From our Garden to Yours

March 25, 2010   

Thanks to everyone who came out for Kerby's 30th birthday party this past weekend. It was a great success, with quite a few tongues turning blue from the cotton candy! Though Kerby's has turned 30, they aren't slowing down. Thousands of new flowers have arrived this week, so come out and be dazzled by all of the spring color.  

If you are feeling a little fruity, then join us for the Tropical Fruit Trees workshop this Saturday, March 27th at 10am.  From well known fruits like citrus, blueberries and grapes to oddities like sapote, canistel and jaboticaba, you won't believe the options you have for growing fruit trees in your own backyard.  And afterwards, take a stroll on our Fruit Walk and see over 100 fruit varieties.  You will definitely find something that will make your mouth water.

Happy Gardening,
Kim, Joey and Mark

In This Issue
Edible Gardening 

Upcoming Events

 

Edible Gardening

A lot of folks come into the nursery and tell us that they don't want to plant anything that isn't going to be edible. So for those gardener's out there who want their garden to work for them, use the following 'Plant This, Not That' guide to find great edible substitutes for each spot in your landscape.

Ornamental Trees
If your landscape is in need of an ornamental tree in the 8 to 15 foot range, there is a long list of fruit trees you can plant. In fact, many larger fruit trees, such as avocados, mangos, jakfruits and sapotes can be planted and with appropriate pruning, kept to a reasonable size. Use the following instead of the typical ligustrum or bottlebrush tree:

• Barbados Cherry

• Cherry of the Rio Grande

• Pitomba

• Jaboticaba

• Star Fruit

• Lychee (pictured)

• Peaches, Apples, Pears, Plums, Nectarines

• Everbearing Mulberry

• Strawberry Tree

• Guava

• Citrus

• Persimmon

• Pomegranate

Dwarf or Patio Trees
If you need a small tree for a patio pot, there are some great fruit trees that you can use. Instead of hibiscus or jatropha, try these:

• Barbados Cherry

• Cherry of the Rio Grande

• Pitomba

• Tea Plant

• Miracle Fruit (shade, pictured)

Privacy Hedge
No viburnum or ligustrum here. Skip the typical hedge plants and try these edible options:

• Grumichama

• Pitomba

• Barbados Cherry

• Cherry of the Rio Grande

• Pomegranate

• Blueberry

• Tea Plant

• Coffee

Vines
Everyone uses jasmine and honeysuckle, but there are lots of vines that produce fruits. Try these on your next fence, trellis or arbor.

• Muscadine Grape

• Passion Fruit (flower pictured)

• Kiwi

• Blackberry

• Raspberry

Upcoming Events
 

Workshop: Tropical Fruit Trees
Saturday, March 27th at 10:00 am

Juicy and delicious, there is nothing like picking fruit from a tree you've grown and eating it on the spot. Whether you like mangos or jakfruit, kiwi or papaya, or nance and custard apple, there is a fruit to fit every taste. After the workshop, you'll be able to sample some of the delicious fruits that can be grown in our area.

Easter Egg Hunt  
Saturday, April 3rd at 10:00 am

Spring is in the air, and nothing says spring like the beautiful flowers of Easter. This weekend, come out and enjoy all that the season has to offer. And if you have young gardeners, bring their Easter baskets and join us for an Easter Egg Hunt, Saturday morning at 10am. There will be fun prizes and treats!

Butterfly Weekend
Sat & Sun, April 10 - 11th, 10am - 4pm

Make your garden the place for butterflies to be this season. Come out for a fun weekend with activities for the kids and all the information you need to create a beautiful butterfly garden.

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