The soil here on the ridge where I situated my office is highly acidic. Without a good dose of lime and fertilizer it’s not conducive to much in the way of fruits and vegetables, except for the native wild blueberry, better known as the huckleberry.
It’s a deep woods plant here, usually an intermittent shrub found in laurel thickets. Years ago one of those hucklberry bushes established itself in the woods I later cleared as a garden spot. I somehow missed it, I’m happy to say.
It’s right at the very edge of the vegetable patch outside my office, and thriving in the full sun in a way it never could in the woods.
This time of year, early to mid June, it’s fruiting in abundance. Takes a lot of work to gather a cupful of these pea-sized blueberries, but I’m rarely that determined. Whenever the mood strikes, I’m more likely to take a break from my desk, step outside and nip a handful or so. Then, pop them in the mouth for a sweetly tart bit of refreshment.
There’s more huckleberries to be picked every day until the season run its brief course. Plenty to satisfy me and the parade of birds which make their way to that bush throughout the day for the seasonal treat we share.
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