Raspberries!

I've always loved raspberries, and to have my own is so much fun, although getting enough to do anything with has been a long time coming!

In April of 2012, I bought 3 tiny plants off of a wagon at a farm supply store for $2 each.  I planted them behind my garden shed.

The dogs dug them up.  Three.  Times.

Thus, the fancy barrier around the bushes, in hopes of preventing more digging under the shed.  Who knows what they were looking for...

I think this picture was taken the next spring.

They grew.  A lot...

Now they overhang into the chicken pen, and the chickens love them!  For a while, they were fluttering up onto the top of the fence and now I know why.  They were eating all the berries they could find...

I was thrilled to find out that these raspberry bushes are ever bearing.  I'd never even heard of that!  Once they start to ripen, the plants produce until frost!

This summer the Japanese Beetles did a number on the bushes, and I sprayed them. I had to wait a week before harvesting any more, but thankfully, they made a full recovery, and are once again doing their thing. I don't get a lot at once, but every two or three days I go down and gather the ripe ones...about two cups at a time, and put them into the freezer.

This is my stash from the past month...

So...guess what I'm doing this afternoon?!

I'm thinking jelly.  Mmmm...on hot buttered toast.  My mouth is watering!

And oh yeah... shopping for a new dishwasher too.  Ours has flooded this morning for the last time.