It has been a very hot and dry spring and usually at this time of the year we are hoping the rain would stop. Instead we are now praying for rain! The impact of the hot spring is that it is shaping up to be an early berry season. At the moment we have a good supply of red raspberries, loganberries, youngberries, blackberries, gooseberries and red currants. By mid December all the berries should be available (except strawberries and blue berries). Strawberries have been a sad story this year. We needed to renovate and replant our strawberry patch last autumn. Phil began preparing the new rows in May. The rain started in June and it didn't stop raining long enough for the soil to dry out to finalise the ploughing until September. Then the rain stopped completely and it was too hot and dry to plant the strawberries or those we did plant died in the October heat. Hence a very sad strawberry patch, which is now ready for replanting next autumn. So for this summer there will be very few strawberries available. As usual we only have a small patch of blueberries and high demand so it is pot luck whether there are any ready for picking on the day you visit. We will email you again when peak berry season has begun and the berries are in excellent supply.
From the team at Sunny Creek Berry Farm.