#gooseberry bushes

[allthingssoulful-garden]

No other berry in my garden has thorns as unforgiving as this one. Gooseberries are the worst to harvest.

[liebelesbe]

btw everybody I highly recommend gooseberries. sound of the summer 👍

[struggling-to-find-home]

Me: Aight, you want me to deal with the gooseberries now after you yelled at me to not touch the gooseberries at the threat of death. Both the green bush and the red bush?

My mother: What red bush?

Me: ...The red bush. The red bush next to the car.

My mother: I know of no red bush.

Me: The red bush you got into a three week long fight over because [brother] dared to touch it and it was apparently your most prized possession? The bush mentioning which invokes immediate psychic damage on anyone in the family? That bush?

My mother: Is it still alive? Yeah, deal with it then.

Me: (⁠┛⁠ಸ⁠_⁠ಸ⁠)⁠┛⁠彡⁠┻⁠━⁠┻

[exopelagic]

fruit <33333333333

[elderflowerecho]

Used to think i was really born under a gooseberry bush like mummy used to say sometimes as a joke, but that never meant that sibling was born under one too. In my head they were born the normal way and found me under the bush when they were all walking one day in october - closer to the ground they saw me through the branches better than mummy and daddy could. They brought me home and wrapped me up and then sibling taught me how to be a person a human being. Because mummy and daddy were busy it was all up to them to help their changeling sister grow up to be a person that walked on two feet and didn't crawl, that listened when their name was called.

Was that why i kept running away, running off, on holiday trips and they had to catch me? Because i heard something from my old gooseberry life and almost disappeared forever? What an awful thing to happen to mummy and daddy, sibling would have only had my shoes and coat and scarf to bring back.

[elainemorisi]

I am SO sad that gooseberries are banned here :( :( :( Minnesota supremacy

[winewhineweiner]

Crisp, slightly tart, slips down a treat!

[sh1-n0bu]

NOBU BRUDDAH YOU HAVE A SUMMERHOUSE???

ye???? lol i think i spoke of it before but probably not eh. but ye i do have a summerhouse. a nice old, 2 story brick house. cold during hot days, quickly and easily warmed up during the cold rainy days bc we have a stove in the front room. and i also have a bunch of types of trees growing in my summerhouse yard lol. blueberries, sea buckthorn trees (absolutely a life saver during winter. keeps ur immune system STRONK like a dwarf), some elm trees, like 4 cottonwood trees, gooseberry trees, 2 pines and a chinese pink rose bush lmao

[utilitycaster]

*kate bush voice* be guarding up that veil with some problems

After the remaining companion quests and conversation, ranging from epic (Harding embracing her anger in the heart of a titan) to sweet and funny (assisting Davrin in feeding halla for his adoptive uncle while Assan adorably helps and learning about baby Davrin - btw this scene hits WILDLY for me as Rook is a human dating Bellara and is trying so hard to be respectful of Dalish customs and Davrin is like they're mid but also I'm the most intense man in Thedas and take all obligation deathly seriously so get those fucking berries) to "kill a fucking dragon, and then also serve as the buffer for your friend coming out to their mom awkward dinner simulator, and frankly the dragon is more pleasant." Anyway things got wild out in Arlathan because I did a brief sidequest and then was like hmmm I should help the Veil Jumpers out, after all, and I must say the plot there FUCKS. Like, you find the hook (I took Bellara and Neve for obvious Arlathan Dalish + Venatori reasons) and IMMEDIATELY it's like "the Venatori will sacrifice the Dalish" but also four companion quests open up but I was like I HAVE TO HELP THE DALISH AND ARLATHAN THAT'S BELLARA'S PEOPLE so I went STRAIGHT into Blood of Arlathan.

Blood of Arlathan is REALLY good for the following reasons:

You have to take Neve, which you should have anyway, and I took Bellara again, and while I'm a fighter not a mage I have some VICIOUS ranged and AOE shit and my stuff is in the spirit realm so it was really like BY OUR POWERS (ice/fade/death) COMBINED. Again, I remain on story mode for combat because I only am just now kinda getting the hang of it beyond keysmashing, but I have some DEVASTATING necrotic attacks and also if I successfully block with my shield i send back more death energy. It's deeply sexy of me, frankly.

