatoons

Hardiness Zone 3B

May Long Weekend 2013

This saskatoon bush grows in a backyard with a southwest exposure in Red Deer, Alberta.     It was planted between the garden shed and the fence two years ago.  This spring it was covered with blossoms for the first time.  Saskatoon berries are native to Alberta.   This bush thrives on most soils with plenty of organic matter and prefer slightly acidic soil.  They don't like wet roots but need to be watered consistently in order to establish the bush and for plump berries.

'Early Amethyst' Purple Beautyberry

Zone 5-8

Callicarpa Dichotoma

Verbenaceae

This 'Early Amethyst' Purple Beautyberry grows in the 'Rockwell Azalea Garden' at Cornell Plantations in Ithaca, New York and demands a closer look. 

The tiny purple berries are inviting from a distance, but stunning when viewed up close.  A hidden treasure for those who take the time to discover.  These photos were taken in late November when the leaves had fallen but the berries had not yet lost their fullness.

This shrub is native to China and Japan, grows  four to six feet tall and produces a heavy berry crop which, although somewhat bitter, can be used for jelly.

Black Raspberries/Les framboises noires

These black raspberries grow in sandy soil in Lansing, New York on a hillside overlooking Cayuga Lake.  The ripe berry is black.

 Raspberries are a bramble fruit which are formed of several smaller fruits called drupelets.  The drupelets are all attached to the fibrous central core of the fruit.  One way the black raspberry differs from the blackberry is that when the raspberry is picked the core remains with the plant and a hollow center is created on the harvested fruit.  In the blackberry, the drupelets remain attached to the core which comes off with the fruit when picked.

Everbearing strawberries/Les fraises

These everbearing strawberry plants grow in a backyard planter with a southwest exposure in Calgary.  Click on everbearing for a link to growing tips. Everbearing strawberries are a great choice as they produce two to three harvests of fruit during the spring, summer and fall.

Strawberries delicious as a summer berry on their own, with ice cream, vanilla yogourt, sliced onto cereal or baked in a strawberry rhubarb pie.  Strawberry jam is always a delicious treat. 

Red Lake Currant Bush/Le groseiller rouge Red Lake

This Red Lake currant bush grows in sandy soil with a southeast exposure in Lansing, New York on a hillside overlooking Cayuga Lake.

Red Currants are best known for making wonderful jellies.  The Red Lake currant is very productive and also one of the best tasting red currants.

Click on growing for a link to growing tips.

What can you use red currants for?  Click on jelly for a link to a jelly recipe.  Note that the amount of jelly prepared can be changed.

Pies

Raspberry and Red Currant Pie
from: The Canadian Treasury of Cooking and Gardening by Mary Alice Downie and Barbara Robertson. 1997. Key Porter Books, Toronto, Ontario.

2 cups Raspberries, firmly packed (don't squish)
1 cup Red Currants, stems removed
3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
2 tbsp. All-Purpose Flour
Pastry for 9-inch doubl-crust pie or lattice-top pie

Mix sugar and flour together thoroughly. In a bowl, gently toss the fruits together to combine, then add sugar-flour mixture and continue to toss gently with hands or a spatula until all through the fruits. Spread mixture evenly in the bottom pie crust, cover with top. If using a full top, cut steam vents. Brush top crust with milk and dust with sugar. Bake at 450F for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 350F and bake another 30 minutes.

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Red Currant Pie
(makes a currant-custard pie topped with meringue)

1 + 1/3 cups Granulated Sugar
1/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
2 Eggs, Separated
2 tbsp. Water
1 cup Red Currants, washed and stemmed
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell

Mix together the flour and 1 cup of the sugar. Pour over currants and toss gently but thoroughly with hands or a rubber spatula to mix. Beat together the egg yolks and water and add fruit mixture, stirring to combine. Place mixture in pie shell and bake at 450F for 10 minutes, then lower heat to 350F and continue to bake another 20 minutes, or until custard is set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Make a meringue with the two egg whites and the remaining 1/3 cup sugar. Beat egg whites until foamy, then start adding sugar, a tablespoonful at a time (sprinkle over the top) while beating. Continue to beat until stiff peak stage is reached. Spoon meringue over pie, taking care to seal it to the edges, and bake at 325F for 15 minutes.

1. Summer Pudding
   It's made with a variety of berries and bread or cake, and served with cream.
   
   
   Red Currant Sauce
   Just stew them with a bit of water and sugar.  They make a terrific sauce for rice pudding or ice cream.
   
   
   Salads
   Add to  a fruit salad or any salad remembering they are a tart berry so use accordingly.
   
   
   Fruit Tarts
   Use in fruit tarts alone or mixed with other fruits and topped with whipping cream.
   1.