Berry plants can be winners in form and function
Berry plants are flavorful favorites in many kitchen gardens, but their ornamental value is all but ignored.
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These versatile perennials bloom in spring, fruit in summer and dazzle again in autumn, combining fashionable form with edible function.
Strawberries make an attractive ground cover, specially when flowering. Leaves on blueberry plants turn crimson in fall, and their bare red stems stand out dramatically against the wintertime snow. Grapevines draped over arbors are eye-catching any time of year.
"There's also no great mystery in growing them," said Barbara Bowling, author of "The Berry Grower's Companion." "If you select a good site and pay attention, you can grow wonderful fruit and have an interesting plant to boot."
Maintenance is minimal, but that doesn't mean the plants can be ignored.
"Water a day late and you've done avoidable damage," Bowling said from her home in Boise, Idaho. "Weed a week late and it's the same deal. Harvest the fruit late and you have a mess."
Time for a little definition. Fruits commonly called "berries" include strawberries, brambles (raspberries, blackberries and various hybrids), blueberries, cranberries, currants, grapes, gooseberries and elderberries, Bowling said.
Berries deliver a remarkable range of flavors and come in a wide range of colors. They frequently are eaten fresh, but just as often are processed into juices, jams, pastries and dairy products such as smoothies.
"Berries are high in nutrients and fiber and low in fat. ... Many species have high levels of numerous antioxidants and anti-tumor compounds," Bowling said.
They require little space in which to grow, and many begin fruiting just two to three years after planting.
"The fact that the fruit is borne on plants with such
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