harry57, "The beauty of doing bokashi is that the material can remain fermenting in the bucket for long periods of time until you're ready to use it." Exactly! It IS beautiful! "smell a bit whiffy" bokashi is a pickling process, well not as in a salt pickling process, but similar results. I think bokashi made from meat, cabbage, radish, manure, or rose pedals should in theory all smell the same. I hope to catch your posts on bokashi burying in the Earth Machine. Maybe toss a couple pieces of biochar... Cowboy Brand Charcoal... the chaff or small pieces and dust would not be missed from the primo stuff. "Earth Machine" does material Really flow through that? How hard is it to harvest? Is it possible to only harvest stuff that was put in the front and the material on the bottom in the back just lives there forever landlocked? Hmmmm. If I was using an "Earth Machine" to finish bokashi I would dump the bucket into the top. Then there would be a choice of materials to top off with. Any of the carbon materials ever mentioned on any composting board including vermicomposting. Garden soil is an option. Poor soil. Bokashi is a moist material. Hmmmmm. Sounds like lots of fun options.

Image by: Trudi DavidoffMini-greenhouses from recyclables! "How to Winter Sow Seeds Outdoors" It really is very easy to do. First, let me give you a little background as to why I sowed the seeds during the Winter. I live in a very small house, a cottage actually, and I simply do not have room for a light set up, also any window space I have must be fought from the cat and "Prinny" likes to look out on the street and watch the world go by, so I have to give her a windowsill. She's a good cat and deserves her place in the sun. I got hooked on seed trading, and as you all know seed trading is like Pokeman......you gotta have 'em all. I had tons of seeds, I had them all. Though I am not a novice at gardening I am a novice at growing seeds, this was my second season doing so. Because of my lack of experience with growing seeds, and not having a light set up, I always traded for "easy to grow" seeds: I had to start them in the windowsill or out on the patio in flats during Spring and Summer which I did the previous year with good success too. I was thinking a lot last Winter about how I was going to start all these seeds, I needed an easy way out. I knew that many seeds needed to be pre-chilled, and I knew that many plants reseed and germinate outdoors without our intervention. I thought about this for a few days and put 2+2 together. I would sow them into flats, and take them outside for the Winter, if all went well then they would germinate in Spring. I am a true believer in "recycle and reuse". I had been saving my take-out containers from the Chinese restaurant (not those typical white boxes that have a metal handle and white rice inside), I was saving the foil pans that have a separate clear plastic lid, they're usually round or rectangular. These containers were just perfect.....plus I didn't have to go to a store and open up my wallet (hmm, look at all the moths fly out), if I can get away without having to lay down a buck I will. I did need soil though and so I went to Walmart and got their brand which was the cheapest I could find. Seed selection: Take a look at a seed catalogue, most will have some sort of notation about a seed's germination requirements, or you'll pick up a few clue-in phrases. Look for these terms: Needs Pre-chilling (freeze seeds, refrigerate seeds, stratify for x amount of day or weeks) Needs Stratification Will Colonize Self Sows Sow outdoors in early Autumn Sow outdoors in early Spring while nights are still cool Sow outdoors in early Spring while frosts may still occur Hardy Seeds Seedlings can withstand frost Can be direct sown early Wildflower Weed (such as butterfly weed, joe pye weed, jewel weed) Look for Common Names indicating a natural environment: Plains Prairie Desert Mountain Swamp Field River etc. Look for names that might indicate an origin in a temperate climate: Siberian Chinensis Polar Alpine Orientale Canadensis Andean Russ (indicating Russian origin) etc. Think about your own garden, and your neighbors' gardens too. Do you find plants that have volunteered each spring and