What is Best to Plant in May for a Bountiful Summer Harvest: Fruits (Part 2 of 3)

Continuing from Part 1, where we discussed the best Vegetables to plant during the month of May.  Below is Part 2 of 3: Fruit.

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Best Fruits to Plant in May

Some fruits take longer to establish, but May is still a great time to get them started.

🍓Strawberries (everbearing or day-neutral)

• Why plant in May: They settle in quickly and can produce the same year.

• Harvest window: Mid-summer through fall for everbearing types.

• Mentioned in the Bible?: Strawberries aren’t mentioned in the Bible, but within Catholic and Anglican traditions during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, they came to represent righteousness and spiritual purity due to their heart shape and sweetness.

• Myth: In Native American legend, strawberries grew from the ground where the tears of a woman fell after a quarrel with her husband — the berries helped reunite them.

• Legend: In medieval Europe, strawberries symbolized perfection and righteousness; they were carved into church altars and pillars.

🍉Melons (cantaloupe, watermelon)

• Why plant in May: They require warm soil and long growing seasons.

• Harvest window: August through early September.

• Mentioned in the Bible?: Melons appear in Numbers 11:5 alongside cucumbers. The Israelites remembered melons from Egypt, associating them with refreshment and abundance.

• Myth: In ancient Egypt, melons were believed to have sprung from the tears of the god Ra.

• Legend: Some Middle Eastern folklore claims melons were the first fruits cultivated after the Great Flood.

Raspberries & Blackberries

• Why plant in May: Canes establish well in warm soil.

• Harvest window: Next year, though some varieties give a small fall crop.

• Mentioned in the Bible?: While not named directly, brambles and thorny berry bushes appear symbolically. In Judges 9:14–15, the bramble is used in a parable about leadership, representing humility and caution.

• Myth: In Greek mythology, raspberries were originally white. They turned red when the nymph Ida pricked her finger while picking berries for baby Zeus.

• Legend: In Celtic lore, blackberries were avoided after Samhain (late autumn) because they were believed to be claimed by mischievous spirits.

Please continue to Part 3. We will be discussing the best herbs to plant in May.

To refer back to Part 1, click here.

Strawberries or Blueberries? Pineberry or Pink Lemonade? Let’s Decide

Life is full of difficult decisions.  Especially when it comes to gardening choices.  Tomatoes or peppers?  Herbs or flowers?  Raised beds or containers? 'But choosing between berries? YUM! What a delicious dilemma. 🍓🫐

As if it isn't hard enough to choose between growing strawberries or blueberries. Would you believe there are these two exquisitely delicious variations of these fruits, and you have to choose?  (Or not. 😊)

White Carolina Pineberry Plant VS 

Pink Lemonade Blueberry Plant.

Let's Discuss and Decide.

🍓White Carolina Pineberry Plant

If you are a gardener and you like strawberries, then you might like to try planting the White Carolina Pineberry plant. It tastes like pineapple and strawberry TOGETHER! If you can imagine that.

A pineberry looks like a strawberry that forgot to blush — white flesh, red seeds, and a flavor often described as strawberry meets pineapple. Some say exotic, some say unusual, and some people describe it as weird. But nobody ever calls it boring.

PROs:

• Works anywhere a regular strawberry works — including dipped in chocolate.

• A berry that tastes like pineapple and strawberry? Showing off? That's right!

• Your garden instantly becomes a conversation piece.

• Featured by natural health enthusiasts as a nutrient-rich fruit. (Natural Medicine)

• A fun gift for gardeners who like trying unusual plants.

CONs:

• If you believe all strawberries should be red, this one will challenge your worldview.

• Pineberries can be a little fussier than standard strawberries, so it's not for beginners.   

Fumikas Sagisavas, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

🫐 Pink Lemonade Blueberry Plant

Do you like lemonade? I do. What I like about lemonade is that you can vary the recipe and make it even better by adding another fruit. Do you like blueberries? Well then, there is no reason why you wouldn’t love the Pink Lemonade Blueberry plant. The berries ripen to a rosy pink and taste sweet-tart, like a blueberry with a citrus wink.

PROs:

• For people who always wanted blueberries to be PINK
• Surprisingly beginner-friendly — perfect for newbie gardeners.   
• People might be impressed if they saw them in your garden
• Works in all your blueberry recipes (including blueberry pancakes)  

 

CONs:

• Any fruit claiming to be a blueberry “relative” should be BLUE.  (O.o)  What?  It's not blue!!

Stark Bro's. “Pink Lemonade Blueberry - Check Out This Popular Plant.” YouTube, 23 Mar. 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwV9ituZoMU&t=5s.

* Want to learn more? Specialty Produce is a huge online resource for fruits, vegetables, and rare edible plants. Their site offers detailed profiles—flavor, history, seasonality, and storage tips—making it a favorite for gardeners, chefs, and anyone who loves discovering unique ingredients.

♦  White Carolina Pineberry Plant

A berry that tastes like pineapple and strawberry is a berry lover's delight! White Carolina Strawberry - Pineberry - Pineapple Hybrid Berry https://t.co/1BvmQituHf #fruit #exoticfruit #pineberries #strawberries #healthyeating #groceryandgourmet#Gifts for #Gardeners pic.twitter.com/yPOm8D0uTB

— My Shopping Channel (@goshoppingbees) April 13, 2026

♦  Pink Lemonade Blueberry Plant

Pink Lemonade Blueberry Bush Live Plant, 5-8 Inch Tall, Sweet Fruit Seedlings, 2-Pack https://t.co/6eNwG32OPU #fruit #exoticfruit #pineberries #strawberries #healthyeating #gardening #plants #groceryandgourmet#Gifts for #Gardeners [perfect for #beginners] pic.twitter.com/XQqXsSLxCF

— My Shopping Channel (@goshoppingbees) April 13, 2026

Enjoy Your Fruit By Season and in a Salad

Not sure how many of my blog readers have ever eaten an American Thanksgiving meal. If you have, then you know how heavy that meal is. Is it any wonder many people just want to go to sleep afterward? LOL.

