Designing a small orchard with complementary plants
Jason, zone 7A, near Greensboro NC
2 years ago
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cecily 7A
2 years agoRelated Discussions
orchard rootstock and design
Comments (5)Your surface drainage is good on a slope. But internal drainage can still be too slow for fruit trees. There's really not a lot you can do for that other than pile up some topsoil or new material hauled in that drains better than the subsoil. If you do make berms maintain the surface drainage, ie berms up and down hill, not across. If trees have died there before they will again although correct rootstock can have positive effects. Some soils with very dense clay simply don't have enough air space to support fruit tree roots. What pores there are in the soil are so small that they don't drain easily of water to allow in enough air to keep roots alive. A good soil is 50-60% solids, 20-25% air, and 20-25% water by volume within a day after a big rain. The air is as important as anything else. This post was edited by fruitnut on Tue, Oct 7, 14 at 15:31...See Morehachonochloa aureola needs complementary hosta
Comments (10)Check out this link that was posted in a thread earlier this year. It links to Fine Gardening Magazine's website and shows a couple of good pictures featuring Hakone grass and hosta. The article suggests creating vignettes or scenes within your design. A 16 ft garden might suggest one or perhaps two scenes with some common or repeating elements. I really like the last photo with the reverse variegated hostas combined with the grass. This photo reinforces the idea that there should be a flow or rhythm in the garden, factoring in height, size, texture, etc... and supports the above arguments for some variety. I'm a collector to a fault and I am trying to reign in my "one of each" mentality somewhat with some mass plantings and repeating colors - mostly with companion plants. It's a very early work in progress. Good luck with your raised bed! Here is a link that might be useful: Design Featuring Hakone Grass...See MoreMy 'orchard'
Comments (25)sun W - regarding those unwanted munchers - I am going to do the same with the metal flange around the trunk of the tree when it gets larger and fruiting to keep away the night marauders. I think they work for squirrels too....but I dont' think cats deter squirrels, at least that's not what I remember in Los Angeles and back east in Upstate NY... want to know an interesting fact - there are no tree squirrels of any kind here in the desert where I live, only ground squirrels which I don't think eat fruit, but certainly like to burrow. We do get these tree/fruit rats though that live up in the palms and can do some damage, but again, I think the flange would be effective if no other trees were near that gave them (or squirrels in your case) a chance to cross over... More planned strategy - of the 3 mangos I'm planting in front within 10 feet of a public sidewalk, two of them produce the green colored mangos. As you were saying of the ignorant public, I think most here have only seen the reddish tinged Tommy Atkins ones in the grocery stores (if at all) and thus may simply leave mine alone either by their color or simply not recognizing the "strange fruit" on the trees - lol any and every angle we can get, eh????? mangoWoof!...See Morecomplementary plants
Comments (9)If you want to avoid desert planting (and spikes and spines that could hurt the kids), yet not attract too many mosquitoes, and stay with medium (rather than high) water consumption, you can find a lot of options in plants native to the Mediterranean. These include: Olive trees (Olea europaea) is a handsome, slow-growing tree. Sterile non-flowering non-fruiting varieties are available that do not afflict pollen sufferers, and do not litter the ground with messy olives. Mastic tree (Pistacia lentiscus), an evergreen tree with small very dark leaves, and a somewhat shrubby form that can be pruned up into a tree form. Mediterranean fan palm (Chamaerops) This is slow growing and peaks at only about 15 feet in height. It is multi-trunked, with new trunks arising from the base, so you get multiple palm heads at varied heights, a very attractive look). It does have spines on the leaf stems, but these will generally be up out of reach of little kids. Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) tall slender evergreen. There are very narrow types available, such as "Tiny Tower." It peaks at 25-35 feet tall, but it is unusually very narrow, so it does not eat up limited ground space. Oleander (Nerium oleander), needs more water to get started, but eventually can get along fine with natural rainfall. It is multi-trunked, but can be pruned to as few as you like. It has pretty blossoms in spring. If you hunt long enough, you can find heavily-scented ones, which tend to be pink or carmin. Everyone will earnestly tell you that every part of the plant is poisonous, which is true, but so too are lots and lots and lots of other plants all around us that cause no trouble. Germander (Teucrium fruticans) this shrub can reach about 3 or 4 feet in height. The silver foliage makes it look like a desert plant, but it is native to the western Mediterranean. It's great charm is that it produced myriad small blue blossoms December-February, when you are likely to be outdoors. Bay (Laurus nobilis) an evergreen shrub which prefers afternoon shade (yes, the same bay leaves as used in cookery); Myrtle (Myrtus communis), a small-leaved evergreen shrub which looks a lot like boxwood or privet, but has a pleasant scent. (tender summer tip growth can be chopped and used to flavor goat cheese or other delicate non-cooked foods). It can take full desert sun (at least here in Tucson), and if grown in shade is more sparse and open in form, but still very pretty. Shearing will make it dense. If left alone it can become twelve feet tall, but it can be shorn to a tidy size. Herbs are a great way to introduce children to gardening; that's how my parents got us kids hooked. Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) grows to only about two feet high, but can eventually sprawl horizontally about three feet. I find other cullinary herbs do best in large terra cotta pots (pots that breath) filled with cactus-palm soil mix. I grow thyme, nepetella (Nepeta nepetella) (delicious with sauteed mushrooms, "cat mint" not to be confused with "cat nip"), Greek oregano, Mexican oregano, sweet marjoram this way. Herbs that require richer soil (ordinary house-plant potting soil will do) and more water include mint and basil, both of which require protection from afternoon sun. Mint will grow well year 'round (I just cut it back once a year), and basil is a tropical that loves summer heat. Calendula is an overlooked herb. It grows the same way as other herbs (cactus soil, terra cotta pot). It is happiest in winter. Its cheerful yellow or orange flower petals are pretty if sprinkled in salads. Johnny-jump-ups, violas and pansies grow well in potting soil in winter here, and their blossom petals are also edible in salads and look pretty on deserts. For all edible plants, don't use chemical insecticides or chemical fertilizers. Instead, use insecticidal soap spray, and fish emulsion fertilizer. Save the chemical treatments for non-edible ornamentals. There is an interesting Mediterranean plant that is marketed in Arizona as "Grecian Pattern Plant" or as "bear's britches" (Acanthus spinosus). This big-leaved shade plant goes dormant and disappears during the fierce summer heat, but in winter puts up deep glossy green leaves. If it is very happy, it puts up a stalk of purplish blooms in late spring just before it goes dormant. The leaves on this plant are reputed to be the model for the opulent capitals on corinthian capitals. It is not edible (to my knowledge) but attractive and easy care (if not trampled during its dormant season). Additional to these Mediterranean plants that do not look like desert plants, there are a several (actually many) dry-climate and desert plants that do not look like desert plants. A favorite in this category is Turk's Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus) from the Gulf coast all the way from Florida to Texas to Mexico. It has broad leaves and in fall and winter produces little scarlet spiral blossoms at the tips of branches. Here in the desert, it is happiest at the south edge of a tree, where it gets shaded from the high summer sun, protected from winter frost, but drinks in the low winter sun. Another is Leucophyllum. These shrubs have small ever-green leaves. Depending on the specific genus, they leaf color ranges from medium-green to silver to almost white, and the flowers occur during monsoon humidity in various shades of lavender and lilac. You can also look to feathery-leaved senna (Senna artemisioides), a shrub from the deserts of Australia that is soft as can be, and blanketed with small glossy yellow blossoms in late winter. A pretty, small, Mexican tree that does not look at all like a desert tree, is cascolote (Caesalpinia cacalaco) a tree-cousin of the red Mexican bird of paradise. It has panicles of yellow flowers in spring and again in monsoon season. Well, there are some ideas for a modest-sized yard. You will want to look up the name of each of these plants via the Latin name using both words in quotation marks so you get information on the correct plant. I hope that some planting and digging a patience gives you a wonderful place for you and your family and guests!...See Moregardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
2 years agoJason, zone 7A, near Greensboro NC
2 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
2 years agoJohn D Zn6a PIT Pa
2 years agopricklypearcactus
2 years agoBlueberryBundtcake - 6a/5b MA
2 years agoJason, zone 7A, near Greensboro NC
2 years agosah67 (zone 5b - NY)
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoJohn D Zn6a PIT Pa
2 years agoSigrid
2 years agokitasei2
2 years agoSigrid
2 years agoJason, zone 7A, near Greensboro NC
2 years agoJason, zone 7A, near Greensboro NC
2 years agoJason, zone 7A, near Greensboro NC
2 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
2 years agoJason, zone 7A, near Greensboro NC
2 years agoBlueberryBundtcake - 6a/5b MA
2 years agoSigrid
2 years agoJohn D Zn6a PIT Pa
2 years agoJason, zone 7A, near Greensboro NC
2 years agokitasei2
2 years agofloral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
2 years agoBlueberryBundtcake - 6a/5b MA
2 years agoSigrid
2 years agoBlueberryBundtcake - 6a/5b MA
2 years agoken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
2 years agosah67 (zone 5b - NY)
2 years agoJason, zone 7A, near Greensboro NC
2 years agoken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
2 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
2 years agosah67 (zone 5b - NY)
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agojoeywyomingzone4
2 years agoMaluseedgrowers
2 years agoKevin Reilly
2 years ago
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