shown up as seedlings that you didn't sow? These are very good choices. (let's say that your orange marigolds have returned in Spring as volunteer seedlings.......you can then be pretty well assured that gold, or lemon, or African or French varieties will also reseed for you too, when it comes down to it a marigold is a marigold is a marigold). I like Park's Seed catalogue, it has a great germination table right in the middle of the catalogue. They have a numbered guide indicating the best germination requirements for seeds. I took a yellow highlighter and went down that numbered list and highlighted all the numbers that would be appropriate for Winter Sowing, then I carefully went through their list of seeds and highlighted the varieties that corresponded to the correct numbers. This is how I chose which varieties I would Winter Sow. A lot of catalogues, not just Parks, will have a germination table, or some information about germination, look at them, study them, and learn. To make a flat you take the foil container (of course it's clean, washed in hot soapy water) and a paring knife. Stab a few slits in the bottom of the pan, this is for drainage. Now fill the pan with soil to about a half inch from the top. Give it a real good drink and let it drain. I do this in my kitchen. (I have a sprayer on a hose at the sink and I use this for the watering, works well and doesn't gouge out holes in the soil). After the pan has drained sow your seeds and pat them down. Cover them with more soil to the correct depth if necessary. I like growing plants with tiny, tiny seeds, they're really just the very most easiest to sow. Sprinkle them on top of the soil, pat them down, and that's that. Now you need to put the lid on BUT FIRST.........and this is the very most important step.......take the knife and poke several slits in the clear plastic lid. This is for air transpiration. Think about it, you're making a little mini greenhouse. If you don't vent the air that is heated by the sun you'll cook your flat and the seeds won't germinate. You've baked them to death. Okay, put the lid on secure by folding down the foil rim. Now the seeds are sown. Uh oh.......back it up, I forgot a step that you may wish to use: labeling. I didn't label mine as I like surprises, however this concept may pop the heads of gardeners who enjoy having everything "just so". Get some freezer tape, or any tape that you know will work well after being frozen. Pull off a piece and stick it to the bottom of the flat. Write the variety name on it with a laundry marker (or a sharpie). You can do this before or after sowing, if you do it afterwards make sure you wipe the bottom of the flat well as freezer tape doesn't really adhere as good as you'd like to a damp surface. Label the tape before sticking it the bottom of the flat. The label is on the bottom of the flat because the sun can't bleach it down there. I haven't yet found a marker that won't bleach out in my strong Long Island sun. All right, the flat is now sown and covered (with little slits in the top, yes? don't forget!!). Now take it outside to somewhere it will be safe for the winter. I put them on a picnic table top away from my curious puppy. I learned my lesson, I lost a flat of daylilies (the first I sowed this way) because I put them on the ground under a bush and the puppy found them and thought the flat was a toy, and she promptly killed it by shaking it to death. After that all the flats went up on the table out of her reach. Sad loss, but an excellent lesson. Now you just wait it out. When the weather warms the flats will freeze and thaw repeatedly as winter gives way to spring. This action of freezing and thawing out helps loosen the seed coat. You'll often see the term "nick or file seeds prior to sowing" in germination databases: this is to duplicate Mother Nature's work (now you won't have to do that anymore). Amazingly, just when winter is about to break, and you're still getting nightly freezes, the first of your flats will begin to germinate. When I saw this I thought that the seedlings were goners, but they thrived. The seeds know when it's safe to come up, it's part of their genetics. Now is the time to check the moisture in the flats, on an above