Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Our Berry Garden

Here is a picture of me in my early twenties, standing in the yard of the house that I rented in Maine  for eleven years. Behind me is the neighbor's house that I think I decorated 
a thousand times (in my dreams). 

A blackberry hedge separated our yards, from which I harvested sweet blackberries for days on end, sometimes in the early cool hours of the morning, sometimes after the day had calmed just before the sun set. 

I have such fond memories of those days. I knew that when I owned a home, I'd have a berry garden of my own. 

My first berry garden includes five varieties of blueberries, and a friendly (thorn less) blackberry bush at the end of the fence. To keep the berries company are Little Lamb hydrangea on the left, underneath the dining room windows. 


We planted our berry garden just outside the dining patio, which is at the end of the hydrangea hedge. 

I'm so excited to pick our first berries!

58 comments :

  1. Lovely picture of you Tina, and such a lovely house! You were able to enjoy that view for eleven years...what wonderful preparation for your farmhouse...all that dream designing paid off!
    Having a berry garden is what I dream about. We used to have a prolific blueberry bush and I miss it...balckberries thank heavens are abundant here, but it would be so nice if they were thornless!
    Love seeing the mountains in the distance from your garden...
    xo J~

    ReplyDelete
  2. While I'm constantly pulling out blackberry vine from our place, I'm happy to go down the road to pick blackberries in August.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Awww, look at you! Your so cute!

    Your yard always looks amazing. I just love that you planted your own berries to make new memories for you and your family.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I found your blog 2 days ago and have started at the beginning May 2008, and read straight through.. I have loved every minute of the past 2 days and will be keeping up from now on...
    I was just curious about the varieties of Blueberries and the Thorn-less variety of Blackberry... until this past year I worked at a garden center in Alabama and recently moved to New Mexico.. so many new varieties.. I love looking them up and getting to know them better... I love the Limelight hydrangeas and have a picture of one bloom that was bigger than my head LOL.. I have not heard of the Little Lamb until your blog and will be reading about it.. Not sure what I can get to grow in the desert but sure gonna try... I do know Roses love it here it is dry and no black spot... but I will have to order David Austin Roses also my favorite... Zephirine Drouhin is a thornless climbing rose that is very fragrant if you ever find a place for another rose or to add to the picket fence... A friend in Alabama has New Dawn and Zephirine covering a pergola.. She (Zephirine) likes cooler climates but mine in Alabama got over 20ft tall and covered a 8ft wide porch for great privacy ... again I love you blog and will be a regular from now on...

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh, you've brought back wonderful memories of finding blueberry bushes buried deep in the yard.
    Best wishes for a beautiful garden!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Berry stained fingers. . . nothing better!! ;0) Enjoy!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love berries so much but have never grown them.
    I think it would be great if you could show pictures of the house you lived in while you were in Maine.
    Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh I'm so jealous of your Maine house - I love it there!

    ReplyDelete
  9. What a beautiful place to have been blessed with for eleven years. I'm excited to see how your berry garden turns out and am truly loving the view of the mountains behind your home. What a beautiful place to call home! xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  10. So pretty. The berry beds look beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Trina, your pictures are lovely and so peaceful to look at. This is my first year planting rasberries and I can't wait until I can pick my first berries! I was wondering if you have any problem with little forest creatures eating your garden as it doesn't seem to be enclosed? We are surrounded by hills and the bunnies will eat just about anything if not kept out.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I love how every little detail is planned. You are making a "home" full of memories for a lifetime for you two and those little ones.
    xoxo Dianne

    ReplyDelete
  13. I have four blueberrie bushes, and tons of blackberry vines; I am so grateful to be able to walk outside and go pick them early in the morning and add them to my oatmeal or I just end up staying outside, picking them and popping them in my mouth!

    ReplyDelete
  14. So inspiring..... Berries, a garden, your home! Thank you for sharing it with us!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Jealous. Your gardening posts make me jealous. Mostly because I live in hot Texas where things just don't do that well. My strawberries already quit producing weeks ago :(

    ReplyDelete
  16. Oh, I have a few of those same houses. Houses that if I ever found in my possession, I could, in detail, describe exactly how each room would look.

    Your berry patch looks gorgeous! Can't wait to see what you do with the berries. I'm sure there will be a yummy recipe on the way.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Oh, that house in the picture is my dream house! If I could just pick it up and plunk it down on my lot I would be in heaven!

    We've been picking blackberries all week at the farm. I'm sure my grandparents would be appalled at all of the blackberries that have found their way onto the property over the years, but we love them! Enjoy your berries!

    Kat :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hi Ami,
    The deer have munched a little bit on the blueberry bushes! So far, it's been minor but we're keeping our fingers crossed that it stays that way.
    ; ) Trina

    ReplyDelete
  19. I just want to know how you keep those beds weed free!!!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hello, I have just discovered your blog and wanted to let you know how much I an enjoying it. My husband and I live in a1730's home in New Hampshire with an orchard of 300 apples trees, plus pear and cherry as well. I have wild blackberry bushes...sure wish they were thornless. Look forward to reading more and just love your photos.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Nothing better than fresh picked berries in the summertime! Carla

    ReplyDelete
  22. That is a great picture of you and I love the garden:)

    ReplyDelete
  23. Can't wait to see what delicious looking treats you cook up with all these berries you'll soon be harvesting. Don't let those deer steal your berries!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Sounds like the berries are just outside your door, close enough to go out and fill a bowl quickly. Berries are so much fun to grow if you can get to them first before any critters.