More importantly plotwise the infiltration is fun as shit, I love seeing Neve intimidate people and then Bellara breaking Elger'nan's control, and it manages to feel urgent and scary without having the overwhelming dread and Zombie Rush of The Cauldron.

Some of the puzzles annoy me. The maze is actually fine because Solas kicks in JUST when you're about to get upset in real life which is some good QA if I do say so but it is always annoying when you're like THE DALISH ARE TRAPPED! LET ME FIND A FUCKING HIDDEN POWER CRYSTAL. It wasn't even HARD it's just the principle of the thing. The Venatori crystals, also fine, though it's always hard to force myself to focus on protection crystals/blight boils mid-combat even though it's ultimately the point and my companions can't die in standard fights.

Obviously, the Solas of it all rules; it's kind of overwhelming having him and Elger'nan fighting in your mind as you fight for the final door...which it should be, that's what Rook's doing! Good synchronicity.

Lucanis being unable to unlock the gate is hilarious. I wonder what happens if you take him instead of Bellara as your second team member. This is either why Neve hasn't spoken to him since the gooseberry pie (*Neve voice* he's a sap who can't open a door.) or, alternatively, this is BECAUSE Neve hasn't spoken to him since the gooseberry pie (*Lucanis voice* was it too sweet? too tart? Is she not interested? Mierda. meanwhile Taash, Davrin, Emmrich, and Harding like FOCUS UP BITCH.) Literally though I've popped into the lighthouse for my usual eavesdropping and there's been some great ones (Emmrich and Bellara discussing how one might cite Solas's Regrets, Taash and Lucanis being like talking about your feelings is stupid, Neve moving from Bellara could you fucking stop being a silly child about serials to Bellara, you are a lovely person, but also stop being a silly child about serials, some wild stories about Manfred running around in a bedsheet, the reveal that Taash does dishes and chops fruit in the kitchen) but they haven't been seen together. Neve on the MAKER I'm taking you to the Dellamorte mansion because...

UNHINGED pack of sidequests I'll be doing this afternoon after work. It ranges from Bellara talking to her brother, a thing that has been eating her up inside since their first encounter; and Lucanis going to the Dellamorte estate to save his grandmother and deal with Illario (I told him to save Caterina, we're going the forgiveness route); and Neve being like oh it's just a little personal errand in Dock Town :) even though LAST TIME she was like oh we'll grab dinner and then she was like well Hal is off tonight so guess we'll die skip rocks and have a break in the case so I ASSUME it's her slowly opening up more (I sound irritated. I am not. I'm thrilled.) and Davrin is like hey girl wanna Assan and chill (I assume it is indeed just that.). I also have a shitload of location quests and I have been informed by an informant that if I talk to Solas it opens up like 20 more quests SO time to leave Mr. I Don't Know I'm Bald on read again even though he did save me in Arlathan.

This might be a post to make separately but I must admit it took a bit to like, settle into RP-ing (you're telling me I have to RP in an RPG) especially one where the vibe of the choices is stated for me, which I admit does make me more interested in a second runthrough at some point in the future. There's definitely some early game stuff I'd like to run through again as less of an idiot with games and also while not actively nauseated. (Thanks again people who told me to use the middle of the screen accessibility dot and increase the FOV; I think some of it was gaining sea legs generally but those were immediately a huge help in doing so) but now it really is like oh yeah I have really intense feelings about what they're doing in Arlathan specifically, let's play that out.

haven't been to the wetlands in a while and that might be why I'm in such a great mood.

[briefbestiary]

A rather fuzzy defender of gooseberries. Her existence is one to ward children from stealing and eating gooseberries from the bushes.

[losech]

I've been planting native plants in my yard in an attempt to increase pollinator insect habitat, plus I just like them and want cool non-cultivated non-invasive plants to look at. I do not like modern American yards with their manicured grass and tidy flowers and round bushes. I like fucking chaos and bugs.

