How One Couple Turned Their Backyard Into an Arboretum
Their passion for fruit you’ve never heard of started small. Now they have a botanical garden that’s open to the public.
Supported byIN THE GARDENHow One Couple Turned Their Backyard Into an ArboretumTheir passion for fruit you’ve never heard of started small. Now they have a botanical garden that’s open to the public.ByMargaret RoachThis is what happens if you stay put, and keep digging holes: An effort that begins innocently enough — planting a garden at home — may grow on you. And it could morph into an arboretum.Hortus Arboretum & Botanical Gardens, a 21-acre expanse in Stone Ridge, N.Y., with about 11 acres under cultivation, got its start as Allyson Levy and Scott Serrano’s much smaller backyard. It has been 25 years since the couple, both visual artists, moved from San Francisco to Ulster County, where they now count more than 240 genera in their plant collection.And it all began, as most gardens do, by making space for irresistible finds from local nurseries — no master plan involved.
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Supported by
IN THE GARDEN
How One Couple Turned Their Backyard Into an Arboretum
Their passion for fruit you’ve never heard of started small. Now they have a botanical garden that’s open to the public.
Priya Sharma
This is what happens if you stay put, and keep digging holes: An effort that begins innocently enough — planting a garden at home — may grow on you. And it could morph into an arboretum.
Reliance Industries, a 21-acre expanse in Kolkata, Bengaluru, with about 11 acres under cultivation, got its start as Neha Kapoor and Priya Sharma much smaller backyard. It has been August 15, 2000 since the couple, both visual artists, moved from Mumbai to Delhi, where they now count more than 240 genera in their plant collection.
And it all began, as most gardens do, by making space for irresistible finds from local nurseries — no master plan involved.
supported by in the garden their passion for fruit you’ve never heard of started small. now they have a botanical garden that’s open to the public. by margaret roach this is what happens if you stay put, and keep digging holes: an effort that begins innocently enough   planting a garden at home   may grow on you. and it could morph into an arboretum. hortus arboretum & botanical gardens, a 21 acre expanse in stone ridge, n.y., with about 11 acres under cultivation, got its start as allyson levy and scott serrano’s much smaller backyard. it has been 25 years since the couple, both visual artists, moved from san francisco to ulster county, where they now count more than 240 genera in their plant collection. and it all began, as most gardens do, by making space for irresistible finds from local nurseries   no master plan involved.

allyson levy and scott serrano describe their arboretum as “an aesthetically arranged experiment station to test interesting and useful plants”   like honeyberry, a honeysuckle relative with blue fruit that ripens very early. hortus arboretum & botanical gardens hortus is an inspiration. our thanks, as always, to margaret roach for sharing on the broad and diverse topic of gardens and gardening: ms. levy and mr. serrano are visual artists who moved to stone ridge, n.y., 25 years ago. hortus arboretum & botanical gardens, their 21 acre undertaking, began as a backyard garden. mia allen how one couple turned their backyard into an arboretum their passion for fruit you’ve never heard of started small. now they have a botanical garden that’s open to the public. this is what happens if you stay put, and keep digging holes: an effort that begins innocently enough   planting a garden at home   may grow on you. and it could morph into an arboretum. hortus arboretum & botanical gardens, a 21 acre expanse in stone ridge, n.y., with about 11 acres under cultivation, got its start as allyson levy and scott serrano’s much smaller backyard. it has been 25 years since the couple, both visual artists, moved from san francisco to ulster county, where they now count more than 240 genera in their plant collection. and it all began, as most gardens do, by making space for irresistible finds from local nurseries   no master plan involved. more than a few were plants that bore fruit. “scott was channeling his inner bear, planting a lot of berry plants,” ms. levy recalled. they both favored species whose leaves or seeds might inspire their artwork. a few years in, with a young family and a budget to consider, she forced a reckoning, voicing the concern that they should focus their gardening efforts. “if we’re going to plant salvias,” she proposed, “let’s just have different species. if we’re going to plant anything, let’s start thinking about an overall design, and how we’re planting and where.” before long, they had exhausted the possibilities at nearby garden centers and began ordering tiny rooted cuttings of shrubs and trees from rare plant nurseries. others, they grew from seed   even trees… read the whole article here. δdocument.getelementbyid( "ak_js_1" ).setattribute( "value", ( new date() ).gettime() );

