My garden and small orchard (about 20 fruit trees in ground) is in front range at 5000’ in a riparian area in foothills of the Rockies. I am growing apples, pears, cherries, grapes, berries and melons. I use organic approach and am trying to integrate native plants into my orchard and garden. Also experimenting with containers to grow zone 6 stone fruit, keeping them in unheated shed over winter.
Apple trees: Macoun, Pristine, Honeycrisp, Cox’s Orange Pippin, Harelred, Summer Rambo, “Rabbit Ears Red”, two crabs with multiple grafts on each, and several infant G935 to Liberty.
Pears: 2 espalier Moonglow, two multi grafted (eg, Seckel, Harrow Delight, Bosc, Luscious), and Magness. Multi-variety (Warren, Ayer’s) in container.
Peaches: 3 Contenders, Red Haven, and PF 24C in ground. Gala and Burbank Early Elberta in containers. Gold Mine Nectarine in container.
Plums: Black Ice and Lavina in ground; Santa Rosa in container. Multi-variety Plumcot in container.
Cherries: Montmorency, Meteor
Figs: Chicago Hardy in container.
Melons: multiple varieties of Cantaloupe, Watermelon, Crenshaw, Honeydew
Grapes: Himrod, Einset, St. Theresa, and Vanessa.
Berries: multiple varieties of blueberries. raspberries, strawberries, currants and gooseberries.
Special challenges: Late frosts. Elk and bears.
Other interests include skiing, mountain biking, rock climbing, fly fishing and golf.