I am soo excited as I am about to plant my new fruit patch this weekend; later to become my fruit cage once hubby is home long enough to build one for me!!
In it I am planting
12 strawberry plants,
6 gooseberry bushes
10 raspberry bushes
5 blackcurrant/gooseberry crosses (called caseille here - no idea in the uk - produce huge blackcurrants)
2 rhubarb plants
Plus more as I get organised - maybe some naturalised blackberry bushes?
I already have 2 kiwis beginning, though apparently they take ages to set and they haven't liked the cold winter. Also a pear tree and the obligatory cherry tree for this region.
So lots of fruit for all my jam making this year; I cant wait to get the gooseberries and blackcurrants as they are impossible to get here in toulouse in the shops/markets
(hopping from foot to foot on excitement!)
shelley
Ooh sounds great. We used to have a fruit cage when I was school age - rows of strawberries & raspberries, black, red & white currants.....and oh yeah gooseberries & rhubarb (yuck). Some years my Dad used to try out new varieties for the strawberries. We'd pick our favourite from the previous year, which was repeated plus 2 new varieties to try. I remember this being "serious business" Funny what sticks in your memory.
Keep us posted with your progress. Any chance of photos?
Life is uncertain ………… eat dessert first!
We are hoping to plant bushes this year but we may have to wait until autumn so we can get prepared. We do have other bushes though which we will have access to this year, last year our tenants had them but they've moved
Ok
so all is planted today; can hardly move now (I am not supposed to overdo it as if I do I hurt all over for days.....but I always forget when I am gardening!)
Will try and take some photos asap and post them
such fun!!
ps also planted my potatoes today, potted on my courgette seedlings and my sunflower seedlings and planted some watermelon seeds!!
Stands aghast - we have lost about 20-30cm of snow in the last couple of days and someone was spotted wading their way down to their greenhouse today and that is as near as we got.
danast said:Oh dear Joanna you must be envious of us here, but I'm sure Spring will arrive soon.
What time is sunset with you?
I am envious now, wet slushy snow is the worst possible stuff . It is going at quite a rate and only another 20-30cm to go and set to rain tomorrow night so I wouldn't be surprised if that just about shifts it. Our temperatures are positive and forecast for 9C tomorrow but will dip again next week around 3C during the day but freezing again at night.
My hsuband does wonder sometimes but then again we love the people here, not quite as exuberant as the mediterraneans.
Josta berries are a gooseberry-blackcurrant cross. I don't know if they are the same as caseille. I don't like them much, and don't like blackcurrants. Danast, I am so glad to find someone else who doesn't like them!
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