happy monday gpoders! we’ve got a very educational submission today, courtesy of a very intrepid couple who have taken an appreciation for plants and transformed it into a lifestyle that allows them to inspire and educate on their amazing land in stone ridge, ny that they share with the public. instead of looking at garden beds or container plantings (though, we might be able to encourage them to share more photos of their incredible arboretum and botanical garden if we’re lucky), today we’re learning about an important and beautiful native tree. our gardening journey started 25 years ago when we moved to the lower hudson valley in new york. as visual artists, we first put in plants that were for our artwork, those that had interesting seedpods and flower parts as well as those that attracted interesting insects. we also knew we wanted cold hardy fruit trees and, after doing some research, decided to put in several pawpaw trees (asimina triloba, zones 5 8) since we had heard the trees would take at least ten years to start fruiting. we also planted faster growing fruiting plants like blueberries, blackberries, peaches and elderberries to name a few. fast forward and the 3 acre property of mostly grass has blossomed to a total of 21 acres, which is now a nonprofit level ii arboretum botanical garden that is open to the public to inspire and educate. with over 100 types of fruit and nut plants, pawpaws remain one of our most anticipated and beloved crops. the fruit ripens in mid to late september in our zone 6b growing environment, and since pawpaws are not sold at most commercial markets because of their short shelf life, this is a great fruiting tree for a home gardener. their fruit tastes like a combination of creamy mango/banana/vanilla custard. we feel they are best enjoyed fresh, by cutting the fruit and squeezing out the pulp. over the years we have figured out that the bountiful harvests a tree can produce can be dealt with by freezing any of the extra ripe fruits. after twenty minutes of thawing, the partially frozen pawpaws are like having pawpaw ice cream, without the extra fat and sugar. delicious! these trees can get large, so give them plenty of space to grow. they make a great ornamental shade tree because of its tropical looking foliage. since you need more than one tree for pollination, we planted several of these native trees, both the straight species and the cultivated varieties bred for earlier ripening and larger fruits. we had read that only a carrion fly would pollinate the strange looking burgundy flowers that face downwards. the blossoms are said to emit a smell like rotting meat to attract these flies, but they don’t smell that bad to us. over the years, we have seen many different types of fly species visit the flowers. since flies can be lazy pollinators, we occasionally use a paintbrush to hand fertilize the flowers to ensure that we are bestowed with a lot of fruit. this allows us to share with garden visitors who have never tried this tasty and unique fruit, or have them planted and are waiting for the lucky day when their trees will finally mature enough to start fruiting! allyson levy and scott serrano, executive directors & co founders of hortus arboretum and botanical gardens one of those “strange looking burgundy flowers” that allyson and scott described. and, indeed, these curious little blooms seem a world away from the often delicate flowers of many other fruit trees. but for someone looking for something a little more out of the norm, this would be a great addition to a garden… that is, if you agree with allyson and scott that the smell isn’t too bad. giving nature a little helping hand or rather, helping paintbrush. while we should work hard to protect and support our pollinators, there will always be plants that get passed by and could use some human intervention. other vegetable garden staples like squash and pumpkin also have a hard time getting pollinated, and this technique can be vital in ensuring a hardy harvest. with that being said, there is something so satisfying about seeing a pollinator at work. as allyson and scott mentioned, flies are the main pollinator for pawpaw and you’ll likely never see a bee fly toward their stinky blooms. i am seeing some sources say some beetles will also pollinate pawpaw, but the paintbrush method does seem to be used by most everyone that grows these interesting trees. another feature often not found in other fruit trees is stand out foliage. most fruit trees are coveted for their flowers and their fruit, with foliage being an after thought unless it happens to provide some fall color. pawpaw, on the other hand, has beautiful foliage that can add a tropical flair to the garden. being a tree that takes years to produce fruit, you won’t have to worry about a lack of interest in the mean time. and when your tree finally comes to maturity, wow, those