It’ll be a berry yummy place in a few years.

 

In the aftermath of ‘The Big Mess’ late-winter-hugelkultur project, great strides have been made in our quest for a fruitful future.

 

Over the past month we’ve planted our first three apple trees of what will probably be many dozens. We picked up some one year olds on M7 rootstock at the Nanaimo Seedy Sunday from Denman Island Heritage Apples.

 

A Vander Pol Red cultivar that originated in Oregon in 1903. A Spigold cultivar developed in New York State in 1962 and said to produce a ‘large golden fruit flushed pink-red. Firm, crisp and juicy.’ But most intriguing, a Lady. Good for cider or eating and while first described in France in 1628, is believed by some apple anoraks to be one in a handful of apples favoured by the Romans.

 

Karen also completed the two blueberry hugel beds. Our friend Jen, another veteran of the London teaching trenches over on a visit from Vancouver, helped Karen tuck the Duke and Elliot blueberries under a blanket of high-acid Douglas fir saw dust mulch from our wood milling last year. Here they can grow and do their lush blueberry business until they start producing in another year or two.

 

The final perennial project of the early spring was a raspberry bed that Karen dug in with canes from our neighbour John’s prolific and delicious patch.

 

A house update is coming soon, but in the meantime check out the fruit of Karen’s labours.