I started an herb window box garden and a strawberry handing basket a decade ago when we lived in an apartment. When we moved to a house with a yard some years back I took the opportunity to make a project of a raised bed garden. It has regular stuff: tomatoes, squash, herbs, lettuce/kales and strawberries for (my wife.) We also put up a fence and got a dog (thereby lowering the deer pressure) and planted a couple of hazelnuts. A relative gifted us a fig, despite the fact that we live in zone 6. When our daughter was born another relative purchased for her a blueberry (Duke) which put me into the business of struggling with neutral acidity clay soil. Since then I have purchased additional blueberries; some are in pots and others in the ground. (Struggle or no they are still so tasty and, as predicted, our daughter loves them.) The fig was pulled out of its misery, (so sorry) so the relative responsible for its purchase gifted our daughter a pair of peaches (Reliance and Contender) on dwarfing rootstock. Contender was DOA (a stick with roots) so I purchased another peach to replace. Last year I decided I wanted some of my own fruit too so I put myself into the apple business with 4 bear root trees, all of which thankfully have more or less thrived so far. That said, other than the blueberries and strawberries which currently bear we are still some years away from the rest of fruit bonanza.

I am glad that there is this great forum through which people can exchange ideas, experiences and observations. I have learned a lot from you all already.

Thanks

NJpete