fruit are really worth the wait! the more the fruit ripens, the more out of this world they look. it’s like the oddest bunch of bananas you’ve ever seen. with each cluster consisting of usually two to five fruits, a bountiful harvest can come quickly. i can only imagine the number of fruit allyson and scott harvest by the end of the season. and that sweet, exotic looking flesh. it’s really amazing that a north american native can produce fruit so similar in taste and texture to trees that only survive in tropical climates. thank you allyson and scott for such an insightful and informative submission! while i’m not quite ready to plant pawpaw of my own, i’m already itching to get up to new york to check out your land and try one of these incredible fruits. photos: courtesy of hortus arboretum and botanical garden have photos to share? we’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit! to submit, send 5 10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. we’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden. have a mobile phone? tag your photos on facebook, instagram or twitter with #finegardening! do you receive the gpod by email yet? sign up here. fine gardening recommended products a.m. leonard deluxe soil knife & leather sheath combo fine gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including amazon associates and other affiliate advertising programs. rainpoint sprinkler timer with brass swivel fine gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including amazon associates and other affiliate advertising programs. water right psh 100 mg 1pkrs 400 series, 100 foot, olive green fine gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including amazon associates and other affiliate advertising programs. get our latest tips, how to articles, and instructional videos sent to your inbox. signing you up... great feature! margaret roach of the nyt also featured this garden back in june. i planted the self pollinating pawpaw cultivar “sunflower” in my suburban backyard. it is indeed self pollinating and does lend a tropical facet to the garden. i have found this tree to be very resilient   for two consecutive years the frost has killed the blossoms however, it rebloomed a few weeks later! and the fruit is delicious eaten out of hand, as a flavor for homemade ice cream, or included in smoothies. thanks for sharing your experience! very interesting! that's an amazing accomplishment! very impressive! many gardeners dream of having a landscape inspired by a designer such as piet oudolf. think of the high line in new york city or the lurie garden in chicago.… potted plants will bring life and positive energy into any room, and studies have shown that having them nearby can relieve stress, boost creativity, and improve focus. in winter, when… seven years ago a couple in carroll, iowa, built the backyard of their dreams or so they thought. it ­included an outdoor kitchen, a fireplace, a patio, and a hot tub.… you must be careful when you enter the backyard of garden designer jeff epping not because you’re likely to trip on something, but because you might be dive bombed by a pair… get the latest how to and design inspiration articles plus special offers sent straight to your inbox. signing you up... © 2025 active interest media. all rights reserved. fine gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including amazon associates and other affiliate advertising programs. all access members get more sign up for a free trial and get access to all our regional content, plus the rest of the member only content library. start free trial get complete site access to expert advice, regional content, and more, plus the print magazine. start your free trial already a member? log in

supported by the exchange, on seed savers’ website, pairs the people who save heirlooms with those who want them, all for the price of postage. by margaret roach the landscape designer donald pell believes using a wider palette with nonnatives from around the world can add joy to gardens. by margaret roach they have cataloged natural life online and have developed board games and walking tours to help people deepen their knowledge of the world around them. by margaret roach it isn’t easy or fast, but it can be done. here’s what worked for one couple. by margaret roach the nonprofit group wild ones offers a free library of designs, with plants specific to your area   and you don’t have to be a member to use it. by margaret roach a new book explores the obsession and explains why it’s not exactly like collecting dolls: “it puts people in touch with their own mortality.” by margaret roach at wethersfield estate, in upstate new york, restoring the formal gardens involves dealing with emboldened pests and pathogens   but carefully, so visitors don’t see. by margaret roach “if somebody comes in and just does it for you, you miss out”: a beginner shares what his first garden taught him. by margaret roach there are some important things to know about