Gooseberry Attack

Today we started off the morning picking berries and flowers. Raspberries were, of course, on the agenda for picking, but Rich added a new berry to the list: the gooseberries located in the back of the City Farm plot. 6 pints to be sold to Olga's. My mom is especially fond of gooseberries because they are a regularly enjoyed fruit in Sweden, her homeland. We have had a gooseberry bush in New Jersey for a couple years, but the birds always seem to eat the berries before we can get to them.

These berries start out white/translucent and slowly grow bigger, getting softer and turning red-ish. Finally, you know it is ripe once it is a dark red and tastes sweet.





They taste very similar to grapes, with lots of seeds and a tougher skin. You have to watch out when picking from these bushes because they have a lot of thorns on them. What the heck, Rich, why can't we grow berries that won't maul us? haha, joking, joking.



Raspberry battle wounds.

Today was unbelievably hot. Basically, as soon as we harvested a plant, it wilted. We had to be very conscious about the temperature because of this, and timing is everything. After picking a bunch or two of greens (Giant Swiss Chard, Dinosaur Kale, Dill, Golden Chard, and Oregano today) we had to run over to shade and submerge the veggies in a tub of cold water, where they would immediately bounce back from the refreshing rush of water.

We also cut flowers for cute little wild arrangements to be sold at the market today. Rich told me that they are not usually a big hit at the market, but having them there attracts people to the stand, like little bees :D

Maybe if we planted more flowers in our dying city streets, then more people would come around to build them back up. Guerilla Gardening, anyone?