Good things about this time of year

[cupcake_goth]

I am not a fan of summer. I have whined at length about that. But! This is the time of year where when I think "Oooh, I want some blackberries", I can wander out into my back yard and pick a huge bowlful of them in 5 minutes.

Comments

[dragoonx.livejournal.com]

I would very much like some blackberries, but I'm in Florida. All my backyard has is bugs and hot.

[thep1x3l.livejournal.com]

Same here. =(

[domichan.livejournal.com]

If you have extra growing in your backyard that you don't mind parting with, I'd be happy to take some off your hands. :)

[cupcake-goth.livejournal.com]

You and domestinatrix will have to share, but sure! I've got LOTS of blackberries, and if they do what they did last year, we'll be able to pick them until the end of September.

[domichan.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm sure I won't need as many as she'll likely want, depending on how much your bushes are producing...? Are they ripe now or should I wait a while?

And again, thank you! :)

[tinkerbell86ca.livejournal.com]

I can do the same with raspberries!

[cupcake-goth.livejournal.com]

Oooh, nice! I keep idly thinking of planting raspberries, but I'm a horrible, horrible black-thumbed gardener. Blackberries will survive and engulf anything, so I don't have to fuss with them.

[tinkerbell86ca.livejournal.com]

Hey, Blackberries are tasty! The raspberries were growing there when we moved into this house in 1988. Same with the Concord grape vine. And rhubarb. And chives. I like all of those except for grapes.

[staxxy.livejournal.com]

this is because blackberries are actually weeds here. ;)

I am thinking I could plant raspberries and they would grow, for you. I don't have a black thumb at all. :)

[teenagewitch.livejournal.com]

I want some as well, guess time for a trip to the supermarket for some. Do you by chance make jam with yours?

[akumaxkami.livejournal.com]

Blackberries? That sounds lovely, but I prefer raspberries.

[spitecandy.livejournal.com]

so will there be pie?

[tommicat.livejournal.com]

I guess that makes me a summer goth since I love the heat over the cold of the other seasons. Mmm, I do so enjoy a good baking in the sun while wearing black.

I miss berries

[blackthornpixie.livejournal.com]

Count yourself exceptionally lucky. The New England area has a massive strike of Northern Blight this season and farmers (myself included sadly) have lost entire crops due to the fungus attacking our harvest. We are forced to burn the bushes and hope it kills the mold before it spreads too far. I expect the cost of blue berries especially will rocket up in the following months.

At the least our flower crops are doing well from the heavy dose of rains (as proof see icon).

[valdary.livejournal.com]

They should be ripe here in a week or so.
I bought some greengages today, if I'm well enough for standing up tomorrow I may try making some chutney

The young lady at WH Smith was kind enough to find me a chair while she processed my order and she tells me that the warehouse has Gothic Charm School in stock and my copy should arrive by next Friday

[angldst.livejournal.com]

B&N near me had two copies of your book! Now they've only got one!

;)

<3

-d

[sistawendy.livejournal.com]

Apples. Figs. Bloobries. Cukes. Tomatoes. Carrots. Yes, even summer squash tastes better when it's that fresh.

[evillilys.livejournal.com]

Blackberries!! My Grandma always makes fresh blackberry jam fresh blackberry cobbler every year! I haven't had any since I moved to Texas in 2005. :(

[tutneko.livejournal.com]

Have you ever tried using them as a natural dye? I heard that they make lovely shades of lavender and violet in the right mixes. I've seen it done, my Great-Grandma would dye baby clothing with the juice.

You can't wash them vigorously, but If it's impossible to get out of clothes usually, so I suppose you would only have to avoid stainfighters. And add the soap BEFORE the clothing when washing or else it will draw out the dye.

[blackthornpixie.livejournal.com]

there are companies that sell dye setters for natural dyes like that online if you ever want to try it

[tutneko.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but the smell of boiling Blackberries is so wonderful, why buy the dye when you can make it?

[blackthornpixie.livejournal.com]

Oh, I must have not been clear... I did not mean one should be buying the dye, just the solutions sold so that the color will not wash out even with stain lifters. I suppose one might also try the recipes for dye from medieval linens, but those often include nasty stinky animal fats.

I use the setter with the dye from my roses and it seems to work well, but for now it's name escapes me (as does the box I have kicking around in my mass of projects).

[tutneko.livejournal.com]

Well that's better, I just hope it doesn't smell, I would do many more pinking projects if it didn't.

[rena-librarian.livejournal.com]

Hi! I found you via the LJ spotlight and think you're adorable and entertaining. =D I've been browsing the Gothic Charm School site and I think a lot of your advice can be applied to anyone who lives their life out of the mainstream, not just Goths. =)

I, also, hate summer (being of the redheaded and easily-burnt persuasion), but surely it's not so bad in Seattle as it is in my area (north-central Arkansas)? The temperature has been hovering dangerously close to the triple digits for a few weeks now.

[turnfalkens.livejournal.com]

I am not a fan of summer either as I am comnpletely useless in heat. I am more of an autumn kind of girl. ;D.

[darkmuffin.livejournal.com]

I'd have to agree. GRAAAGH! Hot weather and harsh sunlight! YAAAAY! Blackberries in our back alleyway!!!

[mbarrick.livejournal.com]

We used to have a blackberry bramble in the back yard of the house I grew up in that was so epic that when we decided to cut it back one year we found a picnic table "lost" decades earlier by the previous owners.

[sinicallytwsted.livejournal.com]

Aww that's so awesome! When I was weeeee 'ittle my grandmother would take me out to pick blackberries in her backyard and then we would make homemade jam with them. Yummy! ;0)

[larystienli.livejournal.com]

I love fresh blackberries too - I just need to go to the woods down the road but we don't get enough to make jam or tarts :( We can pick loooads of blueberries in these same woods - blueberries are definitely my favourites.

[boromere.livejournal.com]

Summer is pretty intolerable to the goth lifestyle. Personally, I just don't have tolerance for heat no matter what I'm wearing. Fortunately, in Maine, it is only generally how for a few weeks out of the year.

[lady-wolf-bird.livejournal.com]

You know what the best thing about Summer is though? Autumn comes after it! X3