Picking Blackberries

Thank you for all the Happy Anniversary wishes. We had a wonderful dinner out on Wednesday night at a new to us restaurant, called GianMarco's, in Homewood. I didn't take my camera (but probably should have, it's an adorable place). You have to make reservations even during the week, that's how popular it's become. And they were just written up in the paper last week (link above), so I'm sure a lot more folks will find them now. That's what convinced us we had to try it. Read the article if you get a chance and live in this area. It's Italian...and very authentically Italian, we are definitely going back. The food was superb! I had wild musroom ravioli and wow, was it good!

Now, an update on last weekend: Get a load of these blackberries! It's not your imagination and not because these are close-up pics...these are the biggest blackberries I have ever, ever seen. We went last weekend down to Petals from the Past, which I wrote about last year, for their annual Black and Blueberry festival. It's time for blackberries and blueberries to come in, so they open up for a weekend of berry picking.
We missed it last year and my hubby has never been down here, but has a keen interest in blackberries and blueberries, so we went and he was thoroughly impressed with the presentation.
Like me, many of you probably have fond memories growing up of picking wild blackberries in the woods, chiggers eating you alive, but oh were those some fun times. There's just nothing like fresh blackberries. Cobblers, with ice cream, they are a summer staple for us. Those wild blackberries are getting harder and harder to find. My hubby found some last year and we managed to make a couple of blackberry crisps, so he was determined to get more this year. You can see how they train the berries up on wires and posts which makes picking them a piece of cake. They were selling them for $5 a pint and we got 3 pints of them to bring home.

He's picked a few berries on our property, as well as in our neighboring woods, but I'm tellin' ya, they are nothing, nothing like these beauties.
My mouth gaped open as I walked up to the vines and saw this feast for the eyes. They are HUGE! We sat in on a demonstration from the owner's father, who is a former professor for Auburn University and a highly respected horticulturist in Alabama, Arlie Powell. He gave step by step instructions on how to grow these at home, so my hubby paid close attention and took home the handout. You can bet next year we'll have some blackberries and blueberries planted at our house.
The blueberries are just now getting ripe. Beautifully planted, they really take good care of their fruit crops.
Nothing like fresh blueberries too. My parents have several large blueberry bushes at their home in NC and we love to go up there and pick. My mom says the bushes are loaded this year, so we'll plan to go up at the end of July and get some of those.
Aren't they beautiful?

Figs are also grown here.
More blueberries, up close.

It's a nursery as well and they have heirloom plants and lots of fun garden items for sale. Such a fun place to visit and take your kids for an outing. They do several events a year. This is a family owned nursery and well known in Alabama.

Lacecap hydrangeas are just beautiful right now.
And the bees were having a fun time with them.
An oakleaf hydrangea with huge blooms.
And they also have muscadine grapes growing too.

Here you can see how big they are next to a quarter. Amazing, huh?
They are just too pretty (almost!) to eat.
I couldn't resist taking a pic in this white bowl.
And I made a blackberry crisp, which I shared the recipe last year, but will post again:

Fresh Blackberry Crisp
4 cups fresh blackberries
1/2 cup sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
2 TBL. flour, plus 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter

Preheat oven to 375*. In large bowl, combine blackberries, sugar & lemon juice together with 2 TBL. flour. Pour into deep dish pie plate. In separate bowl, blend remaining 1/2 cup flour, brown sugar, & butter. Mix until crumbly. Sprinkle over berries. Bake for 30 min. until bubbly.
Mine wasn't crumbly when I mixed it all with the butter, but I melted the butter & that's probably why. I think if you let the butter soften & then mix, it would be crumbly. With a little vanilla frozen yogurt, it was certainly yummy!

Thanks for going with us on our little tour of Petals from the Past and I hope you enjoyed this little outing in Alabama.

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Here's a little announcement: I'm going to be a contributing writer for decorating over at Blissfully Domestic Living. If you haven't visited, go and take a peek. It's an online women's magazine with several contributors who write about all sorts of interesting topics that appeal to women. Come on over and see what's happening!

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We have friends from Atlanta (Judy and Paul) coming over this weekend for a wedding and they are staying with us. Judy wants me to take her yardsaling and I've already scoped out a neighborhood sale close by, so guess what we'll be doing Saturday a.m. bright and early?!

Hope y'all have a good one too!