Lifelong gardeners Janet Melrose and Sheryl Normandeau tackle the
tasty topic of fruit in the seventh book in the Guides for the Prairie
Gardener series.
Strawberries, blueberries, saskatoons, pears, plums, apricots, cherries,
currants, kiwi . . . There are lots of great reasons to grow your own.
There's the unparalleled taste of fresh produce to consider, and the
opportunity to help reduce ever-rising grocery bills. Then there's the
ornamental appeal (think grape vines and apple blossoms).
Whether you're growing an orchard in a rural area, planting a couple of
currant bushes or haskaps in a small urban yard, or a container of
squash on a balcony, you'll find help and inspiration here.
Janet and Sheryl answer your questions on things like
- Placement for sun- and shade-loving plants
- Pollination, propagation, and grafting
- Mulching, hilling, trellises, and those oh-so-fancy espaliers
- Troubleshooting pesky spots, scales, worms, flies, and other killjoys
- Preventing weather damage and prepping your plants for winter
- Harvesting and storage methods
With a primer on what exactly counts as fruit (scientifically and
culturally) and Prairie-friendly lists of species and varietals for
every space and inclination, you'll soon know your drupes from your
pomes, your berries from your pepos and be well on your way to
harvesting the fruits of your own labour (yes, we went there).
