Re: Help with Landscaping

[Guest guest]

>I know I want to add berries-blueberries, raspberries,

> and relocate my strawberries.

Kathy, you do realize, I hope... blueberries take years to settle in

before they produce berries, and they're kinda picky about their soil

amendments, and that raspberries send up suckers all over the place?

~Joe

[Guest guest]

Joe,

You don't exactly sound encouraging! I do have several blueberry plants that

someone gave me last fall that are about 5 years old and were producing

somewhat with some neglect. Whether they survive being moved twice within

1 year is still left to be seen! As far as raspberries, what do you recommend?

Just go pick somewhere and avoid the headache?

Kathy

[Guest guest]

>

> Joe,

>

> You don't exactly sound encouraging!

Hi Kathy, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to discourage you. ) Just be

sure you plan everything first. I made a lot of mistakes when I laid

out my garden, and you're going to want to research the soil needs of

all these plants so that your efforts aren't hindered by newbie mistakes.

Raspberries are worth having, but you must plant them where they can

be somewhat sheltered from lashing winds, where you can get to them

easily (i.e., not along a fence, so you have to climb around to the

other side to get the berries) and where you won't mind pulling up

suckers every year. The suckers are fairly easy to pull up, just

numerous. Bees and those darn Asian ladybeetles like to eat the

berries so you gotta get there first. Sara knows a lot about growing

raspberries, wherever she is (she seems to have vanished).

~Joe

[Guest guest]

Ha ha, you guys! Joe mentioning that I seemed to have vanish? That got my

attention! (BTB, Joe, thanks so much for writing me the other day, it's always

nice when some people notice my absence from lists- hee!)

Hey, what's this about suckers? There's a thing called a lawn mower that

controls those suckers! I don't have problems with mine. I allowed the

raspberries that we " inherited " when we moved here to grow over time, but I have

never had problems with canes growing where they were not supposed to (other

than in the garden where the soil is softer and there is no lawn mower to tell

them to mind their own business.) If they were a prob, I would simply dig them

up and put them in a bare spot. Kathy, if you want some raspberry canes come

spring, just let me know and I would be delighted to dig up a few errant ones

for you. You could consider growing some raspberries like a hedge. My parents

did that when I was a kid, the hedge was parallel to the driveway and we kids

enjoyed going out to " snack " ! ;-) Then one day when they were tired of it,

they just mowed it down and kept it down and the rasp were no longer. Bees

love our rasp patch, I don't mind, since they pollinate efforts. I do try to

get out early in the day or in the evening, when it's cooler and the bees are

less active. If I pick every other day, conscientously, the bug and bee damage

is very minimal. (Asian bugs which look very much like ladybugs..they are a

true nuisance by trying to get in the house and have been known to bite, do like

rasp.) Any questions on rasp, please feel free to email me and i'll try to help

you. You may want to get three kinds, like I have...red, golden and black. The

kids make a beeline for the goldens as they are the sweetest, move on to the

reds and pretty much leave the sourer blacks alone! ;-)

I can't remember but do you have rhubarb, Kathy? It's a very nice shrub and

people love rhubarb! Asparagus? They like to grow undisturbed. Take a look at

some gardening catalogs for ideas on what to grow. We have a ginkgo tree in the

backyard that is a really unique tree, we love it. Never thought they'd grow

this far north! Lilacs are nice to have, same for hydrangeas. Even old

fashioned rose bushes...my grandma had a prized one that grew really big, like

10 feet tall! They are hardy and need very little pruning and can be a very

pretty shrub. Ferns and astilbes are very stately in shade.

Sorry I have been really preoccupied lately! Working more at my part time

job, and doing homeschooling now, and so on and so on! Back to vanishing

now...! ;-)

Take care all,

Sara

Re: Help with Landscaping

>

> Joe,

>

> You don't exactly sound encouraging!

Hi Kathy, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to discourage you. ) Just be

sure you plan everything first. I made a lot of mistakes when I laid

out my garden, and you're going to want to research the soil needs of

all these plants so that your efforts aren't hindered by newbie mistakes.

Raspberries are worth having, but you must plant them where they can

be somewhat sheltered from lashing winds, where you can get to them

easily (i.e., not along a fence, so you have to climb around to the

other side to get the berries) and where you won't mind pulling up

suckers every year. The suckers are fairly easy to pull up, just

numerous. Bees and those darn Asian ladybeetles like to eat the

berries so you gotta get there first. Sara knows a lot about growing

raspberries, wherever she is (she seems to have vanished).

~Joe

[Guest guest]

I've had raspberries in my yard for 4 years now, all volunteer plants that I

got from various places. They're planted along the south side of my house,

where I can mow around them easily, and I dig out and give away the suckers

occasionally. Last summer, we had two crops, one in summer, one in the fall,

and got several quarts each crop. It was a great berry year. I've never had

problems with them being eaten by insects. More likely, I don't get to them

in time, and they fall off and then I'm not sure who eats them.

Have you thought about Jerusalem Artichokes, perennial sunflower with

tuberous roots? We bought 2 little roots at a co-op 4 years ago, and last

year got about 12 lbs of chokes; they are delicious roasted with butter.

Also, I wish I had room for hazelnuts, which grow as a shrub.

The grapes we grow are just wild ones, the size of a pea, and they make

great wine and jelly. We have them growing on a low fence, with some bamboo

poles attached so they can crawl as much as they want.

I'm also growing lovage, a perennial herb that tastes like celery. And

elderberries. And strawberries, which I had to confine in a raised bed--

they keep creeping into my herb bed.

You might want to check out the book Gaia's Garden by Toby Hemenway, for

lots of permaculture ideas, and what grows well together.

Also, I haven't been there, but there is a nursery in Hastings called

Outback Nursery, which has lots of native edible shrubs and trees. You can

find them online, I'm sure.

[Guest guest]

Sara,

Thanks for piping up. I knew you were busier than ever these days, but of

course, I would have gotten around to asking you specifically sooner or later.

Yes! I would love to get some raspberry starts from you!

And yes, I do have one raised bed that is designated for perrenials-

asparagus and rhubarb. Except for one problem, I can't grow rhubarb! I know,

scary isn't it? It grows like a weed, except for in my garden. I guess Joe is

right, I'd better look into having my soil tested.

Let me know how things are going for you when you have a chance.

Kathy

[Guest guest]

,

How exciting to hear about your success with raspberries! Much more

encouraging than that Joe!

There aren't many vegies that I haven't tried, but Jerusalem artichokes are

one of them. I will have to look at the co-op and see if I can get some to try

first.

Thanks for the tip on the book and nursery!

Kathy

[Guest guest]

My rhubarb often dies in my garden too (it's peat ground and rather wet in

spring). But I

just learned that the old-timers say you should bury a dead chicken under your

plants

every year in order to have great rhubarb!

Lynn

>

> And yes, I do have one raised bed that is designated for perrenials-

> asparagus and rhubarb. Except for one problem, I can't grow rhubarb! I know,

> scary isn't it? It grows like a weed, except for in my garden. I guess Joe is

> right, I'd better look into having my soil tested.

>

> Kathy

[Guest guest]

>

> ,

>

> How exciting to hear about your success with raspberries! Much more

> encouraging than that Joe!

I'm nothing if not practical. I just didn't want you to go into this

with rose-colored glasses. )

~Joe