I just got in contact with a local farmer (who I know tangentally, and with whom I had once traded some extra strawberry crowns for some thornless blackberry canes). He has lots of blueberry bushes left, and at a killer price! I bought one bush at a local nursery for $30 (eesh, I cannot believe I paid that much for a plant). Aaron will sell me one bush for $12, or two for $20. Woot! So now, all five bushes in front of my house are going to be yanked, and replaced with lovely, nice-looking, food-giving bushes. Furthermore, by getting five bushes, I'm getting one of each of his varieties--early, early-mid season, mid, mid-late, and late. So probably 10, maybe even 12, weeks of blueberries. YEAH! So I guess I'll be putting those bushes in, what, after the cookies but before the new hot water system?I'm really getting into this whole edible-landscaping thing. Can you tell? In other news, I've erected several... er... trellises? Trelliseas? Trellisae? Can I get a plural on that? ;-) Okay, back to grading!
I'm thinking "trellae."
ReplyDeletetrel·lis [ trélliss ]
ReplyDeletenoun (plural trel·lis·es)
Definition:
1. lattice for supporting plant: a lattice of wood, metal, or plastic used to support plants, usually fixed to a wall
2. latticework structure: a structure made of latticework, especially an arch
transitive verb (past and past participle trel·lised, present participle trel·lis·ing, 3rd person present singular trel·lis·es)
Personally I would have gone with 'trellisii' :0D but my spelling seems to be on the decline these days...
On clearing the undergrowth in mum's garden I have 'discovered/unearthed/whatever' some seemingly 'wild' brambles that bear the yummiest blackberries ever.... (they caught my eye last year).... much to mums disgust I've left them in and am now organising some support for them..
Do you have anything on 'composting' - mine has been 'cooking' for a whole year now and it still doesn't look right....
Kate--I agree, "trellae" sounds almost elegant.
ReplyDeleteAhavah--I might be able to help, but I'll need more specs. What's in there? How does it not look right? If it doesn't smell bad, but it's a bit chunky still (but overall getting black & crumbly) it's probably fine, it just needs to be screened. Get some 1/4" inch or even 1/2" inch metal screening, staple it to some kind of frame, and sift the compost through that. Whatever's left, chuck it back on the pile. (I should take my own advice, as I never get around to this step.)
I've got a great book called "Let It Rot" that's my personal composting bible. It's pretty cheap & widely available, I highly recommend it.
Let It Rot? sounds a hoot! I will go and investigate the bottom of the composting bin .... ermmm
ReplyDelete???? will there be 'worms'?
I don't think I can DO 'worms'..... :0(
Hmmm...if all your plants are blooming at different times, will they get pollinated?
ReplyDeleteEm--I guess I don't see why not. Different fruits & veggies are pollinated throughout the season without issue. I don't think they require cross-pollination, although I can ask. Do you know?
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure blueberries need to be cross-pollinated by a different variety. They are not self-fertile, and you can't even have two shrubs of the same variety pollinate each other. See http://www.blueberry.org/gardening.htm, which says "The best bet for blueberries is to have different varieties of blueberries within 100 feet, so bees can travel and cross pollinate. Blueberries cannot be fertilized by their own pollen!"
ReplyDeleteWell, hopefully the overlap in seasons will help, then. I'll have six total bushes worth once I'm done, but I'll check w/ the farmer to see what he says.
ReplyDelete