I planted a Cape Gooseberry (Physalis peruviana) bush in the backyard at Struan Farm this past spring. It was a bit of a mistake on my part. John always talks about the gooseberries in the garden growing up, and I thought this plant was what his parents had. Nope. It was another type of gooseberry entirely, oops!
Be that as it may, the Cape Gooseberry got planted, and is doing well. It has fruited for the first time, although the berries are still ripening:
The berries are protected by beautiful green paper lanterns, which turn brown as they ripen.
When I saw the paper lanterns encasing the berries, I remembered that these were the very same berries I ate in my grandmother's garden on Red Gate Road (New Vernon, NJ, USA) as a little girl, with another friend. Panic ensued, no one was sure if they were edible or poisonous. We were given a stern lecture: NEVER EAT ANYTHING FROM THE GARDEN UNLESS APPROVED BY AN ADULT. The other girl was just along for the ride, I was the instigator, so you know who really was in trouble, don't you?
So Cape Gooseberries and I have a history. I'm glad to have them here at Struan Farm, where little girls (and boys) can pick and eat them, under close supervision of course!
we had them in Eltham, Mum used to make a cape gooseberry Jam with them.
Posted by: Katherine Scott | 01/30/2016 at 10:36 AM