We have a good sized patch of raspberries in the garden. They take a while to get going, but once they’re in full swing we’ve always failed to pick a good bit of the fruit before it got overripe. This year things are different. Of course the occasional berry is hidden deeply enough to rot before anyone notices it, but almost all of them have been picked the moment they ripen. This is partly Ed and I being more motivated, but it also has something to do with the three children on the farm who are now old enough to express their desires, which often involve hunting for berries to eat.
Our patch is now entirely Autumn Britten plants from Nourse Farm. They have been the most consistent and prolific of the varieties we tested, and their fruit is exceptionally delicious. The only problem - and this is more an issue of our climate than the plant - is that they get going on the later side. They keep producing right up until it frosts, but I always feel a little sad at all the green berries that would ripen if our summer was a month longer. For now I’ll enjoy the bounty while it lasts.
-Garth
