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Ummm....the debris in the second picture linked in by saltcedar above is black raspberry or as we called them as kids "blackberries." Some folks call them "blackcaps" as well. They are so very yummy in early July (in Western NY State, your zone may be different). Nothing else quite like them!

The brambles and canes are quite vigorous and thorny. And while they are not neat little plants to make "tidy" gardeners happy, the fruits make up for any ill-will you may harbor against them! The leaves can also be used for herbal teas - see herbal information for "raspberry leaf".

FataMorgana

Here is a link that might be useful: Wild Black Raspberry

Thanks to saltcedar for being technical when I am not ;)

So they ARE Blackberries! My GOD! No, they are NOT neat, nor tidy, and I doubt the fruit will make up for it....I don't like Blackberries, and neither does my husband :(

Now RASPBERRY I could have lived with. But this plant is crazy invasive. And, we were here the beginning of July (we are in southern Ontario), and saw no berries :(

I wonder if I should get rid of them. They seem more trouble...to us...than they are worth. How DO I get rid of them?

Thanks!

The shrub in the first picture on top left is Spirea, I think the Magic Carpet variety (which I have 5 of). It really is a lovely shrub if you can get rid of that other stuff underneath it.
Tracey

If you are in southern Ontario then you should be close to the same time as me for black raspberries, early July. The debris in the picture looked like all new growth this year. If I recall correctly, raspberries are produced on 2nd-year growth. Given the debris pile, I suspect that next year you would have seen quite a flush of berries.

How to get rid of the raspberries? Simple, a spade shovel. Just dig them out. They are not like horseradish or comfrey that will re-sprout from the smallest root fragment. But birds "replanting" new raspberries? Most sure to happen.

FataMorgana

The 'stuff' under the Spiraea is variegated ground elder aka bishop weed. Aegopodium podagra 'variegata'. It is not quite as invasive as the green version but still very hard to get rid of.

'So they ARE Blackberries! .......... and I doubt the fruit will make up for it....I don't like Blackberries, and neither does my husband :(

But, Kathleen.......read it again. Those ARE raspberries, not blackberries. Two different animals. But, they're black raspberries instead of red raspberries. They go for $7.95 a PINT here in the stores. They can/do grow wild, but for every one hundred wild blackberry bushes on my property I have one black raspberry. I bought a few this year and am busily propagating them to plant out to increase my little hoard of them. They make one of the best pies and jellies, ever.

Now RASPBERRY I could have lived with. But this plant is crazy invasive. And, we were here the beginning of July (we are in southern Ontario), and saw no berries :(

I have to agree. Black raspberries do make the most yummy jam, pies, and my all time favorite, simply sprinkled on french vanilla ice cream. Mmmm...so good!

As a kid, I knew exactly how much (2 quarts) was needed for my mom to make a batch of jam and I braved brambles, poison ivy, and mosquitoes the size of dogs for them. ;)

FataMorgana

I almost cried when I saw all those raspberry canes lopped off. LOL. The starts on them are at least five dollars a pop, and sell out fast if you have to buy them in stores on the retail. You can tell a young blackberry from a young black raspberry by the frost white cane. Those appear to be first year canes, they don't bear until the second.

your first picture might be rhubarb?

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-ming

I'm not sure if you realise this but by clicking the pictures we can see a whole album of your photos, some of which you might not wish us to view. HOWEVER, my inadvertant viewing of this album means that I can see you have JAPANESE KNOTWEED in your garden. Beside this all your other conerns pale into indignificance. This is the invasive alien to end all invasive aliens. Otherwise I think you garden is rather nice and don't quite see what you are worrying about. It looks pretty neat to me. But the JK MUST GO !!!!!!

Here is a link that might be useful: Japanese Knotweed

And the morning glory will die when it frosts. They seed around like mad, but they do start from scratch every year so if you keep pulling the seedlings up you'll get rid of them eventually. Or just leave a couple, the flowers are pretty. Some kinds don't seem to re-seed at all - I plant 'Heavenly Blue' every year, and it never comes back at all, but I planted 'Milky Way' once about 10 years ago and it would have the house covered by the end of the summer if I let it, even now.

As far as the raspberries are concerned, you can put a trellis or wires up and tie the canes to them if you want something a little neater looking. Take a look at a book or google on raspberry culture for ideas. They ARE pretty vigorous when they're happy.

WW