I have small path of Alpine strawberries that doesn’t get a lot of attention. I weed it a few times a year and that really seems to be all it needs. The only real threat is the bindweed, so as long as I pull that back occasionally, I get berries.
The youngest boarder is a bit of a berry hound. We’ve had a pretty good year for golden raspberries, and think I’ve eaten two. He’s like a locust: he ensures that every berry is eaten. I certainly don’t mind, that’s what they’re there for. He’s also the only one who pays any attention to the Alpine Strawberries. He believes he’s a bit of an expert on finding the juiciest ones. I sat down with my berry hound and his brother to discuss all things berry over dinner the other night. The boss was out, so we had the table to ourselves.
Pop: What are your favorite berries?
E (6 yrs): I don’t really know, maybe strawberries, blueberries or raspberry. I know what it is for Isaac.
I: (9 years): Blueberries.
E: I knew you were going to answer that. I: That goes without saying.
Pop: (would you believe 29 years?): Why do you think raspberries have thorns?
E: To protect them from things that eat them.
I: to guard them while they’re growing
Pop: Why do the plants grow berries?
E: I don’t know the answer to that – so they have something to guard?
I: Raspberries are made of tiny circles or whatever and maybe they’ll fall off and there are seeds in those circle things and they’ll grow up. When animals eat the berries the seeds get in their poop and spread.
E: So, if you find raspberries you’ll find lots more.
I: But the bird might not poop right away.
This then brought on poop noises. Lots of them, for quite some time.
Pop: How can you tell a good strawberry from a bad one when you’re eating the Alpine strawberries? E: Bad strawberries are like whitish greenish, and the best strawberries have a blackish ring around it somewhere that means they’re really sweet. [for the record, I’ve never seen this ring and think it is imaginary]
Pop: Do you think those are different from the ones we get in the store?: E: They’re more juicy and they have milkweed in there. I bit half of the strawberry open one time and it looked like milkweed. I know it’s different but it looks the same.
Pop: How many berries can you name?
E: Raspberry, strawberry, blueberry, I: Hairy dangleberry! Raspberry, no blackberry. Watermelon?
Pop: what berry would you like me to grow?
E: Is mango a berry?
