I mean, look at these.
Multicoloured berries,
like necklace beads,
or sugared almonds,
or tiny speckled blue eggs.
They were growing on some kind of vine
on a wire fence surrounding the tables
at a café in Kew Gardens.
I have never seen anything like them.
Nobody was taking any notice of them.
They weren't flagged up as seasonal highlights
on the board at the entrance.
Finding them was a moment of pure delight.
If I can find out what they are
I'm going to grow them everywhere.
Absolutely amazing aren't they. Hard to believe they're real and natural! I'll look forward to seeing if you find out what they are. CJ xx
ReplyDeleteedible? Or deadly posionous??
ReplyDeletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ampelopsis_glandulosa_var._brevipedunculata
ReplyDeletePorcelain berry
I was hoping I'd hear from you! Many thanks. Invasive though. Hmm.
DeleteSuch lovely things: I want to plant some too. I wonder whether they would be more or less invasive than my invasive Mint, my invasive Japanese Anemone and my invasive Toadflax, all of which are fighting it out in the garden and would love a new foe in battle.
DeleteI'm sure Himalayan Balsam and Japanese Knotweed would be happy to enlist.
DeleteHow lovely - I have never seen the like.
ReplyDeleteHow interesting!
ReplyDeleteI was googling for it immediately. Want, want! But, yes, seriously invasive. One site I looked at said "Do not plant!" That was in America though. Perhaps the British weather might moderate it somewhat. :)
ReplyDeleteWell it doesn't seem to have worried Kew! Mind you I did notice that they had some Ground Elder so I drew comfort from that.
DeleteThey are porcelain berries! I've seen them in New jersey -- very invasive, but birds like them -- so there's that.
DeleteLucille, one of my friends has shown me these berries over in Central Park. They really are amazing in the way that they change color. Your photographs capture them so well!
ReplyDeleteHoping you won't mind my hijacking your site to leave a "reply" to Sue. xo
Not at all. Please talk amongst yourselves. It brings the Old Place to life somehow.
DeleteHello Sue. I wish you were still posting your marvelous blogs, but wanted you to know I recently shared your Kale Bacon Colcannon recipe with some friends after a lunch get together conversation somehow got on to how we were not natural kale fans. Thank you again for showing us The Way. xo
ReplyDeleteWonderful! The sort of thing I would have fallen in love with and planted immediately as a younger gardener and then lived to regret. Quite sure I would still have delighted in the berries each year when they were in season, though. And now I've sold house and garden anyway, so they'd have become someone else's delightful problem! ;-)
ReplyDeleteI could imagine the BBC using this bush as an April fool as they look so much like little choccie eggs.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it lovely that these things delight us so? And that there is always something new? Thanks Lucille.
ReplyDeleteAnd we all want a Fairisle sweater in those colours , if only someone else would knit it for us .
ReplyDeleteWhat an exciting discovery, such pretty little berries.
ReplyDeleteI, too,wish Sue would do another post.
How beautiful! Thank you.
ReplyDelete