This afternoon we were blessed with what The Weather Channel app predicted would be “a steady soaking rain.” But before it started, I threw some flower seeds in the cold frame, transplanted some watercress seedlings, and visited with Kate from Foraged & Sown.

She helped us pull a few blackberry starts from along the fence line and the easement behind our yard. If you’ve ever been to Pacific Northwest, you know that blackberries can be really invasive. We started with one plant about 6 years ago and now we have at least a dozen. And then there are the volunteers. When their canes reach down to the ground, blackberries send out roots and produce new canes; which produce new plants. After a few years with little attention, our plants were reproducing faster than the bunnies living under our shed.

The canes we harvested this weekend will go in the berry beds Kate’s starting at her place this season. We’re so excited to hear a final count of how many shoots we gathered and to see what becomes of them in the space Kate is cultivating!

You can find Kate every weekend starting April 25th at the Clintonville Farmer’s Market. Be sure to stop by her booth to check out what she has for sale and pick her brain about edibles that may be hiding out in your backyard. Today we learned that this little weed is Hairy Bittercress. It’s edible and tastes an awful lot like broccoli.