The Post Where I Deflect Attention from What I Have Not Yet Planted

Last week, I stopped by Blaine's Farm & Fleet, hoping to pick up some raspberry bushes. They were out. I thought I'd settle temporarily for some prettily colored Caladium for some of the shady areas of the yard. They were out. It seemed like everything I wanted, Farm & Fleet was out of.

My friend Michelle recommended Lowe's. I think I mentioned in my previous post that I still find it odd to pick up plants and food and toilet paper in a hardware store. But I had to stop by Lowe's anyway for some lamp finials to put on the ends of rods on a Goodwill-purchased towel rack (no luck), so I figured I'd check out the plants.

I came away with more than I bargained for. Not only did I find a variety of raspberry bushes, but I also lugged home asparagus and rhubarb starts as well as a couple of different onion sets.

The same day, I planted the raspberry bushes--one golden raspberry, one red raspberry, one black raspberry--and a blueberry bush. (I know--you can't really see them in the photo--just the dirt for the holes and the dirt I didn't manage to scrape back into the holes.) Someone recently said that once the bushes start growing, they will "take over"--I can only hope! I love summer berries, and it would be nice to have enough to freeze for winter eating. We do have a couple of mulberry trees, so I'll try making mulberry freezer jam this year. (I don't do canning--too much hot, particular work for me. Freezing is more my preservation style.)

My question for readers is this: what is the best way to remove mulberry stems? Just pinch them off with your fingernails? (Of course, I've bitten all my nails to the quick, so I don't really have any nails to pinch with.) Use scissors or some other implement? What do you advise?