freezing day open them up and if they look like they need a drink give them one. The excess water will drain away. Don't forget to replace the lids tightly. As your seedlings grow start widening the slits in the covers, once a week or so make the slits a little bit bigger, eventually you'll have more open areas than covered and you'll be able to transplant the seedlings into the garden because they are completely hardened off. I have put in seedlings that barely had their first set of true leaves and they thrived in the ground. After transplant care is typically the same as for indoor sown seedlings. They need a drink and just a little bit of food: 10% strength after their first week in the ground, then increase slowly as the season progresses. After about eight weeks and a few feedings your seedlings will be able to take a full strength feeding. Alternate seed flats: I have used plastic milk jugs and 2 liter soda bottles too, just cut around the middle almost all the way through. Make the drainage slits. Fill with dirt, water, drain, sow, cover with more dirt (the same procedure as above). Tape the cut edges together and simply remove the cap for air transpiration. Cardboard orange juice or milk containers can be used with a baggie. Cut them in half, horizontally or vertically, make the drainage slits and sow your seeds by the same method above. Slip the flat into a baggie, tie it closed with a twist tie or a knot and use the knife to make a few slits for air transpiration, put a few slits in the bottom of the baggie for drainage. Coolwhip tubs: Make the drainage slits, sow your seeds as above. Take a scissors and cut out the center of the lid, leaving about an inch around the inside of the rim. Put a piece of saran wrap over the tub, put on the lid. This holds the saran wrap "window" snugly. Take the knife and make some slits in the saran wrap for air transpiration. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ So that's how to do it, if I remember something that I have forgotten I'll post an addendum, but I think I have it all covered. The major principles of outdoor Winter Sowing are selecting the appropriate seeds for your plant zone, and providing adequate drainage and adequate air transpiration. Do all these and you'll have a success. Did all my flats germinate? NO! I had about eighty or so of these made and I had eight not germinate. Was it the seeds? Was it the method? Was it me? I don't know. But I did have around seventy flats that did germinate. Outside! I forgot to mention that I also used four kiddie pools. These were used the summer before as container gardens (lots of soil, lots of big slits for drainage). I simply direct sowed these and left them uncovered. They got snowed on, the snow melted, it rained while the base of the kiddie pools were still frozen and the rain didn't drain. They all were frozen with ice at least an inch thick.......aarrgghh, panic Panic PANIC....I couldn't do anything about it. When the warmer weather finally came the pools thawed and drained and the seeds came up! YEAH! That's it. As you see it's not hard to do at all and I sowed these flats at my leisure throughout the Winter. Everyone talks about going bonkers in January and February because they can't get out and do any meaningful gardening, and there are only only a few varieties of seeds which can be successfully sown this early indoors....frustration and gardening fever sets in. While all the other gardeners were chomping at the bit I was being self indulgent and playing with dirt and mud and seeds at my own lazy bones pace. I took a leap of faith doing this, I kept the faith, and I was rewarded. I believe in this method, it works, it really truly works. Too much emphasis has been made on indoor sowing under lights. It takes up time, it takes up space, white flies take to the air, damp off kills your effort, your seedlings, your spirit. Did I forget to mention that there was NO EVIL DAMP-OFF? The freezing action killed whatever nasties that are in the soil that cause young innocent seedlings to perish so tragically and so sadly. And it is sad, you take a lot of time and care in your efforts, the seedlings are sometimes almost like our "plant" children. It really is depressing when a flat of seedlings doesn't make it. I encourage everyone to try this Winter Sowing method, if you want to hold back some seeds the first time you try it that's great. Save some seeds to sow indoors of a variety you have placed in a Winter Sown flat, compare the differences in the seedlings, and then the compare plants when they mature. Learn from what you observe. Make your life and garden easy, let it flourish with flowers, grasses, vines, bushes, trees, and vegetables, you thought you couldn't even consider trying before now. Good luck to you all! Trudi Davidoff

