Category Archives: Fruit

Signs of Spring, Golden Currants and a DIY Greenhouse

Posted on March 9, 2013 by

Spent the whole day in the garden, puttering, pruning, and propagating. The rhubarb is waking up, another sign that spring is here, and the Nanking cherries I planted last year are blooming – pictured below is the one planted in … Continue reading →

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Constantinople Quince!

Posted on March 3, 2013 by

I traveled to the Sierra Seed Cooperative’s seed exchange to pick up the Constantinople Quince I bought from the Felix Gillet Institute.  It’s a nice tree – well rooted, lively and healthy.  I put it in the ground in the … Continue reading →

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Blue Honeysuckle and Red Currants

Posted on March 3, 2013 by

Good news – the Lonicera caerulea cuttings I acquired last spring are showing signs of life, and I think that both (zarnitsa and blue velvet) will be ready for planting out in the food forest in the spring. In other … Continue reading →

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Felix Gillet – Plant Superhero

Posted on January 30, 2013 by

I recently became aware of Felix Gillet, a pioneer nurseryman and all-around fruit and nut tree superhero who did much of his work in Nevada City, not far from my neck of the woods. Felix Gillet (born March 25, 1835, … Continue reading →

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O Mandarin

Posted on December 15, 2012 by

Your branches green delight us!  Earlier this year, I planted a mandarin.  The past few days have been filled with frost and air temps in the mid and low 30s, and a few leaves were damaged.  Just a bit ago, … Continue reading →

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Pruning and Propagating and Hoping…

Posted on December 8, 2012 by

Last year was a good year for grape propagation, and so I spent the day pruning the grapes, which have gone dormant, and potting up cuttings thus: I’ve been gang potting cuttings lately, as it saves time and materials, and … Continue reading →

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Red Roselle Recipe

Posted on September 30, 2012 by

Fall is here, though it’s still quite hot, and probably will be for the next few weeks. Puttering in the garden today, I decided to harvest the Thai Roselle flowers – I’ve written about them here and here.  I’ve been … Continue reading →

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Patience and Pomegranates

Posted on August 26, 2012 by

This year is the year- after about 5 seasons in the ground, the pomegranate held onto perhaps a third of its flowers, and is in the process of ripening seven or so decent-sized pomegranates! It’s great when perennials finally start … Continue reading →

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Huge Blueberries

Posted on July 8, 2012 by

Many years ago – maybe 8? – I planted blueberries, lingonberries, huckleberries and cranberries (all members of the genus Vaccinium) in a patch perhaps 15 feet by 9 or so feet.  I’ve written about them here and here.  These being … Continue reading →

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Ever the Optimist, I Planted a Mandarin…

Posted on April 7, 2012 by

…by which I don’t mean a bureaucrat of Imperial China, but Citrus reticulata. The climate here is pretty far outside the range of most citrus, and my dream – long ago shattered – has always been to have a lime … Continue reading →

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