I read seed and nursery catalogs like dime-store novels. Will the characters within the dog-eared pages deliver on their promises. Will their potential be realized, or will some find their end in a wheelbarrow ride to the compost heap? Will their shortcomings haunt me every time I come across a wilted leaf or withered branch? Only time will tell, as the plot is fully revealed years from now.
York apple blossoms: April flowers portend loaded bowers
Erring on the side of optimism and choosing plants best suited for my climate, I look forward each year to adding a few new cultivars to the orchard and garden, while reminding myself repeatedly that my acreage, energy and age are limited resources (though, I never listen).
Aromatnaya quince: delicious, beautiful, and easy to grow, planted 2008
Which brings me to One Green World, I love this nursery for its quality plant material and availability of edible plants from around the world. They never disappoint and continue to surprise me with the striking, tasty and unique.
This year I ordered the following newcomers:
- Marionberry, because my pie needs demand it.
- Tayberry, because I fancy tayberry sauce on ice cream (and shortbread, and covered in Creme Anglaise, and…)
- Nanaimo™ Peach: A new (to me) Peach Leaf Curl Resistant variety from Canada. Its namesake island city, three hours to the north, shares a similar climate to Vashon Island.
- Chilean Guava: I learned of this ornamental and flavorful powerhouse from Sunset’s Blog: Fresh Dirt. Apparently, Queen Victoria enjoyed it in and as her favorite jam.
- Early Laxton Plum: Had me at hello. “Prized for its ornamental value as well as its fruit, this classic European variety bears abundant crops of juicy and sweet, reddish orange fruit. One of the most productive varieties, Early Laxton is easy to grow and is the earliest to ripen of the European plums we offer.” (Source One Green World)
- Imperial Epineuse Plum: This is a late season variety that I’ve grown successfully before. “Very sweet and richly flavorful, Imperial Epineuse is simply one of the most delicious plums we can grow. An attractive, large, reddish purple fruit with firm yellow flesh, this famous French variety is great for fresh eating and a good variety for drying. (Source: One Green World)
An admirable first crop of cherries: Van, Stella and Lapin planted in 2004
Here’s an important caveat, if you order bare-root plants and fruit trees, be sure to know where you are going to plant them and do so immediately. (And in this case, I do take my own advice.) The longer they stay out of the ground, the greater the chance of planting failure. I have a couple apple trees that became expensive bean poles later.
Fresh raspberries produce in the first year and are a backyard treat you should not go without.
Fall Gold and Caroline raspberries are pictured above, and I also recommend Tulameen for an earlier crop of equally large, sweet berries.
I have a couple other varieties to scout out, so on to Trees of Antiquity, Burnt Ridge Nursery, Raintree Nursery and beyond!
I see that winter plague has hit you and the seed catalogs are awakening your frozen thoughts. You know how fortunate you are to have a place to plant these and to reap the rewards….yes?
I do Susan; I feel very blessed (except when I’m weeding).
Thanks for the tip I will definitely check them out! I’ve also had really, REALLY good luck with Rolling River Nursery. http://www.rollingrivernursery.com
The plants they sent me last year were so vigorous, big and beautiful that I actually sent them an email to thank them. 🙂 Lots of their stuff is container-grown too, and can be planted year-round.
Thanks Summersweet Farm, I love hearing about new nurseries. On a side note, Tall Clover was almost named Summersweet Farm.
Lucky me they are a few miles from my home :). We’ve done blueberries, meyer lemon, columnar apples and fall gold raspberries from them in the past. I’m thinking I may try a gogi berry this year. We’ll see.
Now, I will say that only half of my fall gold raspberries get as big and delicious as yours. Not really sure what is going on with the others as they are all in the same row . . .?
Ah, you couldn’t resist the siren’s call, and you ordered a peach tree, did you? Didn’t you say that you would never — never — mess with peaches again? Don’t you remember what they put you through?
Well, what’s done is done. We will be here for you if they break your heart again. (Of course, if they do work out, and you get a bumper crop, we’ll come by for scones. And crow. )
Ton you have a way with words and you make me laugh!!
Recently I consigned an ice cream bean plant to the chooks then compost. I’d like to blame the nursery but think it was the 40 odd degree stinker of a day that did it!