IME, pulling plants in and out of winter protection creates more problems than it solves. Oooh it's cold.....do I want to go dormant?? Now it's warming up......maybe I can still squeeze another couple of weeks out of the growing season :-)) Ideally, the freeze should have shocked them into dormancy and they should stay in that state until spring. I'd find somewhere to keep them where the temps will remain pretty constant at 0-5C (32-40F) and let them stay there until suitably warm in spring to return outside. Light is not critical and they will need only enough water to keep the potting soil from becoming completely dry.

Hello Canadian Citrus Fans, I thought you would be interested to know that we have launched our Citrus Pre-Order at Phoenix Perennials for the upcoming year. This time around we have added avocados, a variegated fig, and some olives in case your subtropical proclivities extend beyond the Rutaceae. Full details are below or at www.phoenixperennials.com. Cheers and happy growing, Gary The Great Citrus & Avocado Pre-Order 2021 53 different citrus, 12 different avocado plus a variegated fig and five olives for Canadian gardeners! We are excited to offer one of our largest selections of citrus and likely one of the largest ever offered in Canada. Citrus are a relatively easy-to-grow and rewarding group of plants that can be grown by all Canadians as long as you have a a sunny outdoor spot for summer and a good, bright place indoors for the winter. Beyond classic favourites like Meyer lemons, navel oranges, blood oranges, key limes, and Thai limes, we also have a number of cultivars of mandarins, kumquats, yuzu, and sudachi that are completely hardy in zones 7 and 8. They can be grown outdoors year round in coastal BC in protected microclimates. We are also pleased to offer our largest selection ever of avocados and to include a cool variegated fig and five top notch olive cultivars. Without further ado, you’ll want to start perusing our selection and making your choices. Please let all of your friends know so we can keep presenting a wider and wider selection each year. Explore our Full List of Citrus In addition to the hardy cultivars, we have a full range of classics and rare cultivars for your citric pleasure. Here is our full selection of citrus for 2020: AUSTRALIAN FINGER LIME – Microcitrus australasica – Foodies take note! Dark purple fruits hold green “citrus caviar” – juicy capsules bursting with lemon-lime flavour. Zone 10. BERGAMOT – Citrus bergamia – Tea lovers take note! The rind is famed as the flavouring for Earl Grey and Lady Grey tea. Zone 9. CALAMONDIN – Citrofortunella mitis ‘Variegata’ – Known as calamondin, calamansi, or Philippine lime, this heavy-fruiting hybrid is most often used as an ornamental in North America. But amongst Filipinos this is a beloved fruit used throughout their cuisine in fish, chicken, and pork dishes, with spring rolls and dumplings, and in beverages, marmalades, and desserts. This is the variegated form. Zone 10. CALAMONDIN – Citrofortunella mitis – Known as calamondin, calamansi, or Philippine lime, this heavy-fruiting hybrid is most often used as an ornamental in North America. But amongst Filipinos this is a beloved fruit used throughout their cuisine in fish, chicken, and pork dishes, with spring rolls and dumplings, and in beverages, marmalades, and desserts. Zone 10. CITRON – Citrus medica ‘Assads’ (Kosher Etrog) – Fragrant lemon-like fruit with thick peel is used for the Jewish Feast of the Tabernacles (Sukhot). ‘Assads’ is a selection from Morocco dating back at least 2000 years. Our plants have been grown only from own-root cuttings or seed for 2000 years and