Thanks for letting me join, this is such a great resource as we get started with a new yard! I joined the forum while going down a blackberry rabbit hole (seperate thread) but thought I might start another post to see if anyone could share tips on what we have currently planted? Favorite ways to harvest/prepare, pruning/maintenence, etc. What should we be most excited to eat? We tried to include some native Colorado plants and more unique kinds of fruit. I know some are a bit astringent but we found a recipe book called “Cooking with Wild Berries & Fruits of the Rocky Mountain States” by Teresa Marrone that we are excited to experiment with! Worst case the birds will like them and we’ll have a unique yard.
Currently Planted:
Standing Ovation Serviceberry
Golden/Clove Currant x 2 (separate sources)
Jahns Prairie Gooseberry
Western Sandcherry
American Plum
Keiko Honeyberry/Haskap
Willa Honeyberry/Haskap
Adams Elderberry
Johns Elderberry
Rocky Mountain Sumac
Gro-Low Fragrant Sumac (I think, from builder. Not sure this one will fruit)
Barberry (unknown variety, from builder)
Hawthorn (unknown variety but lots of fruit, from builder)
Alexandria Alpine Strawberry
Eversweet Stawberry
Fort Laramie Strawberry
Canada Red Rhubarb
On order:
Semi-Dwarf Empire Apple
Golden Treat Fruit Snacks Apple
Stark Ultra Spire Apple
Under consideration (even though we are out of room):
Blackberry
Red currant
Lingonberry
Not to encourage an emerging addiction, but…you could plant a trailing blackberry at the base of one of your fence posts, train it up a wire on eye screws, and continue the eye screw/wire combo horizontally along the top rail of your fence. You can just keep one new cane per season or two if you want a T-shape with the canes going the opposite direction on your top rail.
you need a black currant for jam and juice. not the best fresh eating but processed its fabulous. tiben is my favorite here. if you want to try rooting cuttings let me know. ill send you some. it makes a 5ft x 5ft bush fairly quickly.
I tried to convince my hubby not to put a lawn and go full fledged food forest but he insisted. Make I can sneak a few fruit trees into it when he gets over the novelty of mowing haha. Luckily there isn’t a ton of lawn, not pictured is my 220 sq ft veggie garden I talked him into as a compromise haha. Though admittedly I think we’re going to be able to feed the entire block as we nail down the gardening tricks and our fruit matures.
Thank you for the kind offer! I will let you know if we decide to add more currants! Our currently planted ones are our native species (Ribes aureum) and I’m sure not as tasty as cultivated varieties but I’m curious to try them. We had Red lake and some unknown white currant variety at our last house and loved them, even fresh!
I’m with steveb4: black currants are so worth while. I have four varieties: Ben More, Risager, Laxton’s Giant & a bonus that arrived with an order years ago I call Orphan. They freeze well for later use in making jam (highly recommended) & cordial. They take up very little room & appreciate some shade mid-day.
PM me when you want some cuttings. They root easily. Or order from Whitman Farms; huge selection.
some blacks are good to eat right from the bush but its a fruit that you either really like or you dont. the euro blacks have a musky smell to them. my wife says they smell like cat pee. i do eat some of my tiben from the bush but they really shine processed in some way… R. aureum and odortatum are native and dont smell. fruit is more pleasant fresh but not as good processed as the euro’s. Crandall clove (R. odortatum) is another native currant i grow. they grow a little slower but are more drought, heat and cold hardy. members on here grow it from z2 Alberta to z10a. s. Cali. honeyberryusa.com sells them . so does Whitmans.
