Identifying Backyard Berries

Who doesn’t love berries! With so many varieties, it’s hard to resist sampling them. But can you tell the difference between a black raspberry and a red Loganberry: when is it ready to pick? Why do some growers cut their raspberries to the ground in the fall while others leave their canes through the winter? Why do some strawberries bear fruit in the fall and others don’t? Is it safe to eat those little red landscaping strawberries or the random berries that grow out on the trails? What about elderberries: they’re used in cold remedies but can you eat them off the bush without cooking them first?
If you want to learn to identify the common backyard berries of Whatcom County, this short, interactive class can answer your questions. A brief lecture and discussion will be followed by hands-on identification exercises during a tour of the Berry Garden to give you practice identifying berries by their leaves, berries, and behavior characteristics.

Class is outside, please come prepared for the weather.

You may also like the following events from WSU Whatcom County Master Gardeners:

• This month, 19th July, 01:30 pm, Growing Berries Vertically in Ferndale
• This month, 26th July, 12:00 pm, Hovander Annual Daylily Bloom Exhibit in Ferndale
• This September, 20th September, 11:00 am, Dahlia Day in Ferndale

Also check out other Workshops in Ferndale, Trips & Adventurous Activities in Ferndale.