Garden Pic Wednesday: Butterfly Bush & Blackberries

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 I have 3 Garden Pics today:
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Dwarf Butterfly Bush:
This is a late afternoon shot this week. I can see this shrub from my sliding glass door and it looked so pretty with the late day sun on it!
A typical Butterfly Bush shrub grow to a huge size: 5-9 ft tall bb 4-6 feet wide; that's why I opted for a "Dwarf"size that would stay low and compact. I ordered it from a nursery catalog.
It's taken me awhile to figure out how to best prune it to promote fuller blooming and it's looking pretty good this year.




My Blackberries:
If you didn't know it, I raise Blackberries. These are thornless hybrid blackberries that make large berries and have an upright habit, but need support. I got a bumper crop of berries this year! 
I've had these 15 years or more and every season, pop up a new stem for me to stake, though I try to keep them in a row.




I've learned two new things about Blackberries this year:
1)  They thrive on neglect. Last year I did little aside from adding fresh ties.
2) They don't like being overly tied up or tied completely upright; they like room to droop a little; they like their berries to hang down.

This actually turned into a good talking point when I met with Michele last week who had just read that part of John 15 where Jesus talks about the Vine and the Branches. Jesus is talking about grapes, which require specific care in their cultivation--if you want to get the most grapes.
 (If you've never seen how grapes are grown, you ought to look up pictures of a grape vineyards or visit one, if you live near any.) 
I was able to explain the difference between Blackberries, which thrive on neglect and grapes, which require the most tender care, which includes pruning to get the most fruit. I pointed out that our circumstances of life are God's pruning snippers He uses to grow us to the greatest fruitfulness. 


Fruit from the Garden:
These are the last Spaghetti squash and Zucchini from my first planting. I've gradually pulled all that up as each finished and replanted fresh seeds for both. Probably one of the benefits of gardening in Florida.
These spaghetti squash are called "Small Wonder" and are a short-vine type for the small garden. Each vine produced 2 to 3 squash and the vines ran about 8 feet.
 They smell buttery inside when cooked. I just cooked them whole in a slow cooker. Already ate the first 3.



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