After reading: The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer
This week we purchased three blueberry plants. We haven’t had a blueberry bush since we said farewell to our home in Massachusetts in 2007. Those plants were a birthday gift from my father one April. I don’t remember most of the birthday presents I have received in my lifetime, but I can still remember the joy those blueberry bushes gave me.
The blueberry bushes were a gift that fed me pleasure for years. Each spring when their pink tips started to spread at the edges of green leaves, I relaxed in the return of spring. Gradually the pale white blossoms would begin to expand. The bees and butterflies thought the flowers were an offering just for them. They kissed each tender bloom and carried the pollen from one plant to an other. By mid summer each flower had transformed into a plump juicy berry, dark blue with a rim of pink by the stem, like a berry belly button.
It didn’t take long before the birds discovered the gift too. I’m not sure how many years it took for those bushes to produce enough berries to fill a small bucket, but it did take us a while to notice that if we didn’t put a net over the bushes the birds would gobble all of them up before we had a chance to berry pick. Even after we tied netting around each bush, the birds still got a generous share from what dropped to the ground. Once they discovered that, if they flapped their wings around the netting, a shower of berries would land at their claws and they could feast to their fill. We didn’t mind sharing. There was still enough to put on our morning cereal bowl or put in a bumbleberry crumble.
Since we moved into the retirement community our house has a much smaller garden space, so the blueberry bushes are a variety that is supposed to grow in a pot and they will reach a height of only two to three feet. In Florida February is a good time to plant. The advertisement claims that the plants will produce sweet, dark blueberries. Will there be enough berries to put a few on our cereal bowls, or into a bumbleberry crumble? If not, we will be glad to provide a bit of sustenance to the bees and birds.
For those who do not know about bumbleberry pie or bumbleberry crumble, here’s how I make mine. It is different every time. I use any mix of assorted fresh and/ or frozen berries… strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, raspberry. My Canadian relatives usually add some chopped apples. If strawberries are part of the mix, you can add some chopped rhubarb. It takes about five cups of fruit in all. I toss the fruit in a small amount of sugar and some cornstarch. I like mine quite tart but most people add more sugar and even honey to their crumbles. Then I put the fruit in a nine by nine baking dish and cover with a mixture of oatmeal, flour and brown sugar. I plop several small chunks of cold butter on the top and bake. It’s my favorite dessert and best when shared.
My Turn 