The troublesome thing about new berry plants, by and large, is the wait for berries. Unlike other plants from which I attempt to coax edible goodness, berries don't generally produce on the vines from the current year's growth; this year's vines yield next year's berries. That said, late last summer we did enjoy raspberries, a handful at a time, from some of the everbearing vines I planted. But, this tends to be the exception that proves the rule. Or some such.

While I was laying out the garden and deciding on how to cope with a lack of blackberry availability, Nat requested that I put in a couple of boysenberry vines. I haven't yet met a berry that I haven't at least learned to like, and I'm quite fond of Nat. I planted two boysenberry vines for her.

More than a few times over the past growing season, I thought that I'd either done in the boysenberries, or that I'd selected bum vines. Both plants would grow a little, then seem to mysteriously wither. The cycle was never to the point where I thought either plant was completely dead. Their failure to thrive constantly reminded me that I have no idea what I'm doing in the garden.

I was enormously relieved when I noticed the explosion of green growth, and excited when I noted the numerous buds in various states of blossoming. Not only do we have boysenberries incoming, the raspberries are out of control and attempting to take over the place.