Day 352: Every year, I have the same argument with myself as to whether or not to take out the raspberry patch. It tends to look rather unkempt where it hangs over its fence and the sidewalk, pruned by deer to be nothing more than wiry stems. I keep most of it tied up, but there are always a few vines which dangle right where I have to detour around them when I go out to get the mail, and when they're in bloom, they're usually loaded with bees (and I'm allergic). These inconveniences persist throughout much of the summer, and the annoyance (minor though it is) raises that question time and again: should I pull them? And then...and then the payoff comes. Heritage is best grown as a single-season crop although it is described as "everbearing." The overall yield will be better if it is restricted to being solely fall-bearing. As September approaches its terminal days and October waits anxiously in the wings, the fruits begin to ripen and those trips to the mailbox with side trips to the bee-laden vines become something to anticipate. The branch arching over the sidewalk above my head droops a little lower, putting its red treasure within easy reach. Who can resist a sun-warm raspberry? And my mental machinations do an about-face: yeah, I think I'll leave 'em another year.
No comments:
Post a Comment