What could be more delightful then to stand amidst a garden brimming with ripe, beautiful berries just waiting to be picked and popped into your mouth? All it takes is some forethought and patience to create what might be considered nature's own candy store within your garden landscape. Once established, they are not only lovely to look at, but provide a wonderful source of vitamins, anthocayanins (the anitoxidents that protect our bodies from cardiovascular disease, cancer and other degenerative diseases) and fiber. Best of all, they are extremely easy to freeze so that you can easily enjoy them long after the season ends.

The Basics:

Blackberries, Zone 5-9, prefer slightly acidic soil (pH 5.5-6.5), enriched with organic matter and well draining in full sun. With their desire to spread, they will require plenty of room in your garden and require good air circulation to stay healthy. Thornless varieties are readily available. Ripe berries separate easily from the core.

Blueberries, Zone 3-9, also require full sun, an acidic soil (pH 4.0-5.0) that drains well, kept moist, but not soggy and rich in organic matter. Highbush and Rabbiteye varieties will grow between 6 and 15 feet tall. Most cold-hardy are the lowbush varieties giving you a significant harvest without overwhelming your garden space. Blueberries are also beautiful ornamentals with leaves turning a striking red in autumn. Vines begin to bear in approximately 2 to 4 years.

When touched, ripe berries drop off the vines.

Raspberries, Zone 3-8, have the same requirements as blackberries also requiring sufficient room to spread. Varieties consist of summer-bearing producing a large mid-summer crop, and fall bearers yielding consistently from late summer into the fall. Red, yellow, purple and black varieties are available. Ripe berries drop from their core with the slightest pull.

Strawberries, Zone 3-10, again have the same requirements as blackberries and raspberries in terms of sun, acidity and soil. Plant in widely spaced rows and mulch well with straw for minimal care. Remove all but a few runners and plant on hills for maximum yields. To protect the berries from birds and other critters, cover with netting. Strawberries bear in the first season. Choose from June-bearing which provide one large early summer harvest, or day-neutral which yield continuously from late spring into the fall. Ripe berries pull easily from their stems.

Freezing is a snap. Simply spread unwashed berries (the drier the better) out onto cookie sheets, directly from the basket, in a single layer. With strawberries, remove the stems beforehand and cut large berries in half. Then place them on cookie sheets. Freeze for a few hours until rock hard, pour into freezer bags or containers, label them with the date, and store in the freezer. The frozen berries will maintain their integrity for six months. After that they are still eatable, but the color and flavor deteriorate and the skin and seeds begin to toughen. Frozen blueberries also tend to toughen so use in cooked sauces and baked dishes.

Remember too, there is also the option of picking these berries wild. Keep a basket handy in the car or hang onto one while out on your morning stroll. Those wild brambles appear along many roadsides and will provide you with a delicious and nutritious treat. And there are those wonderful pick-your-own fruit farms providing another source to fill your freezer. One for the mouth and two for the basket. Enjoy!