so are Kosher. Zone 9. CITRON – Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis ‘Buddha’s Hand’ – A striking oddity like a lemon with fingers. Use the rind like orange peel as a flavouring. Zone 9. GRAPEFRUIT – Citrus ‘Cocktail’ – Very juicy, bright yellow fruit. Sweet-tart flavour. Actually a hybrid of a pummelo and a mandarin but most similar to a grapefruit. Zone 9. KUMQUAT – Fortunella japonica ‘Centennial’ – POSSIBLY HARDY. Variegated version of the ‘Nagami’ kumquat. Eat the yellow and green striped fruits peel and all. Potentially hardy in coastal BC. Zone 8-9? KUMQUAT – Fortunella japonica ‘Marumi’ – Similar to the ‘Nagami’ except with much smaller leaves and more round shaped fruit. The peel is also slightly thinner and sweeter. Diminutive and highly ornamental, the Marumi is rarely found outside of China and Japan. Zone 9. KUMQUAT – Fortunella japonica ‘Meiwa’ – Fruit is more round than ‘Nagami’, with a bit more sweetness. Good candied or in marmalade. Produces best in hotter microclimates. Zone 9. KUMQUAT – Fortunella japonica ‘Nagami’ – HARDY. Kumquats are eaten peel and all for a sweet-tart combo. Heavy producer of small oblong fruits. Hardy in coastal BC. Zone 8. KUMQUAT – Fortunella japonica ‘Nordmann’ Seedless ‘Nagami’ – HARDY. Kumquats are eaten peel and all for a sweet-tart combo. Heavy producer of small, seedless oblong fruits. Hardy in coastal BC. Zone 8. KUMQUAT – Fortunella obovata ‘Fukushu’ (Changshou) – Considered by some to be the best of the kumquats for eating with large fruit with great tart/sweet contrast in flavour. Lovely rounded leaves. LEMON – Citrus limetta ‘Pomona’ Sweet Lemon – Eureka-type but with less thorns. Sweet, juicy fruits with low acid. Potentially hardy in coastal BC having survived freezes to -9 C. Zone 8b-9a? LEMON – Citrus limon ‘Eureka’ – Fruit quite similar to ‘Lisbon’ with less to few thorns and more open foliage with classic tart and acidic lemon flavour and few seeds. Good year-round producer. Somewhat more resistant to cold than ‘Eureka’ once established. Zone 9. LEMON – Citrus limon ‘Genoa’ – Similar to the familiar ‘Eureka’ lemon but hardier. An Italian cultivar with vigorous, compact growth perfect for container culture, great production, and good cold tolerance. Zone 9. LEMON – Citrus limon ‘Lisbon’ – One of the most popular of all lemons with classic acidity and flavour and few seeds. Fruit quite similar to ‘Eureka’. Thornier, dense foliage. Good year-round producer and beautiful purple new growth. Somewhat more resistant to cold than ‘Eureka’ once established. An heirloom cultivar likely from Portugal. Zone 9. LEMON – Citrus limon ‘Santa Teresa’ Feminello – The most popular of Italian lemons. Highly productive with medium sized fruit with a characteristic nipple at the end. High acid content perfect for making limoncello. Zone 9. LEMON – Citrus limon ‘Variegated Pink’ (Eureka) – Distinctive green and yellow variegated foliage and fruit are highly ornamental. Lemons have pink flesh, clear juice and acidic lemon flavour. Fuchsia coloured new growth and flower buds. Zone 9. LEMON – Citrus New Zealand ‘Lemonade’ – Mixologists take note! A sweet, juicy lemon hybrid with a distinct flavour of lemonade! Black branches. (C. limon x C. reticulata) Zone 9. LEMON – Citrus x meyeri ‘Improved Meyer’ – One of the easiest and most popular citrus to grow. Can bloom and fruit year-round. Deep yellow lemons are very juicy and less acidic than regular lemons with nice sweetness. A hybrid cross of C. limon (lemon) and C. reticulata (mandarin orange). Zone 9. LIME – Citrus aurantifolia ‘Mexican Key Lime’ – The classic flavouring for key lime pie. Aromatic, flavourful, greenish-yellow fruit. Easy to grow. Can produce year-round. Zone 10. LIME – Citrus aurantifolia ‘Thornless Key Lime’ – The classic flavouring for key lime pie. Aromatic, flavourful, greenish-yellow fruit. Easy to grow and no thorns! Can produce year-round. Zone 10. LIME – Citrus hystrix Makrut/Kieffer Thai Lime – Foodies take note! Very fragrant leaves and bumpy fruit are both used in Asian cooking. This tree will revolutionize your stir fries and curries especially Thai, Lao, Cambodian, Vietnamese, Indonesia, Burmese, Malaysian, and South Indian dishes. Zone 10. LIME – Citrus