I have shared the fruit of several plants on this project but so far neglected the one which was a gift to us from the wildlife around us. Behind our workshop/barn is a patch of wild blackberries that suddenly appeared one year out of the blue, presumably sown by birds. For the first few years we just picked, but last year I cleared them out and was rewarded with a bigger harvest and fewer scratches. The berries are large, juicy, delicious and prolific and protected by thorns and spider webs. We are put off by neither of these defenses, but pick them every year by the bucket full to freeze for winter fruit. Despite the clearing out, our clothes are snagged and our arms and legs are scratched as we pick, but the harvest is worth every bit of pain. Every morning and some evenings we enjoy them on our oats and sometimes with our evening ‘nicecream and blueberries. To top off their benefits, they look so beautiful! So they feature as a fruit in our Flower a Day today. Close your eyes and you can almost hear the bees buzzing in the flowers nearby as you imagine yourself picking these in the late summer heat. And pop a few into your mouth as you do so…

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