I have been preparing Thanksgiving dinner ever since I got married. That was over 40 years ago. My kids say they have good memories of our holiday meals, and I'm glad. There was one holiday in particular that one of my kids remembers because I made a fruit salad. Instead of a cake with icing or a pie, I wanted to make something sweet but not so heavy. When I went shopping that year, there was some great fruit in the produce department. So I decided to put fruit salad on the Turkey Day menu.

That memory got me thinking about fruit salads and whether or not there were specific recipes for every season of the year. I managed to find fruit salad recipes for winter, spring, summer, and fall. The Thanksgiving holiday occurs during the fall season, and it is no surprise that there are quite a few fall fruit salad recipes.

Image credit: 3pcs Heart Shaped Glass Bowls Golden Rim Edge Fruit Salad Bowl Home Dinnerware Set by GOODFEER 

If you like fruit (and who doesn't?), you'll probably love these fruit salad recipes. There is a delightful winter fruit salad, loaded with the best fruits of Autumn and Winter, and dressed with honey; a spring salad recipe is super sweet, hydrating, and nourishing; and a summer salad made with fresh summer fruits mixed together with crunchy peanuts and a dressing made of Thai herbs and fish sauce. Enjoy!

A delightful winter fruit salad, loaded with the best fruits of Autumn and Winter, and dressed with honey.

~ Winter Fruit Salad Recipe - Natasha's Kitchen https://t.co/VOJbsEvEHX @EverydaySpices pic.twitter.com/o0hs9ItGCY

— Joie de Vivre Magazine (aka My Fox Nooze) (@FoxMarks_ATX) September 25, 2025

https://myfoodieluv.tumblr.com/post/795626728441757696/via-breakfast-fruit-salad-easy-recipe

https://myfoodieluv.tumblr.com/post/795626960861691904/fresh-summer-fruits-mixed-together-with-crunchy

https://myfoodieluv.tumblr.com/post/795627181010223104/via-15-incredible-summer-salad-recipes-you-need

https://myfoodieluv.tumblr.com/post/795627572965916672/autumn-fruit-salad-recipe-foodcom

Sweet & Spicy Fall Fruit Salad — Shauna Sever @shaunasever https://t.co/L6vbiEuTL6 pic.twitter.com/KRicVhYuJC

— Everyday Exotic Spices Presents Food Ways (@EverydaySpices) May 7, 2020

How to Find Out When Fruits Are in Season

Edible Fruit Bouquet Arrangements: Home Made or Ready Made?

Don't know about you but every year one of my Top 10 New Year's Resolutions is to eat more fruits (and veggies; especially the green leafy kind).  But thinking about it.  Not only is it a good idea to eat more fresh fruit, but since there are holidays, birthdays, and special occasions all throughout the year, giving fruit as a food gift is also a good thing.  

Don't you love receiving fruit baskets and edible arrangements?  

Do you prefer to make your own or purchase these gifts ready made?

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Fabulous How to Video: 
Make Edible Fruit Bouquet Arrangements! 

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But if you're still not into making these arrangements or you don't have the time, there is a convenient way to order online and have this lovely edible gift delivered.

Edible Arrangements Coupons

Fruit Bouquets: Deliver delicious fruit bouquets to share!

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World Cuisine: Exotic Fruits: Ackee Fruit

Always happy to learn about exotic fruits from around the world.  This post is about the ACKEE FRUIT.  Even though it is a fruit, it is cooked as a vegetable.  It is native to West Africa, but has been cultivated in Jamaica since 1778 when it was brought to the Caribbean by British slave traders.  The Jamaicans liked it so much they made it the country's national fruit and their national dish is ackee with saltfish (or codfish).

WARNING:  Do not eat this fruit in its unripened state as it is poisonous.  However, once ripe, eat only the yellow arilli  which is the edible portion.  The black seeds are always toxic whether the fruit is ripe or unripened.  

NOTE:  If you are unable to buy it fresh, you can also buy canned ackee to use in your recipe.  You can even find it freeze-dried.

 * Ackee and Saltfish Recipe | Serious Eats

* Ackee And Saltfish Recipe #TastyTuesdays | CaribbeanPot   

I was curious to know if there were any West African recipes with this fruit as a main ingredient, but discovered that even though the ackee fruit originates from there, in that part of the world, it is used mainly for medicinal purposes.

** West African Ackee Fruit • We Blog The World

“The ackee tree (Blighia sapida) is indigenous to the tropical forests of West Africa. Although it is not popularly eaten there, it is cultivated in the region for several nonfood uses: Immature fruits are used to make soap; the wood from the tree is termite resistant and used for building;  extracts from the poisonous seeds are taken to treat parasites and are sometimes used as a fish poison;  topical ointment made from crushed ackee leaves is applied to the skin to treat headaches and ulcers. And the Ackee leaves are also good as a fodder for goats.”

Since this food comes with a warning, you might want to know a little bit more.  Below are some additional links of interest.

Ackee - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics

What is Ackee Fruit: How Do You Eat It + 4 Best Ackee Recipes

Ackee Fruit Information, Recipes and Facts | Specialty Produce

Ackee: Wiki facts for this cookery item | Cookipedia

THE POISON THAT JAMAICA LOVES AND AFRICA FEARS | beyondentertainmentblog