Low-Work, High-Flavor: Easy Summer Fruit
There’s something magical about the taste of fruit still warm from the sun, picked right off the vine or stem in your own backyard. At Cottage Seed, we believe summer is for savoring—not stressing—and some of the season’s most delicious fruits are also the easiest to grow. Whether you’re new to gardening or a seasoned organic grower looking for a little less upkeep this year, these low-work summer fruits will keep your baskets full and your kitchen bursting with flavor.
Come take a walk with us . . .
1. Strawberries: Sweet Simplicity
Few things say summer like a bowl of fresh strawberries. These perennials are surprisingly low-maintenance once established. Plant them in a sunny spot with well-drained soil, give them a little mulch to keep the weeds down, and they’ll reward you with juicy red berries year after year. Plus, kids love picking them—no ladder required.
Seed tip: June-bearing varieties produce a heavy crop over a few weeks, while everbearing types give you smaller flushes all summer long.
2. Raspberries: A Tangle of Treasure
Raspberries practically grow themselves once they get going. With minimal pruning and decent sun, these hardy canes will produce plump, tart-sweet berries perfect for snacking, baking, or preserving. They’re also incredibly resilient and can tolerate a bit of garden neglect—ideal for busy summer schedules.
Seed tip: Choose a mix of summer-bearing and fall-bearing types to extend your harvest.
In our garden, we have a gorgeous arch covered with Raspberries, Boysenberries, and Blackberries. Berry vines and bushes are very easy to trellis or create an espalier version - if you have the space.
3. Blackberries: Wild Flavor, Tamed
Blackberries may conjure up memories of foraging on trails, but they’re just as happy in a backyard garden. Thornless varieties are especially popular for easy picking. Once planted, they’ll come back stronger each year and need little more than sun, space, and a trellis or fence to climb.
Bonus: Their arching canes make a natural barrier—perfect if you’re looking to create a fruit hedge.
4. Cantaloupe: Sun-Kissed and So Simple
Cantaloupes are the unsung heroes of the low-fuss fruit world. Direct-sow seeds after the last frost, give them full sun and a little compost, and watch them sprawl and bloom. By mid-to-late summer, you’ll be harvesting fragrant, sweet melons that put store-bought versions to shame. We use cotton jute rope to help support the weight of these melons - which also add better air circulation to resist pests and diseases (try this with your squash too!). Basically, just keep the vines off soggy ground with straw or a small trellis, and let the sun do the rest. Easy-peasy - and low work for all of that delicious fruit!
5. Summer Squash: Yes, It’s a Fruit
Technically a fruit (we won’t tell if you still call it a veggie), summer squash like zucchini is a garden MVP. These plants are prolific—plant just a few seeds, and you might be sharing baskets with friends and neighbors in no time. Squash thrives in heat, needs minimal care, and is perfect for grilling, spiralizing, or tossing into summer pastas. Yum! Best thing is, your kids will love them too.
Our organic, open-pollinated squash varieties also mean you can save seeds for next year—just another way nature pays you back.
Berries on a trellis with straw mulch in a cottage raised bed. #cottageseed
Grow Goodness, Naturally
You don’t need acres of land or hours of labor to enjoy fresh, organic fruit this summer. A sunny corner, a few seeds, and a little love are enough to transform your space into a backyard bounty.
And because we only offer certified organic, non-GMO, open-pollinated seeds, you can grow with confidence—knowing your harvest is rooted in care for your health, your soil, and future generations of gardeners.
So go ahead: skip the grocery lines, savor the flavors of summer, and let nature do the heavy lifting.
Happy planting,
Cottage Seed Co.
🌱 Grow What You Love. Love What You Grow.