latifolia ‘Bearss Lime’ – Large limes almost as big as a lemon, seedless, very juicy. Zone 9. LIME – Citrus latifolia ‘Tahitian’ – A nearly seedless lime with thin skin, good juiciness and acidity and true lime flavour producing good crops. Zone 9. LIME – Citrus limettioides ‘Palestinian Sweet Lime’ – Round, medium-sized juicy yellow fruit. Has less sugar and acid than the Bearss Lime. Similar to sweet limes from Mexico, which also originated from the Mediterranean. With its mild flavor and few seeds, it makes a refreshing, cooling drink. Zone 9. LIME – Citrus x limonia ‘Rangpur’ Red Lime – Tart reddish orange fruit is used like lime although it is a sour Mandarin from India from a cross of a mandarin and a lemon often called a Rangpur lime or a red lime. The overlap of prolific fruit and purple tinged blooms make this a wonderful ornamental tree. Popular in mixed drinks or simply sliced for iced tea. Zone 9. LIMEQUAT – Citrofortunella ‘Eustis’ – This hybrid of a lime and a kumquat has prolific crops of flavourful, oblong, lime-like fruit on lovely ornamental plants. Zone 9. MANDARIN – Citrus reticulata ‘California Honey’ – A real collector’s item for citrus fans, ‘California Honey’ is not commercially grown so to taste this amazing cultivar, you’ll have to grow it yourself. It ranks as one of the best tasting of all mandarins with great, juicy flesh, intense sweetness, fragrant aroma, and a flavour like spiced honey. Zone 9. MANDARIN – Citrus unshiu ‘China Satsuma S-2’ – Nice round, sweet, easy-to-peel fruit and good cold hardiness. Introdcued from China in the 1990s. Zone 9. MANDARIN – Citrus unshiu ‘China Satsuma S-6’ – Nice round, sweet, easy-to-peel fruit. Introdcued from China in the 1990s. Zone 9. MANDARIN – Citrus clementina ‘Clementine’ (Algerian tangerine) – The popular ‘Clementine’ ripens in the spring with small, sweet fruit with a bright flavour. Provide a pollinator for best fruit production. Good cold tolerance. Zone 9. MANDARIN – Citrus reticulata ‘Dancy’ – The best known tangerine ripening in winter and popular at Chinese New Year. The deep orange red skin is thin and easy to peel. The fruit is sweet and juicy. Fine foliage and nice, upright habit. Some cold tolerance. Zone 9. MANDARIN – Citrus reticulata ‘Gold Nugget’ – POSSIBLY HARDY. Fruit is seedless, richly flavoured and easy to peel. Remarkably frost tolerant trees begin bearing in March. Unlike many other mandarins, fruit holds well on the tree through summer. Said to be one of the best tasting mandarins in the world. Zone 8b/9. MANDARIN – Citrus reticulata ‘Kinnow’ – A heavy-producing, spring-ripening cultivar with vigorous, attractive upright growth, lovely willow-like foliage, and sweet, juicy, easy-to-peel fruit though it does have some seeds. A major commercial variety from the Punjab and Pakistan where trees can produce 1000 fruits each! Zone 9. MANDARIN – Citrus kinokuni ‘Kishu’ – An early-ripening Japanese cultivar that produces before ‘Owari’. The golf ball-sized fruit is complex in flavour with great sweetness and a touch of tart. It is also seedless and easy to peel. The fruit is soft and supple so it doesn’t travel well and thus is not commercially grown. The only way to taste the deliciousness of ‘Kishu’ mandarins is to grow them yourself! Zone 9. MANDARIN – Citrus reticulata ‘Kuno Wase’ – Abundant early-ripening crops of sweet, thin skinned, easy to peel, bright orange fruit that are great for fresh eating. Good cold tolerance. Zone 9. MANDARIN – Citrus reticulata ‘USDA 88-2’/Lee x Nova/’Super Nova’ – An early-ripening seedless mandarin with medium to large, rich, juicy, and tasty fruit. Easy to peel. Zone 9. MANDARIN – Citrus unshiu ‘Owari’ – HARDY in coastal BC. Harvest great crops of very sweet satsuma mandarins from Dec-Feb. Zone 8. MANDARIN – Citrus reticulata ‘Pixie’ – Small, sweet, seedless mandarins are easy to peel. Requires less heat to ripen than other varieties. Zone 9. MANDARINQUAT – Citrofortunella ‘Indio’ – A kumquat-mandarin hybrid with large, pear-shaped fruit with sweet peel and tart flesh eaten together for a cool taste sensation. Zone 9. NAVEL ORANGE – Citrus sinensis ‘Fukumoto’ – Early ripening navel orange with reddish-orange skin and sweet, juicy flavour. Less vigorous, compact