[SustainableTompkins] Backyards, Beware: An Orchard Wants Your Spot

[Joel and Sarah Gagnon]

We landscaped with fruit trees when we moved to this place 30 years ago. 
They remain the backbone of our landscaping, despite difficulties keeping 
the deer at bay in recent years. Many fruit trees are lovely in the 
landscape. Some (but not all) varieties of peaches and nectarines are 
beautiful in bloom. Mericrest and Hardired Nectarines are hardy and have 
really pretty flowers. No frost resistance, though. Any apple will look 
good in bloom, as will any plum. Ditto apricots, but you won't get fruit 
unless you are in the City or have exceptional air drainage, due to their 
mid-April bloom and complete absence of frost tolerance. Pear trees are 
less attractive in the landscape, but they can be worked in. Quinces are 
lovely in bloom and bloom late enough to fruit pretty reliably. Cherries 
are attractive too. Then there are the nut trees, many of which are large 
enough for shade trees. In short, why landscape with trees that are not 
fruitful? Answer: because of the mess. Messy is what fruit trees have been 
seen to be for a long time in a society where store-bought fruit was cheap 
and the home-grown alternative requires diligent management. Growing decent 
fruit is challenging -- and fun.

Joel

At 11:20 AM 3/13/08 -0400, you wrote:
>Elan Shapiro wrote:
> > HOME & GARDEN   | March 13, 2008
> > 
> <http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/13/garden/13orchyarding.html?ex=1206072000&en=9656e734407b62b9&ei=5070&emc=eta1>Backyards, 
>
> > Beware: An Orchard Wants Your Spot
> > 
> http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/13/garden/13orchyarding.html?ex=1206072000&en=9656e734407b62b9&ei=5070&emc=eta1
>
>We planted one here a couple of years ago, in the front yard:
>
>http://livingindryden.org/2006/04/planting_an_apple_orchard_1.html
>
>I should probably post a status update, but it's all going well.  One
>quince so far, but they take a few years to get started.
>
>Thanks,
>Simon St.Laurent
>http://livingindryden.org/garden/
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