blueberries here
for 4 weeks now. Season should be done in another week or two.
A couple years back I planted 3 bushes because blueberries are amongst my most favorite things to eat. There is also quite a bit of savings involved - what I picked most days(4-5 times a week) would cost $5-10 at the store(say $30 a week).
I figure another year's harvest will pay off what it cost me to plant them. The soil here is clay and blueberries require loose acidic soil. For each bush, I dug a hole 2 feet deep with a 5 feet diameter. I then built up a raised bed using [link|http://www.pavestone.com/retail/retaining.html|pavestone]. I filled in the hole with a mixture of dirt, sand and peat moss. I used the "old dirt" to fill in the low spots in my yard.
The birds discovered them mid-season last year, so this year I got some netting. Per the insructions, I just tossed the netting over the bushes; however, it's a hassle getting underneath to get the berries. The netting snags on berries and branches(broke a few even). I'm going to build a frame for the netting next year, possibly using PVC. Blueberry bushes down here are almost like trees, comparied to what I was used to growing up in Illinois and Wisconsin. One of the bushes is already taller than I am.
I did figure out this year that the berries taste best if you let them set on the counter a day. I haven't tried any recipes yet, I tend to just eat them with a squirt of whipped cream. The new [link|http://www.reddi-wip.com/products/products.html|chocolote whipped cream] is very good on them :-)
