DO WE HAVE BLUEBERRIES?

Late last summer (about March I think) I planted two tiny blueberry shrubs into pots. No specific reason to do this except that I wasn't willing to pay the exhorbitant price for a tiny punnet of the fruit which was being sold at the time. I felt sure it would not be a short term exercise as having done some homework on the 'net' found it could be 3 to 4 years before these tiny plants were able to bear fruit.

Think I did the right things by making the soil acid for them and giving them 'treats' of seaweed tonics and the like and watched with interest as one of them in particular grew new shoots at a very quick rate. The notes on the 'net' which I'd consulted indicated that blueberries didn't mind a bit of frost in the winter so I knew they'd be OK being left where I had them. (Incidentally we've only had about 3 frosts so far this winter but we could get a few more into August).

I was rather surprised then to find little buds forming and the prettiest little pink 'bell' flowers breaking open all over the plants. Dozens of flowers and so tiny and petite. Saw a few native birds trying desperately to hang on to the flimsy twiggy branches to reach the nectar they obviously produce and wondered if the little shrubs would even survive the onslaught! LOL

To my great surprise on a recent morning when I was wandering in the garden having a look to see what was doing, I noticed what I think might be tiny berries. I guess time will tell - and because this is my first experience with growing anything in this line - but it looks at present as though there's quite a crop there. If they survive to ripeness then I suspect they will be ready long before the autumn season 2010 I had thought they'd be. In any event, we are looking forward to enjoying some home grown blueberries on our cereal if that happens.

Have a blessed day!