It’s the rare and seasoned “vintage” gardeners that I love to corner, sit down with, and absorb every last morsel of the wisdom, history, experience, and storytelling that they gladly share with anyone who is willing to listen.

I took advantage of just that kind of opportunity recently when I met Tom Burford at the Backyard Fruit Growers winter meeting and intently listened as he spoke on “All Things Fruit.”

And the Expert’s Secret All-Time Favorite Apple Variety is…

Tom is an orchardist, writer, lecturer, and apple historian who also conducts hands-on workshops over at Vintage Virginia Apples. He has personally grown over 500 different varieties of apples and is on a mission to rediscover, preserve, and share the best of apples. Tom didn’t hesitate to reveal that without a doubt his all-time favorite apple is… “the last one that I ate!”

Here are my comments and notes from Tom’s lecture a couple weeks ago:

• Commercial orchards have historically dictated what fruit would be made available but recently consumers have become a driving force in demanding better fruit. From a high of 17,000 varieties in the early 1900’s, we are now down to a total of 2000 – 3000 different apples.

• The only way to preserve the diversity and tradition of many heirloom apple varieties will be for home gardeners to adopt them and begin to raise them right in their own backyards.

• Cider is the big story in the apple world with increasing interest and awareness of high quality, crafted heirloom ciders that can’t even be compared to the cheap commercial products made from imported concentrate that passes for apple cider at the grocery store.

• Apple cider was once a booming industry in the U.S. and is now regaining attention as a business opportunity. It has even raised concerns as a threat within the carbonated soft drink industry in part because of the increasing health consciousness.

• Heirloom apples shine the brightest when used in specified roles; not all of them best serve as desert apples. An heirloom that’s unsuited to fresh eating could turn out be the finest baking, sauce, cider, butter, or drying apple you ever tasted!

• Apple grafting workshops are becoming more popular among backyard gardeners looking to raise their own apple trees… Tom rationalizes that planting as few as two trees qualifies as an orchard. And if the two trees die you still qualify as an orchardist because your intentions were in the right place.

• Apples were prized by early settlers to the U.S. and much effort went into the introduction of the fruits and spreading apple seedlings westward. Even before the days of refrigeration apples stored well and could be transported rather easily.

• Old-school orchardists would dig young trees out of their nurseries and then replant them, taking extreme care to ensure that the seedlings limbs were facing in the same direction as they were when growing in the nursery bed.

• It can be a challenge to locate and confirm specific apple varieties. There is also a need to look out for elaboration and misinformation when it comes to heirlooms. Always keep track of the original sources and lineage of all your fruit trees.

• Variety selection is the critical factor for organic and backyard apple growers. Be diligent about planting trees that are suitable for your climate and growing conditions rather than choosing varieties that may have more sex appeal but will never survive or thrive in your growing region!

Highly Recommended Fruit Varieties, Books, and Workshops

Tom did pass along a couple of variety recommendations for the home gardener to consider. First there was the Pomme Gris apple touted as a care-free variety that you could plant today and simply return in five years to harvest tasty fruit. For a fine pear the nod went to the Burford pear as a good, all-purpose choice.

You can find several great books authored by Tom Burford including “The Best Apples to Buy and Grow” which is published by the Brooklyn Botanical Garden.

And don’t hesitate if you have an opportunity schedule one of his workshops or lectures, despite Tom’s joke that; “I’m already booking through 2013, but for all I know I may be dead by then.” I certainly hope to share in more of Tom’s humor and incredible wealth of apple and fruit knowledge well beyond those scheduled appointments!

Many of you took me up on the green ideas for chasing away winter blues, and some like Tee over at Veggie Gardener even commented on actually getting out into the garden to take in the milder temperatures that we enjoyed last weekend.

For me, the latest thoughts of warmer days and backyard gardening were inspired by the Backyard Fruit Growers Winter meeting that I attended. Great speakers, fellow gardeners, and the opportunity exchange new ideas always make it a worthwhile event.

Native Pollinators and Vintage Fruits

The main focus of this year’s winter meeting was on native pollinating insects and apples. Alex Surcica a researcher from the Franklin County Extension spent the morning talking about native pollinators with an emphasis on bumblebees and some of the solitary pollinators.

The afternoon session was a discussion of “All Things Fruit” with much of the conversation devoted to heirloom and antique apples. Tom Burford of Vintage Virginia Apples was the guest speaker and shared a wealth of information related to the culture, history, and future of the apple in America. Continue Reading About “Winter Meeting Focuses on Native Bees and Fruit” »

Has the cold, snow and ice gotten the better of you? Are you just itching to get out and do something constructive with that green but solidly frozen thumb of yours?

The scene may be bleak out in the garden, but there is still plenty to keep a northern gardener in a positive frame of mind. Here are a few events, activities, and thoughts that may help to lift that winter gloom…

Long Range Weather Forecast; Clear Skies and Short Months Ahead

We’ve had lots of snow here in Pennsylvania already, so my reasoning is that we’ve gotten it all out of the way and will see blue skies from now until the spring thaw. Sorry all you skiers and boarders out there but I’ve had my fill of snow, highlighted by a recent camping trip spent in two feet of the stuff!