I have added asters, coneflowers, bergamonts, goldenrods, grasses, and some other native plants. I got a huckleberry bush for a pot and serviceberry tree that I put in a specific corner because a new neighbor with young children moved in recently and one day I hope the tree is tall enough for the kids to steal berries over the fence. I ripped out the burning bush in the front and replaced it with a black chokeberry. The lilac bush gets to stay because it's pretty and non-invasive. I put paw paws in a gap between two larger trees.

Anyways, it was going well until I started looking into currants and hit a wall. There are native currants and gooseberries here, but it turns out, the US tried to exterminate them because of white pine blister rust and they were straight up illegal to plant for a while. The federal ban was lifted in the 60's, but some states still have restrictions, Michigan being one of them.

Buying native types of currants is prettymuch not going to happen, and while I have found many wild gooseberries, I haven't yet found wild currants. There are, however, cultivated varieties that are legal to get here. I live in the area where red, white, and pink currants and gooseberries do not need a permit, but black currants do. I originally decided to just stick to red, white, and pink currants, so I started looking into the varieties. I found a few I liked but no local nurseries had those, so I looked into online nurseries, and found only one that had all three I wanted in stock that would also ship here. I did end up getting a few different currants and gooseberries from local nurseries while picking up other plants, and because I just can't let things alone, I applied for and got the state permit I need to grow black currants. If I like the plants from the online nursery (they just shipped and will get here while I'm out of town) I will order some more from them, since they have a big selection and carry many legal black currant cultivars.

[qapsiel]

@murderdeals It didn't take Cain long to find him, for there are not many places the angel spends his time at. Appearing out of nowhere, the demon regards his friend with a thoughtful frown. Maybe a bit troubled, too. " Castiel. We need to talk. "

                           CASTIEL NEARLY JUMPS OUT OF HIS SKIN. "Cain!" he exclaims, startled. He's been busy watching a garden spider weave its web between the fence and a gooseberry bush and didn't particularly pay attention to his surroundings. When he looks back now, the spider is gone, probably just as startled. "Talk?" he echoes then, giving his friend one slow blink. "Yes, of course." Then, because Cain looks somewhat troubled and not like his typical stoic self: "Are you alright? Do you require a hot beverage?" Those are supposed to help when someone is upset.

[blackswallowtailbutterfly]

My Garden Flowers Part 1

Just thought I'd give you all the garden tour. :) I will update when I get more photos. This is of course not counting any of my ferns or conifers as they don't flower. I might do a series of foliage posts, though. All photos mine, unedited.

In order of appearance:

001. Canada Plum (Prunus nigra) Not pictured as she hasn't flowered yet. I have her in a shady spot and she's fairly slow-growing but healthy.

002. Yellow Monkeyflower (Mimulus guttata) An annual that sadly doesn't seem to have reseeded despite flowering profusely last year. But maybe next year! That happens sometimes.

003. Boreal Yarrow (Achillea millefolia borealis) The place where she is is north-facing so she doesn't get quite as much sun as she'd like, so she can get a bit leggy but she still flowers so it's fine.

004. Canada Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) Not pictured as I haven't got any pictures yet, but I will if she flowers this year. I actually had to move her because she had planted herself in a not ideal location in my garden. Which is fine because I wanted one anyway.

005. Vierhapper's Aster (Aster alpinus vierhapperi) This was supposed to be Canada goldenrod, but it's okay because Canada goldenrod planted herself. I relocated her to the intended spot and they get along fine together. Asters and goldenrods generally do. :)

006. Common Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) I did not plant this! Must have been given to me by a bird or squirrel. Sadly she didn't reseed. Oh well, she's a cultivar and I did get the wild type. Interesting to me that she actually flowered in that area when her cousin stubbornly refuses to.

007. Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana) This refers to the fact you can move the flowers around, not to the behaviour of the plant, which is very aggressive.

008. Black Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) Not pictured as she hasn't flowered yet.

009. Enchanter's Nightshade (Circaea lutetiana) I didn't plant her; she just started coming up everywhere when I removed the grass. She is not a nightshade. I've learned that even people interested in planting natives regard her as a weed. I disagree. She's not aggressive to other plants and she's pretty.

010. Northern Gooseberry (Ribes oxyacanthoides) Not pictured as she hasn't flowered yet.

011. New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus) Haven't tried her for tea yet, but she's a lovely little bush.

