How Do I Like Them Apples? (Pomologically Speaking)
Great Apple Trees for Western Washington (Seattle). While my pear and peach trees have forsaken me, my apple trees continue to bloom with promise. And after a year of promising, the goods are in. The...
View ArticlePruning Fuzzy Kiwi: Taming a Wild Beast
Little does Boz realize that as he stands (make that sits) watch… …a fuzzy kiwi vine kidnaps the napper. (Later, Boz drags me out in a daring rescue.) Fuzzy Kiwi vines are notoriously vigorous, so...
View ArticleHow to Prune Raspberries
Early spring before full bud break is the right time to prune raspberries, and there is a system–one that hopefully simplifies the process so you are dining on delectable homegrown little gems this...
View ArticleHow to Prune Raspberries: Instructions, Photos, and a Video
Fallgold raspberry: a sachet of sweet and delectable perfume. Behold, the raspberry, the gold standard by which I judge other berries whether planted in my garden or in my mouth. As easy as this cane...
View ArticleOrcas Pear: My One and Only
Orcas Pear: blush in a basket I just picked my first (and only) Orcas pear from the three-year-old tree in my orchard. (Just wait until next year’s bumper crop!) According to WSU, “Orcas pear is a...
View ArticleVideo: When Is a Fig Ripe and Ready to Pick?
When is a fig ripe and ready to pick? For figs, the peak of ripeness is a magic state reached on the tree, not the kitchen counter. Picked too early, the fig languishes unripe and inedible until rot...
View ArticleOrchard Tip: When Ants Attack Fruit Trees
I’ve always kept a healthy distance from ants. The notion of strength in numbers is not lost on me. If the Lilliputians could secure one colossal Gulliver, I fear a robust colony of wee ants could...
View ArticleLiquid Fence: Defending Your Garden Against Deer
Remember the first time the magic of Disney brought us Bambi and his ilk? We never saw the dark side of our little antlered friends did we; the one where they sneak about the night bounding over any...
View ArticleVenus Grape: Goddess of Vitus Love
In the beauty pageant of fruit, grapes are certainly one of the more comely and congenial contestants. Colorful, sweet and worldly, grapes garner a place in our hearts rarely shared by other members of...
View ArticleClara Frijs: Best Pear You’ve Never Eaten
I’m an equal opportunity fruit eater. Whether the fruit grows on a tree, vine, bush, or wee plant, chances are, I will like it. And one of the joys of having some land and a penchant to plant, is that...
View ArticleGreat Apples for the Home Orchard
I’ve been tending to my young orchard for about 8 years now, and I’m eager to share with you some of my favorite apple varieties. Sometimes it takes a tree several years to establish itself and begin...
View ArticlePerfect Pears for the Home Orchard
As plots of ground and garden go, orchards hold a special place in my heart. For the gifts of promise, patience and firmly-established roots look no further. The planting of my own orchard has been an...
View ArticleHome Orchard: Best Way to Water Trees Slowly
Summer comes and goes in the Pacific Northwest with nary a drop of rain. It’s Seattle’s best kept secret. Our summers are Miami’s winters. Unfortunately, such a lack of precipitation (while good for...
View Article10 Best Apples in My Orchard
While my orchard harvests are not ready for prime time availability and farmstand sales, I do like to share my findings in what I think are some of the best apples I grow. And by best apples, I mean,...
View ArticleNanaimo Peach Tree: Finally a Homegrown Peach
Spend a few minutes on my blog perusing summer posts, and you’ll easily grasp my love of growing and eating fresh fruit, and note my undeniable love of the peach, especially. Well after twelve years of...
View ArticleMirabelle Plum: Nature’s Little Gumdrop
I like to try out fruit trees like some folks enjoy trying on shoes. So many fruit trees, so little time, and with each success, failure has likely played its part. As with shoes, you don’t ask a...
View ArticleOrdering Bareroot Trees: What to Expect
Mail-Order Trees: Who Would Have Thunk? Ordering bareroot trees is to Tom as ordering books is to Oprah. I love trees, especially unusual fruit trees, sometimes forgotten heritage varieties, and other...
View ArticleGrowing Peach Trees in the Pacific Northwest: It’s the Pits
Growing peach trees in the maritime Pacific Northwest is the pits. There I said it, because for thirteen long, relatively futile and fruitless years, I’ve tended almost every known...
View ArticleFavorite Fruit Trees: Apples, Pluots and Pears, Oh My!
One of my biggest joys is growing fruit trees. Their roots nurture my roots; their growth heartens my growth; and their bounty is shared bounty. They are part of me and part of the farm, and someday...
View Article
