Recently Gardens Manitoba held "Gardening Saturday" to kick off gardening season here in Winnipeg (and by gardening season I mean starting seeds indoors or trimming tree branches outdoors but certainly not planting anything for at least another month up here in zone 3).
The more interesting of the two speaker's I attended was Getty Stewart who inspired me to buy her cookbook, which I swore I would never do once I got used to getting my recipes from sites like allrecipes.com.
There is however much more to the book than recipes including tips on harvesting, storing, dehydrating and preserving.
In fact is has given me so much confidence that I will be able to make use of their fruit in delicious and healthy ways that I have gone out and bought two new fruit trees today for the back yard.
On the left an espaliered apple tree with four different kinds of apples grafted to the stem, and on the right a similarly unusual pear.
(Apple / pear pie - yum!)
The session got me to realize that while I am not a vegetable grower I have in fact invested in quite a bit in fruit production: grapes, cherries, Saskatoon berries, blueberries, and now adding pears and apples plus I will add some rhubarb and more Saskatoons this year.
Luckily I will have time to prepare since it should be a few years before full fruit production for most of them - I may need it to learn all about pectins!
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The more interesting of the two speaker's I attended was Getty Stewart who inspired me to buy her cookbook, which I swore I would never do once I got used to getting my recipes from sites like allrecipes.com.
There is however much more to the book than recipes including tips on harvesting, storing, dehydrating and preserving.
(Apple / pear pie - yum!)
The session got me to realize that while I am not a vegetable grower I have in fact invested in quite a bit in fruit production: grapes, cherries, Saskatoon berries, blueberries, and now adding pears and apples plus I will add some rhubarb and more Saskatoons this year.
Luckily I will have time to prepare since it should be a few years before full fruit production for most of them - I may need it to learn all about pectins!
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Sharing with Garden Tuesday, Tuesday Garden Party
I've always wanted to try one of those apple trees with all the different varieties on them. I'll be watching the progress of yours with great interest.
ReplyDeleteIt might be a couple of years before we get anything substantial from them, but I will keep you posted.
DeleteWhat a great idea to have multiple varieties espaliered off the leader. Decorative and useful. I've not seen them yet in Australia, but I'll be keen to see the fruiting progress of yours. Which varieties are they?, Matt
ReplyDeleteOne of the biggest benefits I think will not having to deal with so much ripe fruit all at one time!
DeleteI didn't know they could graft different varieties to the stems! Thanks for linking up to Garden Tuesday.
ReplyDeleteThere is something a bit "Frankenstein-ish" about it, but I'm sure I'll be over that by the time the fruit arrives. ;)
DeleteI've never seen fruit trees grown this way. I wonder what the advantage is? Is it supposed to give better yield?
ReplyDeleteI hope you'll come share at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2015/04/at-keyboard.html
Sue I think the idea is that they can grow in a small space (plus I think minimizing the branches maximizes the input into the fruit that remain).
DeleteHow fun, Derek! I think espaliered fruits are so lovely in the garden - nice choice.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jami!
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