How are the blackberries around your way?

[Time40]

I've been in West Yorkshire recently ... terrible blackberries, tiny stunted half-grown things; they looked as though they hadn't formed properly - and the bit of Yorkshire I go to is usually awash with them. I've also been in Somerset - total lack of blackberries. I found my first blackberries of the year so far in the nature reserve next to South Mimms services, of all unlikely places - absolutely brilliant berries; so big and sweet that we're going to eat them just as berries tomorrow (I usually stew them up with apple). I've been to Cambridge today, but I forgot to check there. What is the blackberry situation like where you are?

We grow them in our garden. They are big, juicy and plentiful. Will probs may get around 30lb.

East Yorks.

pritty good, some more tasty than others but overall ok

Ours are enormous. I've picked loads.

It’s a bit early still. Around here (SW), they come out more towards end of August, though I have started picking the first of them.

But this has been a very strange summer. My garden which is usually overflowing by August is still just barely getting going. I compete in flower shows every August and usually I have a whole garden full. Some varieties haven’t even blossomed at all yet. I know lots of folks struggling with grazing at the moment because grass just isn’t growing. Hay and straw are going to be very expensive thus winter, hence lots of increases to food costs.

That said, blackberries will come, but I still think it’s quite early.

Wonderful in London! A mega crop in the garden and by the bus stops near here. Great size and abundance

Central Scotland - rubbish for brambles this year, dry spring/early summer followed by wet late summer - cold all through. No damsons either & DM tells me their plum & apple trees are poor also.

Yes loads
Here, Se London, kids came back from the stables fully blackberried today

Really good in Kent.

Brilliant rounds us - Midlands.

They are. There's a machine to drive over them to get them (I know this because of Clarkson's Farm!)

Goodness! I didn't know that (about blackberries being an actual farmed crop).

Devon they are beautiful. Lovely and juicy

Did you think the ones in the supermarket are hand picked from the hedgerows? 😄 YANBU though as supermarket ones are always tasteless imo. Hedge is the way to go.

We're in Bucks - haven't been blackberrying out and about but have a large bush in our garden. There's blinking loads of them this year - I'm sure we haven't had as many in previous years. Some of them are massive too.

Beautiful blackberries here in Birmingham.

Also London. Tonnes of absolute beauties.

Went blackberry picking yesterday. I live a half mile from the west yorks border but officially in south Yorks. We had to search for the good ones but we got a good haul! Off again today to get another bag full before they all go.
But no apples on my trees this year 😞

Terrible in NE London. The heatwave fried most of them and the hordes of foragers did for the rest.

Lovely ones in my garden (overrun with brambles lol). Still waiting for
the ones on the north side of the hedge to ripen though.

Suffolk.

Amazing blackberries this year! Cotswolds.

As mentioned by PP, really good down here (Surrey). Picked some past couple of weekends.

Awful in the hedges where I am in Cornwall. I think it’s been too wet.

Picked four boxes full yesterday in south wales, they were lovely.

Locally (Somerset) not too much, still small and fairly sour. Plenty to come though, and I usually make blackberry picking part of the weekend closest to my birthday in mid September.

However, 2 weeks ago, there were heaps on the South Downs Way (near Itford Hill). We picked 5 takeaway boxes full, without needing to move, and there was easily 10x more we could have picked. Plump, juicy and warm in the sunshine, it was heaven!

I hate blackberries but absolutely loads here - West Yorkshire

South Midlands here. A huge crop everywhere. I picked about 10 lb for making jelly without any effort at all.