May & June 2009

Welcome

All About Fruit Day - June 20th

How Her Garden Does Grow

GREENWOOD, Va. -- Courtnay Daniels's backyard is testament to what a very avid gardener with considerable resources can create.

In this bucolic area 20 miles west of Jefferson's Monticello, Ms. Daniels has devoted much of the last decade to 15 acres of gardens filled with rare and unusual trees, flowers, grasses and shrubs. There's a rose garden, a vegetable garden, a blue garden and an apricot garden. The orange garden is adjacent to the grass garden, and the yellow garden leads to the canal garden with its two reflecting pools. A five-acre arboretum boasts vast views of the surrounding hills.

From The Wall Street Journal
Read the rest of the article: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122780173056561761.html

Backyard Buffet

by Tracey Crehan Gerlach

It started with a hardy kiwi-more importantly, with the keen ability to propagate a hardy kiwi. And Michael McConkey, owner of the Edible Landscaping nursery and a lifelong gardener, was propelled into the world of harvest-able landscapes.

With a love of nurturing things going back to his childhood (he tended his own garden before the age of 10), McConkey found himself amidst the grow-your-own movement of the 1970s. He spent time traveling, learning, exploring.

And then he met Dr. Elwyn Meader, a rare-plant specialist and fruit breeder from the University of New Hampshire, who gave McConkey his first cutting of the hardy kiwi. When an article about Meader and the kiwi variety came out a year later in a well-known gardening magazine, McConkey was listed as a go-to source for the plant.

From Hobby to Vocation

Things took on a farm-to-table meaning when McConkey became a vegetarian and relied on his green thumb to supply him with his own food. That was when, he says, he realized what fun it all is. And even on a late-winter visit to his 25-acre nursery, I too realized what fun it all is. Perched atop a foothill of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Afton, the backbones of the nursery's orchards and the silhouettes of the fig trees showed the promise of spring as well as the potential for edible options in Virginia that weren't even on my radar.

Starts of herbs like chocolate mint and fruit trees such as flowering apricot prepare for the upcoming season in the mist and the humidity of their respective greenhouses. Shiitake logs sit stacked at-the-ready for their first spring flush. Visiting the citrus greenhouse filled with Meyer lemons, Kaffir limes, and mangoes is like a mini-vacation. My mental wish list for my own garden keeps growing.

But I quietly admit to Sonja Reid of the Edible Landscaping staff that I am intimidated by fruit trees and the more unusual offerings. I am primarily a vegetable gardener curious about branching out.

Contrary to what I originally thought about Edible Landscaping, it is not just for the wizened, weathered, know-it-all gardener. It is the perfect place to start learning, and many plants can be grown and tended by new gardeners. According to McConkey, juneberries, persimmons, mulberries, and pawpaw are "dummy proof"-yes!-in terms of planting and cultivation requirements once they are established.

Choosing native plants is also a good start for beginners. "Natives understand our [weather] swings," McConkey explains. All of the beginner plants mentioned above are natives to our area, as are filberts (hazelnuts).

The Cornucopia

Edible Landscaping truly brings horticultural resources and confidence to the people. Customers are sent home with a succinct care sheet for each plant that they buy. The nursery's online "Plant Talk" forums offer support from seasoned gardeners living around the country. Events like All About Fruit Days-offered in June and September-include tastings of some of the more unique plants, such as the pawpaw. And the nursery ships plants: in fact, a majority of their business is mail order.

For the more intrepid gardener, McConkey suggests Edible Landscaping's Russian pomegranate trees, descendents of a line developed in the Soviet Union over 4 decades by Dr. Gregory Levin. When the USSR dissolved, Levin lost funding for his project and chose to disperse his best selections to various horticultural institutions across the globe.

You will find a hefty selection of plants that are closer to what you would expect in Virginia, like blueberry, blackberry, apple, fig, passionflower, rhubarb, strawberry, apricot, and raspberry plants. I also learned about a Virginia-hardy orange (meaning that it will live through our winters), the Flying Dragon. The fruit is not meant to be eaten as-is, but it is ideal for citrus-ades, marmalades, and jams.

And then, if you have the outfit to replicate the tropics, there are bananas, dragon fruit, coffee, guava, star fruit, pineapples, and mangoes to be had. And, of course, the hardy kiwi.

