I love berries. I spent many summer days in the river bottoms of Kentucky picking Blackberries. I am sure I ate more than I put in my bucket, but Mom always had enough to make a Blackberry Cobbler. The cuts and scrapes were well worth it for my favorite summertime dessert, especially if we had some homemade vanilla ice cream.

Blackberries and Raspberries are some of my favorite berries and easy to grow in Florida. The pictures below are from my berry patch in Lakeland. I planted Blackberries and Raspberries in the same growing bed.

I have enjoyed Blackberries every spring and Raspberries every Fall. This arrangement seems to keep both plants happy and I get two crops from the same space. By just harvesting the ripe ones as they are ready, I can pick a bowl full everyday for about six weeks in the spring and six weeks in the fall. That is a lot of berry goodness.

The Blackberries above are a thornless variety, but the Raspberries are not quite so friendly. Keep the bed small enough that you can reach in and harvest berries without having to fight the thorns. I am looking for another variety that will produce fruit between the Blackberries and Raspberries in the Summer to maximize my system.

Keep them mulched and watered until they get established. They will quickly spread out and fill the bed. Generally the Raspberries have spread from their roots, little ones start popping up all over the bed. I usually take a long cane of Blackberry and cover up part of it with dirt to start more plants, it does not take long to root.

Have a fruitful summer!