    ReplyDelete
  25. I hope you reap an abundance of berries!
    What a sweet picture of yourself.
    love it! Pat

    ReplyDelete
  26. Those beautiful pictures! We have an orchard and right now our cherries are almost ready to be picked. I love just being able to walk outside and pick things off the trees!

    ReplyDelete
  27. your pictures are beautiful...I admire you so much for surrounding your home with such beauty. I love the picture in the middle because we can see glimpses of your amazing view in the distance....

    ReplyDelete
  28. I'll say it again, your yard is beautiful! I love it when you show us around, your pictures are so clear and I enjoy reading your posts so much!!

    ReplyDelete
  29. That is beautiful, I can understand your desire for berries! How lovely to enjoy the memories from the past- you look so peaceful and beautiful! Have a lovely week. Emma.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Your little ones will just LOVE picking berries next summer with you!
    xo Dawn

    ReplyDelete
  31. This is my first visit here & I enjoy the warmth of your blog site.

    ReplyDelete
  32. I've already decorated and moved in too! Great post!
    xox hooper

    ReplyDelete
  33. How exciting! Good luck with your berries!

    ReplyDelete
  34. There's nothing like walking out into your own yard and picking your own berries! We have raspberries and blueberries in our yard and we just love them. They freeze so nicely!

    ReplyDelete
  35. oh my...im super in love with your house!!! this is my dream!!! i love all the flowers!
    www.moddybee.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  36. I have so enjoyed reading about your journey here, Trina. I discovered your blog a couple of weeks ago and read the whole thing in a day. (Um, I'm sure it was more important than what I was supposed to be doing. It was definitely more fun.)

    My husband and I are starting out on our own farm but it looks quite different from the lushness in your photos. Have really appreciated sharing in your story, both the ups and downs (and your fabulous home building/remodeling resources!). So very encouraging.

    Jennifer

    (Our story, if you'd like to see what farming in West Texas looks like: http://buenasuerteliving.blogspot.com)

    ReplyDelete
  37. And I just spent all day yesterday clearing out blackberries. But, I have acres of them and they're invasive weeds up here. So far, underneath the blackberries, we've found (short list): perfectly good lumber, a car battery, a laundry basket, a full sized basketball hoop. a rusty propane tank, and an entire barn.

    A *barn*.

    It is lovely to have fresh berries in the morning, though.

    ReplyDelete
  38. well, weren't (and aren't;) you just the cutest!! love that photo- the house is so NE and I can so see you decorating it over and over in your mind (I would have done the same thing;)
    your berry garden looks great- you and the sweetpeas are going to have so much fun stepping out and eating them fresh off the bushes!

    xoj.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Again, all of your pictures are so 'calming'. I love the idea of a row of berry bushes...I may have to plant one next year! Cindy

    ReplyDelete
  40. Trina! I wanted to send you an email with my inquiries, but I was having a hard time with it. I've been on blogger for a few years, but just started being an "active blogger" a few months ago. Anyway, my hubby & I (and two kiddos) just bought a fixer a few months ago. It's in dire need of some help inside and out, but I know it's going to be a work in progress. For now, I wanted to ask you about some gardening tips. I love your blog and how you are able to plant so many flowers and even edibles in your garden! Do you have someone plant them for you, or do you plant them yourself? I'd love to plant something (roses, hydrangeas), but I can't even keep a potted plant alive for the life of me! :( How do you keep your plants pest and mildew free? How do you rear your garden so beautifully every season? Any tips or tricks would help. I'd love to start somewhere and thought I'd ask you since you're absolutely so garden savvy! :)

    ReplyDelete
  41. Hi Cozy Cottage,
    My husband plants everything. I usually tell him where. I also tend to pick out most of our garden plants. We just had a crew here putting down the black bark so that's why the beds are weed free!
    Everything but the roses is pretty maintenance free. Roses get everything! So Mike sprays an all natural product quite often - the natural sprays have to be used weekly.
    Happy gardening!
    Trina

    ReplyDelete
  42. What a great idea. I enjoyed seeing that photo of you too.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Oh My Goodness !! You look just like my daughter !!
    or she looks just like you ... is she really mine ? lol
    You know I love your garden .. I plan on copying everything in a few years .. you know that too, don't you ? lol
    besos.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Oh My wonderful...I love blackberries I make jam from frozen store bought ones all the time. Wish I had a berry garden
    KAT

    ReplyDelete
  45. Wat wonderful preparation for your farmhouse! I love your garden.

    San Diego Mobile Notary

    ReplyDelete
  46. @Trina: wow, how does your hubby know so much about planting & gardening? That is so awesome! What kind of organic sprays would he recommend on the roses? I am just so afraid that if I try to grow roses or hydrangeas, that the pests or mold might get to them! Anyway, thanks again for always being an inspiration!

    ReplyDelete
  47. Beautiful....Our house in NY on the Delaware River had a fence of blackberries. Unfortunately, the japanese beetles loved em too!

    ReplyDelete
  48. What a lovely picture. You are living your dream by planting your own now. You must be so proud, and you will be just as proud when you pick your first berry. You have done a super and nice job of planting. Your farmhouse is just beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  49. There is nothing better in life than realized dreams! Enjoy your happily ever after.

    Your Friend,
    Deborah

    ReplyDelete
  50. Hi Kayce,
    For the first time this summer, we've hired a lawn service so we can't take credit for weeding! It's been GREAT!
    xoTrina

    ReplyDelete
  51. Your gardens are just fabulous! I especially love the white fencing around it.....

    ReplyDelete
  52. Whow.
    Wonderful pics.
    Will come back soon.
    Lovely hugs
    molly

    ReplyDelete
  53. I love that simple kind of living...very nice place!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for leaving your thoughts. Kind regards, Catherine

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...