Edible Landscaping has another interesting plant, especially for an avid cook-saffron crocuses. Collect the center stigmas of these fall bloomers, and you will have this very expensive spice at your fingertips for your favorite sauces or risottos. Chefs will also appreciate herbs such as horseradish, sweet bay laurel, lemongrass, Thai ginger, and garlic chives.

The pawpaw appears on several of McConkey's recommendation lists (see sidebar). Having never tasted one, I am told it is like a very ripe banana. And in the Edible Landscaping catalog, I learn that "George Washington's favorite dessert was chilled pawpaw." Well, then.

The shiitake logs, Reid tells me, are very popular and hard to keep in stock. White oak logs, about 40 inches long, have holes drilled into them and are then plugged with shiitake spores. To maintain this super-low maintenance mushroom, just place the log in dappled shade and water regularly. It can produce shiitakes for 4 years.

The nursery's choices are delightfully dizzying and my own wish list starts to flesh out. Mulberries for cobblers, a shiitake log, supersweet Caroline Everbearing raspberries, and a fig tree. Phew.

Well Within Reach

I am a gardening coach, and more and more often I am hearing requests for edible backyards from clients and friends. Function over form. No matter the size of their plot, property, or deck. They want fresh vegetables and fruits within fuzzy-slipper distance-as one of my favorite horticulture teachers used to say.

It's a good time of year to rethink the garden and swap out some of those fussy ornamentals for something that'll show up on your plate that evening without burning fossil fuels, without questionable pesticides, without the middleman. With Edible Landscaping right here in the Piedmont, getting involved in your own grow-your-own movement doesn't need to involve a daunting initiation.

For McConkey, a sense of accomplishment is bringing home a bushel of Russian pomegranates. For me, this season, it will be a handful of shiitakes and maybe a bowl of mulberries.

Tracey Crehan Gerlach is an organic garden coach and lives in Sugar Hollow, west of Charlottesville. She writes about her own gardening adventures at www.lifeinsugarhollow.blogspot.com.

From: http://flavormags.com/ at (pdf file) http://flavormags.com/stories/BackyardBuffetAM09.pdf

Come On Down To My Cornfields

Enjoy a free sample of Michael's music "Come On Down To My Cornfields" from his Market Stage album. Available at http://cdbaby.com/cd/mcconkey.

New Apple Care Guide & website updates

We have a new Apple Care Guide on our website along with plant characteristics tables which are in the process of being filled out. The plant characteristics table includes information from pest resistance to shade tolerance to soil type and 'fun for kids'. The list is not yet complete for all of our plants but we are working on filling it out.

The plant talk forum also has a new look to it which should be a little more in theme to gardening. If you have an account you can always switch back to the old style or choose from a couple of other new styles. If you don't yet have an account I would encourage signing up for one with the caution that due to spam postings there is now an approval process (relatively short & painless) before you are able to post on the site. It's explained on the forum page.

New Plant Varieties

We have added the following varieties to the nursery: Sage, Parsley, Chinese White Pine, Columbus & Legacy Blueberry, Premier Blueberry

Work Trade

While the details haven't been ironed out yet for anyone living close enough to Edible Landscaping who would be interested in a possible work trade please give us a call (434) 361-9134.

Your First Introduction to Plums

by Michael McConkey

Plum trees look great in the yard and can be very showy. A small tree whether the Japanese, European or the native Chickasaw plum it occupies a 10' - 15' circle of space in the yard. Japanese plums generally bloom earlier, fruit earlier and have juicy soft textured fruit. They range in colors of purple, black, red and yellow. European plums are generally sweet but dryer with a firm flesh. Prunes come from this type of plum. Also the more tart Damson plum belongs to the European family of plums as do the Gages. European plums range in colors from blue to yellow. The flavor of fresh perfectly ripe plums, especially the Japanese types are not experienced by the casual supermarket goer usually. Their succulent juicy flesh would bruise easily if shipped long distances. Tree ripened they burst with flavor. Picking the fruit is a summertime treat and will become a cherished tradition to look forward to. Native Chickasaw plums are found in rural areas growing naturally usually in the thickets. The original seedling spreads with new shoots sprouting a few feet from the mother plant. The fruits are small about quarter size and numerous. They range in color from blue to orange or red. Flavor can vary from tart to sweet.

