Boysenberries

Exactly ten years ago we secretly dug up a couple of boysenberry canes from my father-in-law's farm, secretly because my father-in-law is a difficult character at the best of times. We wanted to have a live boysenberry fence surrounding our farm house, first, because its thorns would keep unwelcome visitors out and second, there would be all those boysenberries to eat.

So, carefully and laboriously we made hundreds of root cuttings, planted them in special compost and in no time at all vigorous little shoots were coming out in all directions. Delighted with our initial success, we planted them as planned without suspecting that in a few years time they would take over. They now provide an impenetrable wall (with heavy eucalyptus trunks as supports), which has to be drastically pruned once a year. This is not an enviable job as ours is the old-fashioned variety, with delicious fruit but vicious thorns.

But it's been worthwhile. Come harvest time and there's no end to the pies, cobblers, jams, yogurt and boysenberry ice cream we'll consume. Some gets sold to local restaurants, who have boysenberries as something special on the menu. This year we are making a first attempt at boysenberry wine.