We live in a much more temperate climate than does Wayne. Arizona frequently suffers from summer temperatures of 110 - 115 degrees F. and is mild in winter. Our temperature in Maryland is a high of 90 or so in the summer and a low of 10 degrees F. in the winter.
At our previous home we had plenty of blackberry bushes until the county decided it would finally upgrade the road - made it much wider and cut down all the blackberry bushes.
Here, we are victims of another county - I have spied the bushes where the fruit is almost ripe, only to have this county come out and "tidy up" the roadside. Planting bushes here wouldn't help us, since we are teeming with squirrels and birds.
So - as Wayne says - you can buy a little box of unsatisfactory berries for about $4. Same way with blueberries and raspberries. Just as with those gorgeous-looking California strawberries, the flavour just isn't there. I have lots of memories of going to various commons to pick the blackberries and my mother making blackberry and apple pies and jams. I wish I could make that reality.
Dora