All plums are very ornamental when they flower. When the Japanese plum blooms, the dark dormant brown branches burst their buds to a floral cloud of blossoms, drawing many species of insect pollinators to the tree, even butterflies. Flowering as early as the first week of March they promise warm weather is on its way. After blooming, the showiest varieties are the red leaf varieties such as Hollywood and All Red. Most Purple Leaf plums are sterile and do not fruit. All Red produces an early Japanese type fruit that hides from birds since the red fruits are the same color as the leaves. Hollywood is more of a European type plum, ripening in August with large fruit with firm red flesh.

Choosing a Variety

It's no fun to plant a plum tree only to realize after your long effort that it's not right for your area. Many varieties of plums are introduced for commercial production. The experts who grow these usually live in climates that are very different from ours. Beware of purchasing a plum variety because it looked good at the supermarket.

Choosing the Type

The three best types of plums for our area are Japanese plums, European plums and native plums. Look for Brown Rot resistance in the Japanese and European plums. All Red and Methley are good examples of Japanese plums, also Luther Burbank's Shiro & Burbank. Stanley is a good choice for European plums. The Gages do best further north. Stay away from the Plumcots (crosses of apricot and plum) as they bloom way to early. Only the Georgia USDA release Spring Satin works well in our area. It is more plum than apricot. The large black fruit is delicious.

Insects and Diseases

The biggest drawback to successfully growing plums is the female plum cucurlio. A quarter inch weevil-like insect that deposits an egg on each of 400 fruit before she's done. Which creates a worm in your fruit and premature dropping of the fruit.

Brown Rot - a powdery brown fungus covering the fruit usually just before it ripens. The fungus is air born and spreads easily from fruit to fruit and can destroy the entire crop. Rain and humidity help Brown Rot. Low humidity and sunny weather at ripening time help tremendously. The best defense against cucurlio is a smart offense. Know when she comes and for how long. Some trees you can plant and harvest like persimmons, pawpaws, figs, etc without much effort in between. But at bud break on plums I mix up my clay based deterrent Surround with water and spray my plums. The clay covers the fruit so that the cucurlio is deterred. She doesn't like the Surround and doesn't lay her eggs on the fruit. For about four weeks I spray until her egg laying cycle is over. The "clean" (no insect damaged fruit) resists brown rot and my job is done until I start harvesting the fruit.

Consider This

We live in a late frost area. Flowers can bloom in warm sunny weather only to be damaged by a late frost. If you live near a river or creek you may be in a "frost pocket". Lower temperatures on a frosty night are found in these places. It's colder at night in the valleys. The warm air will rise to the hillsides at night and temperatures will vary. A good location may have a low of 33 degrees Fahrenheit while a few miles away near the valley it's 27 degrees. 33 degrees will not hurt the flowers or young fruit, but 27 degrees may. Since the Japanese plums bloom earliest they are most vulnerable. My neighbor hasn't had his favorite Aycock plums for two years because of late frost while I've had two crops at the nursery. He lives two miles away but at a lower elevation.

Planning the Site

If the plum is self fertile and doesn't need another tree for fruit set, you'll need only one spot. The spot will probably have grass. To help change the grass community to a plum community the grass should go. Around a 4-6 foot circle of manipulation or womanipulation will do. Mulching ahead of planting time helps to break down grass or a D-handle digging spade works well and also aerates the soil. Adding top soil is fine. Sprinkling lime, rock phosphate, greensand is fine too. Preparing a bed is similar to what innkeepers do. Welcome your new guest. Remember the new tree will become a member of the family. Planting closer to the house is better than far away. And watering should not be a chore but done effortlessly. Full sun is best and choose a spot where air circulates well. No spraying should be necessary for a few years till your tree starts producing. If you have no other fruits in the yard it may fruit without spray for a few years. Pruning should be minimal, the tress take on a nice shape of their own. In later years keep the center of the tree uncluttered. Lower branching helps the tree have a lower stature so picking is easy from the ground instead of a ladder.

I know a girl who likes fresh plums.
"Delicious" is her favorite one.
Peal the skin, see it glisten,
Now I know what I've been missin.

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