One thing is certain, and that is that we’re halfway through January already and March will be rolling around before you know it! The days really are getting longer and brighter. Maybe I’m hallucinating a bit on this one, but I could swear I saw something green peeking up through the snow in the garlic bed the other day. Continue Reading About “Gardening Ideas to Chase Away Winter Blues” »

Here’s the follow up article to finish describing the exotic Caribbean fruits that I challenged you to identify in a previous post. James managed to name them all correctly and will receive a prize in the form of a PRO digging fork that he says will come in very handy as he cultivates his raised bed garden.

There are many unusual fruits found growing in St. Croix, and I did my best to throw a slight curve by showing a different view on any common tropical fruits that were included in the photo line up.

There’s More that One Way to Serve a Breadfruit

Starting with the breadfruits, these are strange but versatile fruits that I had never seen or tasted prior to my visit to the island. The flesh inside is white to cream colored, dry, and not quite as sweet as a typical tropical fruit.

The trees are very productive, bearing grapefruit sized round fruits. Although there are different varieties of breadfruit that produce larger fruits and some that are oblong rather than round.

Breadfruit trees offer many beneficial uses from lumber, to medicines and food. I wasn’t excited about the taste initially when I tried one breadfruit that was baked and another that was made into a fruity desert. I had a change of heart and enjoyed this tropical fruit when it was grilled or fried like plantains. Continue Reading About “More Unusual Fruits from the Islands” »

Looks like the tropical fruit challenge that was posted last week offered much more of a test than the previous garden riddle that many found a lot easier to solve.

I have to give James credit for making short work of it and coming up with the correct identity to every single strange and unusual fruit that was presented. I didn’t moderate his comment until today but he responded on Saturday and was the first and only person to get them all right.

James admitted to taking advantage of the clues offered in the November issue of the Gardening Secrets Newsletter and Wikipedia as resources but I think that being an avid sunny California gardener may have helped as well. Read on for alternate photos and additional details on the plants that were included in the tropical fruit identification challenge.

Eggfruit a Surprising and Unusual Discovery in the Tropics

First up is the very unusual and uncommon Eggfruit. This was a new one in my book and I was a little hesitant to try it out because I wasn’t sure what to expect from this odd fruit with a strange and somewhat pasty texture.

But I have to admit that I found it rather tasty with a rich, sweet flavor that is difficult to compare to any other fruit. Eggfruits grow larger than softballs and the bright yellow fruits offer a nice contrast against the dark green and shiny leaves. Continue Reading About “Identifying Exotic Fruits of the Caribbean” »

Maybe you’re a whiz when it comes to local fruits and vegetables, but how good are you if we shift the landscape to the Caribbean? Today’s post will give you a perfect opportunity to test your identification skills and take a shot at winning a prize!

All you need to do is guess the identify of the following photos that were taken during my recent trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands and a stay on the island of St. Croix. It’s such a lush environment where the vegetation is amazingly productive and exotic.

There are always exciting plant discoveries and new fruits and veggies to sample. We won’t waste time rehashing past tropical edibles like the sour sops, sugar apples, and tamarinds that I shared the last time I was in St. Croix.

Take Advantage of all the Help You can Get for this Challenge

Those were easy compared to what’s in store for you today, but guess right and you’ll be in the running to receive a nice little prize from my OpenSky storefront. If you’ve subscribed and read the latest issue of the Gardening Secrets Newsletter you will have a huge advantage because the names of all the plants in question were mentioned there! Continue Reading About “How Good are You at Identifying Tropical Fruits?” »

The use of zones is a practical Permaculture concept that’s worthy of incorporating into the backyard vegetable garden. The basic idea is to organize your landscape into growing zones that will make it easier and more convenient to care for your plants.

Zones are identified based on the relative location and accessibility, and then crops or gardening activities are matched to these regions depending on their allotment of time, space, labor, and other requirements. Zone 1 consists of the growing areas that are closest at hand and can be occupied by a variety of plants that are compact,  productive, and require intensive management.

Making it Easy to Keep a Close Eye on High Maintenance Plants

Examples of Zone 1 cultivation could range from a windowsill of potted herbs, to a deck or patio filled with containers of fig trees and bay laurel plants, or even a bed of edible flowers, baby cutting lettuces, and culinary herbs all growing alongside the home.

Zone 1 harbors plants nearby for easy access to the crops that you use most often; such as culinary herbs and fresh garnishes. Or it can serve as a base for plants that require frequent attention; such as container grown edibles. The close proximity means that demanding plants occupying this initial zone are much less likely to be forgotten or neglected! Continue Reading About “Adopting Growing Zones in the Landscape” »

Update: I just received notification that the OpenSky “Cyber Monday” promotion has come to a close, that there was overwhelming demand, and that all of the coupons have been issued. I apologize to anyone who was unable to access the storefront or take advantage of the promotion before it ended.

How would you like to receive a free Cobrahead Cultivator to help control those pesky weeds, or a Garden Shark Mulch Rake to use in your backyard? Maybe you’d prefer a new Oxo Garlic Press to prepare those home grown garlic bulbs, a Marble Mortar & Pestle set to crush your fresh herbs, or a Fiskars Soil Knife that can fill many roles around the garden.

Have you had your eye on that Rain Reserve System, an EarthBox Garden Kit, or the Can-O-Worms Composter that you’ve listened to me brag about? Well Cyber Monday may just be the perfect time to do a little shopping and save some dough thanks to this great offer from OpenSky. Continue Reading About “OpenSky “Cyber Monday” Free Gift Promotion” »