Blueberries in Bloom
Spring has finally arrived in the Northeast! How do I know? Well, there are a number of unmistakable signs: $4.00 cauliflower in the local market, fliers for community gardens are popping up everywhere, and the fruit trees in my yard have burst into riotous bloom.
Talking a walk around my backyard the other evening, I was amazed at how quickly the apple trees had sprung their buds. Seems like just yesterday, literally, they were dormant and gray. The branches are now loaded with leaves and blossoms, and bumblebees were braving the twilight to investigate. Humans aren’t the only creatures that welcome the heralds of spring!
The blueberry bushes, on the other hand, are not as prolifically florid as the apple trees, I’m sorry to say. We had a great crop last summer, but this summer may prove to be an off year. I was happy to see that the most productive bushes were nicely budded, though. Five different varieties of blueberries growing in a row, and the most productive are bushes producing big, juicy berries that are ideal for fruit salads and pancakes — and birds. Before we know it, there will be nascent berries where the flower buds are now. I’m already dreaming of pancakes.
If you have a small patch of sunny soil in your yard, and live in a climate that experiences temperature in the thirties for at least a month and a half out of the year, I highly recommend putting in a few blueberry bushes. You don’t get much more local than your own backyard, and you can be in complete control of what goes into the soil and onto the plants.
Considering the harvest they yield, blueberry bushes are fantantastically low maintenance, and blueberries, at only 80 calories a cup, are considered an antioxidant Superfood and a Superfood for the brain. Blueberries are loaded with antioxidants and vitamins, and they may even help slow age-related mental decline and stave off urinary-tract infections.
In the Northeast, you can expect to harvest your blueberries in early July, but that may change due to weather conditions. Generally speaking, though, the Fourth of July is a great time to plan for blueberry desserts.
Happy spring!
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