Blackberry - Brambles
In the early summer months, you will start to notice the bramble vines spreading across hedgerows, pathways, back gardens and almost everywhere else. Little buds form which turns into little pink and white flowers, then the fruits form after these starting green, turning red and then finally black.
Blackberries have lots of medicinal uses as they are high in antioxidants as well as being high in vitamin C, K, and nutrients such as magnesium.
These fruits start to crop up during summer months into early autumn, they make a good pie or crumble with apples when they are in season.
All parts of this plant are edible in some form, stems can be candied, leaves can be dried for tea, and the fruit has numerous uses.
Red Raspberry 'Rubus Idaeus'
Raspberries are generally perennials which produce canes from a root system, they tend not to flower in the first year. The flowers are white which bloom in spring and the fruits are ready when ripe in summer or autumn depending on the variety. These grow in the wild typically in forests forming under tree canopies.
Golden Raspberry 'Rubus Ellipticus'
The golden raspberry is native to Asia but has been cultivated to grow in most climates, pictured to the right are autumn fruiting raspberries. The taste is much milder but also quite sweet than the red fruits.
Strawberry - White Delight
Garden Strawberry - Fragaria ananassa
Garden Strawberry - Fragaria ananassa
These strawberries are a hardy perennial, they prefer a warm and sheltered spot outside. It's characteristics are having pink or white flowers, white fruit and red seeds which is a good deterrent to birds as they appear unripe.
Garden Strawberry - Fragaria ananassa
Garden Strawberry - Fragaria ananassa
Garden Strawberry - Fragaria ananassa
The garden strawberry is a widely grown hybrid species of the genus Fragaria which is cultivated worldwide. The fruit is bright red in colour, has a juicy texture, and a sweet aroma.
False Strawberry - Potentilla indica
Garden Strawberry - Fragaria ananassa
False Strawberry - Potentilla indica
This strawberry grows in the wild, it's looks are different to other strawberries, these are more rounded with little pin sized balls surrounding it.
This fruit is edible, it's flavour is very mild and not very sweet but adds great floor coverage to a wild spot in your garden.
Gooseberry - Ribes uva-crispa
Gooseberry is a flowering shrub with the branches being thickly set with sharp spines. The bell-shaped flowers are produced, singly or in pairs, from the groups of rounded leaves. The fruits are often of good flavour. The berries are usually green, but there are red, purple, yellow, and white variants.
Cape Gooseberry - Physalis peruviana
Although being named a cape gooseberry this is not the genus Ribes but is related to the nightshade family. Physalis is the common name found at farmers' markets, and some specialist shops. The fruit is a smooth round berry similar to a small tomato removed from it's calyx, it is yellow to orange in colour, sweet in taste with a mildly tart like flavour.
Blueberry - Vaccinium caesariense
Blueberries are a widely distributed perennial flowering plant, wild blueberries reproduce by cross pollination and prefer a loamy soil.
These fruits are high in antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins.
There are many other cultivated varieties like 'Pink Lemonade' which produce pink berries and have a sweeter taste.
The Wild Blueberry - Bilberries
On my recent travels back to Sweden, I was fortunate enough to come across bilberries. This fruit also known as a wild blueberry was growing all throughout the woods close to where I was staying. These berries can be found in the UK but they tend to grow further north toward Sheffield and Scotland during the late summer months into Autumn. They have a similar taste to cultivated blueberries which are full of anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals.
Blackcurrant - Ribes nigrum
Whitecurrant - Ribes rubrum 'White Grape'
Blackcurrant - Ribes nigrum
The blackcurrant is a deciduous shrub grown for it's edible fruit, it is winter hardy and produces bunches of small, glossy black fruit along the stems in the summer.
The raw fruit has a balance of sweet and tart notes which is rich in vitamin C and polyphenols. These are very versatile in the kitchen to make jams, syrups, wine and can be introduced to savoury dishes.
Redcurrant - Ribes rubrum
Whitecurrant - Ribes rubrum 'White Grape'
Blackcurrant - Ribes nigrum
Redcurrant fruit are known for their tart flavour and can often be found in supermarkets as a jelly for savoury dishes.
Currant bushes prefer partial to full sunlight are low-maintenance and can grow in most soil types.
Whitecurrant - Ribes rubrum 'White Grape'
Whitecurrant - Ribes rubrum 'White Grape'
Whitecurrant - Ribes rubrum 'White Grape'
The white currant or known as white grape is a cultivar of Ribes rubrum, these are much sweeter in taste than blackcurrants and less tart than the red variety. There are also other cultivars producing yellow and pink currants.