growth so good for containers. Zone 9. NAVEL ORANGE – Citrus sinensis ‘Washington’ – California’s famous winter-ripening navel orange perfect for orange juice and fresh eating. Sweet, seedless fruit ripens in ten months. A great variety for indoor growing. Zone 9. BLOOD ORANGE – Citrus sinensis ‘Tarocco #7’ – Largest of the blood oranges and among the most delicious. Deep orange skin, deep red flesh. Sweet and tart. Nearly seedless. Cool winters bring on the deepest red colours of the flesh. Zone 9. SOUR ORANGE – Citrus myrtifolia ‘Chinotto’ – Dense foliage, profuse fragrant flowers, bright orange fruit used for candying, marmalades or juice. Zone 9. SOUR ORANGE – Citrus x aurantium ‘Seville’ – Tart fruit perfect for marmalade and juice. Tons of fragrant flowers, beautiful dark green foliage. More cold hardy than normal oranges. Zone 9. TANGELO – Citrus x tangelo ‘Minneola’ – A mandarin-grapefruit hybrid that produces deep reddish-orange, bell-shaped fruit in winter with a rich tangerine-like flavour, especially if fruit are left to hang and fully ripen. Zone 9. TANGELO – Citrus x tangelo ‘Pearl’ – A mandarin-grapefruit hybrid that produces deep orange, bell-shaped fruit in winter with tender, juicy fruit with a pleasant sweetness and more grapefruit-like flavour than other tangelos. Nice willow-like foliage. Zone 9. TANGELO – Citrus x tangelo ‘Wekiwa’ – A mandarin-grapefruit hybrid that produces abundant, large, delicious fruits that look like a small grapefruit. They are sweet with a hint of tartness with amber-pink flesh. Best for fresh eating or juice. Trees remain compact but with great production. Zone 9. TRIFOLIATE ORANGE – Poncirus trifoliata ‘Monstrosa’/’Flying Dragon’ – An extremely hardy, ornamental citrus with intriguing branches contorting into zigzags and corkscrews. Lightly fragrant flowers produce small orange fruit in the fall which are gorgeous through winter. The fruit are very acidic and seedy but are edible with a lemony flavour. Use them to make marmalade. Zone 5. YUZU – Citrus junos (Yuzu Ichandrin) – HARDY. Foodies take note! Prized in Japan for flavouring dishes and desserts, for juice and for preserves. Abundant crops of 3″ fruits with a tasty, lemon-lime flavour. Hardy in coastal BC potentially to -18 C. Zone 7. SUDACHI (HYBRID YUZU) – Citrus sudachi (Sudachi Ichandrin) – HARDY. Foodies take note! A cross between a mandarin and yuzu prized in Japan and Peru to flavour soups, fish dishes, desserts, and ponzu sauce. Hardy in coastal BC. Zone 7. Avocado Meet the Avocados To get fruit you will need at least one A type and one B type. They will pollinate each other and you will get fruit on both plants. A Type Avocados ‘Gwen’ Gwen naturally grows about 10-15 feet in height, but can be kept even smaller as the tree lends itself easily to pruning since it has small limbs. Fruit is similar to the ‘Hass’ variety, but slightly larger. Oval and plump with thick green skins that have a pebbled texture and turn dull green when the fruit is fully ripe. Creamy gold-green flesh around a small to medium seed. Medium to large fruit with nutty, buttery flavour. Keep above 0o C (32o F). A Type ‘Hass’ The largest of the commercially grown avocados. Delicious flavour, high oil content. Large, oval fruit with green, pebbly skin turning black when ripe. Fruit size 10-12 oz. Creamy gold-green flesh around a small to medium seed. Vigorous grower that will need some space. Keep above 0o C (32o F). A Type ‘Lamb Hass’ A cross between ‘Hass’ and the dwarf ‘Gwen’ avocado yielding plants with an upright, compact habit. High yields of good quality ‘Hass’-like fruit with black skin ripening over a longer period than ‘Hass’. Fruit size 10-16 oz. Keep above -1o C (30o F). A Type ‘Little Cado’ (Wurtz Avocado) Tasty, green-skinned fruit with medium-thin skin. Fruit size 8-14 oz. Compact habit to 10-15 feet. Keep above 0o C (32o F). A Type ‘Mexicola Grande’ Easy to peel, paper-thin skin and creamy flavour. Ripens from late summer through mid-winter. One of the most cold hardy avocados to -7o C (20o F). A Type ‘Pinkerton’ Green fruit with medium pebbly skin and great flavour. Heavy, early producer on young plants. Fruit size 14-16 oz. Ripens November -April. Medium spreading tree Cold hardy to -2o C (28o F). A Type ‘Reed’ Excellent, large, green, round fruit with great flavour. Fruit size 12-18 oz — some of the largest fruit of any avocado! Medium-sized, upright tree. Keep above 0o C (32o F). A Type ‘Stewart’ One of the most cold hardy varieties. Mexican avocado with pear-shaped fruit with smooth, thin, dark skin and a nutty flavour. Fruit size 6-10 oz. Spreading, strong tree. Cold hardy to -7o C (20o F). A Type B Type Avocados ‘Bacon’ Tasty green fruit with medium-thin skin. Fruit size 10-12 oz. Ripens December – January. Medium upright tree. Cold hardy to -3 to -5o C (23-26o F). B Type ‘Jim Bacon’ Similar to Bacon Avocado. Tasty green fruit with medium-thin skin. Fruit size 10-12 oz. Medium upright tree. Ripens December – January. Cold hardy to -3o C (26o F). B Type ‘Sir-Prize’ A Hass type avocado with larger fruit and more productive trees. Tasty green fruit with black skin. Fruit size 10-20 oz. Fruit does not oxidize when cut or kept refrigerated. Upright tree. Ripens 4-6 weeks earlier than Hass in winter. Hardy to -1o C (30o F). More cold tolerant than Hass. B Type ‘Zutano’ Good variety in relatively low temperatures. Green fruit, medium-thin skin. Fruit size 10-12 oz. Ripens November – January. Upright tree. Used as a pollinator for Hass Avocado in orchard settings. Cold hardy to -3 to -4o C (25-26o F). B Type A Variegated Fig and Five Olives Ficus carica ‘Panache’ – Tiger Fig A beautiful ornamental and edible fig with green and yellow striped fruit. Fruit has a strawberry red interior with sweet flesh. Fruit is very late to ripen requiring heat, sun, and a long season. Fruit may not ripen in coastal BC unless planted in the hottest of locations such as up against a south-facing wall or grown in a greenhouse. Trees grow up to 12 feet tall. Zones 7-10 Olea europaea ‘Chemlali’ Commonly grown in Tunisia and also known as ‘Chemlali de Sfax’. High yields of top quality, small, tasty, burgundy fruit. The fruit and oil has a mild fruity flavour. Begins to bear fruit early on young plants. Ornamentally beautiful with erect growth and weeping canopy. Self-fertile. The presence of a different cultivar will increase yields. Zone 8. Hardy to -12o C (10o F). Good cold hardiness. Requires excellent winter drainage in a warm microclimate if growing outside in coastal BC. Olea europaea ‘Frantoio’ The most important olive for Tuscan olive oil. High yields of top quality, small to medium-sized, purple-black fruit. The fruit and oil has fruity and nutty flavours. One of the hardiest of olives and the hardiest self-fertile cultivar. The presence of a different cultivar will increase yields. Attractive silvery to blue-green, willow-like foliage. Zone 8. Hardy to -12o C (10o F). Requires excellent winter drainage in a warm microclimate if growing outside in coastal BC. Olea europaea ‘Leccino’ An important olive for making Tuscan olive oil. High yields of top quality, medium to large, early-ripening, burgundy-black fruit. The fruit and oil has a sweet flavour. Likely the hardiest of all olives. Requires a pollinator such as ‘Frantoio’. Attractive weeping habit. Zone 8. Hardy to -12o C (10o F). Requires excellent winter drainage in a warm microclimate if growing outside in coastal BC. Olea europaea ‘Manzanillo’ The most important olive for Spanish olive oil. High yields of top quality, medium to large, green fruit. Great quality flesh and easily removable pits for fresh eating. High oil content. Attractive bright green foliage. Requires pollination by a different olive cultivar. Zone 8. Possibly hardy to -12o C (10o F) but not as hardy as ‘Frantoio’. Requires excellent winter drainage in a warm microclimate if growing outside in coastal BC. Olea europaea ‘Sevillano’ Very large, bluish black, early-ripening fruit. Low oil content. Perfect for brining, pickling and eating. Smooth, buttery texture. Flesh separates from pits easily. Great for stuffing. Used to make Sicillian style salt brine cured olives and a leading canning olive. Large, reliable yields. Self-fertile. The presence of a different cultivar will increase yields. Zone 8. Hardy to -11o C (12o F). Requires excellent winter drainage in a warm microclimate if growing outside in coastal BC. More information at www.phoenixperennials.com.