012. Sunchokes (Helianthus tuberosa) Aforementioned cousin of the common sunflower. Not pictured as she keeps making her flowerbuds too late in fall so the frost gets them before they can open.

013. Potato Bean (Apios americana) Not pictured as she hasn't flowered yet.

014. Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) SUPER fragrant, especially in the evening. This is an aggressive plant but worth it for the flowers, the fragrance, and the butterflies they attract. Not to mention the young shoots, flower clusters, young leaves, and young seedpods are all edible if cooked properly!

015. Northern Bayberry (Myrica pennsylvanica) Not pictured as she hasn't flowered yet. Her leaves are nice and evergreen, though.

016. Virginia Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) Also known as "wild strawberry", but so is her cousin. She flowers reliably every spring but no strawberries yet. The flowers themselves are edible but I keep hoping she'll make strawberries. lol

017. Nannyberry (Viburnum lentago) Not pictured as she hasn't flowered yet.

018. Riverbank Grape (Vitis riparia) Not the greatest picture, but the point is I will get grapes one of these years!

019. False Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides) It was hard to pick a favourite photo. They're really quite stunning. She blooms from July until the frosts of October. :)

020. Canadian Serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis) Not pictured as she hasn't flowered yet. She's a wee little tree in the shade for now.

021. New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) Probably the most attractive of the Symphyotrichum asters, to be honest. The flowers are more compact than most of her relatives while still being a decent size, and the colour is much more saturated too. And the bees absolutely love her. But that doesn't stop me enjoying other asters!

022. Common Elder (Sambucus canadensis) She almost died when I potted her for the move. See I dug up as much of her taproot as I could, but she'd already gone quite deep and I had to break it. But she lived! She's quite big now and has these wonderful lacy white elderflowers every year, with elderberries to follow.

023. Coralberry (Symphoricarpos orbiculata) Not pictured as I didn't get any pictures yet. Should have when I first got her. She was in flower then. She hasn't since.

024. Black Raspberry (Rubus occidentalis) Not pictured as I don't have pictures yet. Don't know why. lol I've taken pictures of the berries. I'll remember next year.

025. Fox Geranium (Geranium robertianum) A true geranium I managed to trade for last year. You mostly find these in the woods and now I have her in my garden.

026-027. Common Hops male and female flowers (Humulus lupulus) I can't remember which is which, but yeah! I could flavour beer if I was a brewer. :)

028. American Spikenard (Aralia racemosa) Another one with lacy little white flowers, and it looks like some of them are going to fruit!

029. Silverweed (Argentina anserina) After several failed attempts, this one has finally taken off. Truly lives up to her name in the spring and has these nice yellow flowers later on.

030. Hoary Vervain (Verbena stricta) The name must refer to the leaves, which are kind of blue-grayish, because the flowers are just a nice purple.

[ahedderick]

Maddening. A fully-loaded gooseberry bush (the tiny berries still have the spent blossom hanging on) that will cast ALL its fruit before they get any bigger than peas. I had a gooseberry bush at my farm twenty years ago, and it set fruit and then lost it every year. I asked a person from the Ag services, and he told me that there was a pathogen (connected to white pine? maybe?) that caused this. To get fruit, I'd have to spray it every two weeks from the flower stage onward. I didn't want to do that, both because it's too much hassle and because I just don't want a food plant around that can't do its job without chemical warfare.

This massive, luxurious bush down at Home Farm made berries one year, about five years ago, and since that time it has just dropped the fruit like mine used to. I'm going to cut it down (grumpily, probably whilst cussing) next winter.

The lovely barn behind it my father built when I was a child. It was the barn for goats. It's been empty since 1992, but it will soon be a mews for a hawk. For a while. Then, who knows?

This (erosion) is a mess, and I don't know what to do about it. Fixing something that big takes large equipment, and also stuff like complicated government permits. (Pinching my nose and looking haggard)

Odd heaps of soil, trash, and beautiful flowers. My father's legacy, in one image.

[tomorrowillbeyou]

this is soooo crazy like i truly dgaf i will eat blackberries right off the bush elderberries too and currants and gooseberries in fact i will eat strawberries straight off the plant when they've been growing in direct contact with the ground. IDGAF!!!!!!!!