These are Lonicera caerulea plants, otherwise known as Honeyberries. I bought the plants three years ago from Thompson & Morgan. A male and a female variety are required to produce fruit. In the first year, no flowers appeared. Last year only one plant flowered, so no fruit. But this year both plants are flowering, and as you can see a bee appeared and flittered between the male and female flowers. Isn't nature wonderful ?
So you would think that I would be eagerly awaiting the first fruits, wouldn't you ? Well, I would have been, but a few months ago, Which? Gardening magazine published an article about growing unusual fruit. You know what's coming here don't you? Yes, amongst the fruit they tested were Honeyberries, and they weren't very impressed with them. Basically, the fruit didn't taste very nice. Foiled again. Oh well, I'll just have to wait and see. If they don't taste nice, I think I'll still keep the plants for the birds. Maybe they'll eat the honeyberries instead of the blueberries, or is that just wishful thinking ?
These Wood Pigeons decided to spend Easter looking for furniture. After having a bath, they spent the afternoon trying to pull branches off the hawthorn hedge, not very successfully.
But this Collared Dove went to a furniture shop instead, see the twig in its beak. It spent the afternoon taking twigs to its nest in the conifer tree.
And those blue tits? Well, yesterday both of them went into the nest box, so maybe the bee has moved out. We shall see.
Crystal it is so nice to finally have something work like bushes fruiting....I have to net the berries I want for me so the birds can have others...your doves are certainly making themselves at home!
ReplyDeleteJeżeli okaże się, że owoce nie są dobre, też bym trzymała krzew dla ptaków. Gołębie pracują, bo gniazda muszą zbudować. Pozdrawiam i życzę miłego drugiego dnia Świat Wielkanocnych.
ReplyDeleteIf it turns out that the fruit is not good, I would have held the bush for the birds. Pigeons are working, because I need to build a nest. Regards and have a nice second day of Easter.
I've heard of honeyberries but have never eaten them. I grow thornless blackberries for the birds. I'd love to eat them but they always beat me to it so I just gave up. :o) They hop along the fence and rip them right off the branch. That pigeon looks a bit sassy in her bath. She's probably wondering what you're doing!!!
ReplyDeleteThey look very much like ordinary honeysuckle - but I've never heard of honeyberries. Shame they're not nice to eat. I have enough berries for me to share with the birds. Looks like this Easter Monday is going to be a washout, and I was hoping to get so much done. Typical Easter weather!
ReplyDeleteIf the berries do not taste good, I think you will get as much, or more, enjoyment out of watching the birds and bees enjoying the flowers and fruit. The sparrows in my garden have been trying to build their nests in the purple martin house for a few weeks now. We keep removing the nest material they add. Tenacious creatures.
ReplyDeleteAn enjoyable read again and lovely photo of the Collared Dove. I hadn't heard of this type of Honeysuckle so looked it up to see what the fruit looked like, quite an odd shape I thought! If you decide you don't like the taste I would definitely consider leaving it for the birds, I'm sure they'll love it :-)
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like your Wood Pigeons need some help from my Magpie removal men :-) they are very adept at removing the furniture from my old Apple tree!
Surely with a beautiful name like honeyberries they will taste delicious! At least, I hope so.
ReplyDelete