fruit

Choices in the Home Orchard - Part One

Choices in the Home Orchard - Part One

A huge trend in gardening over the last decade or so has been cultivating your very own homegrown fruit.  The pandemic intensified this practice, and it seemingly continues to become more and more popular for our patrons at Sunnyside, season after season.  While most all endeavors in the garden are gratifying to me, there is something extra special about growing your own edibles, including fruit.  Whether you are adding to an existing garden or starting anew, some planning and a few points to ponder will help you to grow fruit successfully…

Fruit Tree Season Is Upon Us - Choose Wisely

Fruit Tree Season Is Upon Us - Choose Wisely

In this last full week of January, when I can truthfully declare that our vacation from gardening is just about over, all around us nature is once again waking up and it is time to prepare for another gardening season.  In my world, what always announces that event is the arrival of bare root fruit trees in the garden center…

Everything You Never Wanted To Know About Fruit Tree Pollination

Everything You Never Wanted To Know About Fruit Tree Pollination

Growing fruit trees in the northwest can be a very rewarding venture. There is nothing quite like going out to the backyard and plucking a handful of tree ripened cherries or a juicy Asian pear or Japanese plum. It just doesn’t get any fresher than “straight off the tree”…

The 2022 Gardening Season Has Begun - Bare Root Fruit Trees & Roses Have Arrived

The 2022 Gardening Season Has Begun - Bare Root Fruit Trees & Roses Have Arrived

It is finally time to get the new gardening season started… January is the perfect month to start shopping for roses, fruit trees, berries and grapes, along with other shrubs that are dormant this time of year. Most of these plants are sold as what is known in the nursery industry as “bare root”. Let me take a moment to explain…

Here's A List Of Garden To-Do's For The Month Of June

Here's A List Of Garden To-Do's For The Month Of June

Recently, I was browsing through my past columns looking for ideas when I came across my very first monthly check list, written in June 2001, 20 years ago. I have spilled a lot of ink since then, but the idea of a list of chores for every month of the year still seems useful. That being said, here are some thoughts to ponder…