Category Archives: Fruit

Spring is Springing: Asian Pears and Asparagus

Posted on March 29, 2012 by

Despite recent snows and heavy rains, signs of spring continue to appear in the garden.  The 4-in-1 Asian pear I planted a few weeks back is leafing out and breaking bud.  It’s an interesting one, as each of the four … Continue reading →

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Always Be Propagating

Posted on March 22, 2012 by

Every weekday morning, before heading down the hill to work, I spend 15 or 20 minutes in the greenhouse, staring at the cuttings and seedlings. After this morning’s greenhouse session, I’m happy to report that the tomato seedlings are growing … Continue reading →

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Of Giant Moths, Nanking Cherries and Sea Side Plums

Posted on March 14, 2012 by

Just look at this huge and handsome character!   It arrived last night, drawn to the greenhouse lights. In other news, the Nanking Cherry (Prunus tomentosa) and Beach Plum (Prunus maratima) trees arrived yesterday from Raintree Nursery (purveyors of rare and … Continue reading →

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Layering Blackcurrants

Posted on March 11, 2012 by

Spent the day propagating plants.  Back in fall, I tried my hand at ground layering, a technique that involves burying part of a plant stem to encourage the plant to root in place.  Specifically, I bent a long blackcurrant stem … Continue reading →

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Bees to the Rescue

Posted on March 4, 2012 by

In a prior post, I speculated that the plum blossoms would be ruined, resulting in (yet another) bad fruit year.  As I wandered the garden this morning, I was delighted by the familiar buzz of hundreds (sounding like thousands) of … Continue reading →

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March Miracle?

Posted on March 1, 2012 by

Woke up to snow for the first time in months.  Not sure if this is the March miracle I’ve been hoping for – it’s been an unusual weather year, overly warm and overly dry – but I’ll take it.  Of … Continue reading →

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Time for Spring or Planting as an Act of Optimism

Posted on February 23, 2012 by

Rhubarb is always one of the harbingers of spring, but I can’t recall a season when it’s been this early.  Likewise the asparagus, which in a typical year emerges some time between April 9th at the earliest to Apring 19th … Continue reading →

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Signs of Spring

Posted on February 18, 2012 by

Plants seem uninterested in dates, instead using temperature and daylight hours and plant hormones to define “spring,” and many plants in my garden have decided that now’s the time.  Though there doesn’t seem to be consensus – the asparagus seems … Continue reading →

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Update – Elderberries on Acid

Posted on January 11, 2012 by

Not much going on in the garden, and no precip for months.  Strange weather… A couple of months ago, I wrote about scarifying elderberry seeds with strong acid.  I checked the seeds this morning – they’ve been sequestered in the … Continue reading →

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The Alaskan Mill, Dreams of Spring, and Seeds With Character

Posted on December 8, 2011 by

It’s shaping up to be a cold, dry winter (so far).  The garden has essentially been put to bed, and so attention turns to infrastructure. These three trees – two very tall pines (Pinus sabiniana) and a cedar – were … Continue reading →

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