Tom, you are indeed a brave man! I think our West Coast weather in Victoria BC is close to yours…good luck with the peaches. We get ours from the Okanagan in the Interior of BC. If you have never tasted an Okanagan Peach – a must try! They truly are a fruit from the heavens.
I am envious. My first thought was to move to an acreage and in an area where things grow. How I ended up in a prairie small city is another story. Now I want to go and read my seed catalogs.
Heidi, you are so right, but if it works this time, you’re welcome to come by for peach scones and no crow required.
Mrs. Bok, thanks the visit and teaching me there’s another word for chickens – chooks, who knew (at least in the U.S.)
Ina, you speak the truth, but I’m determined, and when I find the secret I will share it. As for the Okanagan, it’s on my list of visits, especially during grape and peach harvest.
Sarah, that’s a tough one. And I feel your pain. When I visit my brother and sister-in-law in the Bay Area, I have total zonal envy, everything grows there, and beautifully. Their rose bushes look like each is personally tended to by David Austin and FTD. PS – your new kitchen looks amazing.
You put me to shame. Here I am in hell getting all excited about planting some herbs in pots…oh I did just finish making a double batch of limoncello and some kumquat marmalade from our citrus, but it kind of grows itself. We’re heading up to Sequim/Port Ludlow area in a few weeks to scout it out for our future. Do you think I’ll be able to make anything grow there?
June, Sequim is the sunniest place in Western Washington, you’ll have no trouble growing most temperate edibles. The Lavender Festival and Nash’s Organic farms are there if that gives you any indication. Port Ludlow and Marrowstone Island are still in the rain shadow, and should be great place to grow good stuff, too.
The trees are budding in Woodinville. Spring is on its way very soon.
mmmm…now you’ve filled my head with longing for berry season…you are so cruel!
I see you are feeling better and planning anew; love that quince, the first shot of apple blossoms is arresting and these raspberries..I am envious of all this beauty!
If you were in Lebanon you would be planting fig trees and jujube trees and fragrant geraniums to go in your jams and puddings.
Now, I feel envy, that lovely quince, the soft raspberries. You are so lucky, we apartment dwellers, just look through the windows. 🙂
Enjoy!
Mely
PS. I am having a giveaway, I do hope you stop by.
Congrats…I love your selection.
I’m trying lingonberries this year as ground cover for my current bushes. Did you get hit by the snow storm? Did you manage to get everything into the ground?
Hi Anupa, funny but I didn’t take my own advice. The starts are in my unheated mudroom where it is around 40 degrees, so they will be fine until the snow melts which should be in the next day or two. We got about 6 inches of snow over here and it looks like we’re about to get more.
Hi Tom:
I just stumbled apun your website while researching raspberry pruning. I have lots of time to research having just started our garden in the spring of 2010 in Grande Prairie Alberta – zone 2b. Yikes!
Anyway I was looking through your list of new fruits that you are trying out and I thought you might be interested in the Haskap.
I am not sure if these are for sale in the states, but here is a link to Vesey’s. http://www.veseys.com/ca/en/store/fruitsberries/haskap/borealishaskap
I am not sure if they ship to the states, but it sounds interesting. I may try it out here as it is hardy to zone 2a. Grows zone 2a to 8a, so should work for you. This is actually an edible honeysuckle!
Fran thanks for the heads-up on Haskaps–who knew? Zone 2a you don’t say, wow that ends my complaining about hardiness for some plants here in 8b.
How is your Nanaimo peach tree doing, any fruit yet? If so, how would you rate it? Also, could you give me your taste rankings of the peach trees you have so far. Thanks!
Hi Peter, No fruit yet, but I’m encouraged. Last year the tree came into its own with greater vigor and growth. It’s still pretty small, but I may have a couple peaches to taste test if all goes well. Thanks for your interest and your suggestion. I’ll definitely do that, make a list of taste testings for my peaches, and I’ll post it.
Hi- can you please give an update on your Nanaimo peach? Very interested (here in Seattle) to hear how that worked out, what it looks like when flowering, how the peaches taste etc.
Thanks for your help!
Rob
Hi Rob, I really like the Nanaimo peach. It produced several peaches after the second year, and I really enjoyed them. I think I like them better than frost peaches, and for me in my part of the world, the nanaimo peach seems a bit more vigorous and healthy. The flowers are relatively subtle, light pink, evident but not overly showy.