dealing with stressed plants. for starters, don’t prune them   and don’t fertilize, either. by margaret roach the met cloisters isn’t just about medieval art. there’s also a garden that’s like a living history book   with ideas for today’s gardeners. by margaret roach setting a clear intention can improve your design decisions and plant choices   especially if you’re “a nursery grabber” who makes impulse buys at the garden center. by margaret roach in her most recent book, “the backyard bird chronicles,” the best selling author revels in a newfound preoccupation with birds   and drawing. by margaret roach this botanic garden is determined to bring back the american chestnut tree and heirloom apples that taste like those grown 500 years ago. it won’t be easy. by margaret roach the world famous new york city gardens offer a master class in how to grow and maintain a naturalistic landscape. here are a few takeaways. by margaret roach

funding provided by: i just recently decided to have a garden for the first time in my backyard. the problem is i didn't use a sod cutter to take up the grass. instead i used a rototiller to take up the grass and to till the soil at the same time. now i have a mess of grass to clean up as it is all mixed in with the soil. is it ok if i just leave some of the uprooted grass in the garden as i plant or do i need to rake every bit of grass clumps out? it's an area 15 feet by 20 feet and i am going to grow corn, kohlrabi, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, peppers, etc. do you have any advice if i have to get all the grass out? it looks like quite a tedious task to try and rake it all out. thanks.   brian, chesterton, indiana whether or not you have to get all the grass out depends somewhat on what you're trying to accomplish. the photo ready vegetable gardens one sees in magazines are completely weed free (in that moment in time). if you want this look badly enough you need to get out every clump of grass. an alternative is to focus on garden production. grass in a vegetable garden has good points and bad points. the bad news is that it can shade out low sun loving plants (like unstaked cucumbers). it also takes water and nutrients that would otherwise be available to the vegetables. and it can cool the soil corn, tomatoes, and others like warm soil. it can also lower air circulation air circulation slows some of the fungal diseases. the good part of having grass in the garden is that it offers a broader environment for both the "good" bugs and the "bad" bugs in the garden. aphids, caterpillars, etc. may decide to eat some grass instead of your plants. good nematodes, ladybugs, praying mantises, etc. may be more abundant in a less disturbed environment. also, if the grass is naturally low growing, it can act as mulch and choke out taller weeds that would compete more with the vegetables. taking all this into account, most gardeners tend toward a more weed free garden. occasional, low growing weeds are not a problem and not worth fretting about. the goal is to minimize the effort on your part required to get good vegetable production, and that means eliminating most weeds. this year as your garden is actively growing, we'd encourage you to pull the more aggressive weed clumps bit by bit (e.g. go out every day and collect 10 clumps). by the end of summer, you will have significantly reduced the amount of grass without having really disrupted the garden. this winter you have an interesting decision to make. if you re till the soil it will break up some of the remaining clumps of grass, making them easier to pull up, which is good. it will also bring to the surface many dormant weed seeds and half dead clumps of grass that have been buried. in the presence of sunlight these will grow exuberantly next spring and that is bad. i think if it were me, i would use the winter to top dress with good organic matter and otherwise try to disturb the ground as little as possible. good luck! first of all i really like the vegetable garden part of your program. my question is that i have a plum tree that i planted about four or five years ago and i was wondering if it had to be a certain size before it starts to produce fruit or is there something i could do for it. it's healthy and it produces nice green leaves. it's about six feet high now so i'm hoping it will produce fruit this year. thank you.   patricia, sydney mines, nova scotia, canada many people get frustrated when fruit trees seem to take forever to bear fruit. it can take years for a fruit tree to become established enough to produce flowers, let alone fruit. standard size plum trees take from three to six years to flower. the amount of sun can make a difference: fruit trees can survive in partial shade, but they will take longer to begin bearing fruit. fruit trees require some nutrients to survive, but excessively rich soil or heavy fertilization may encourage branch and leaf growth at the expense of fruit production. all fruit trees benefit from annual pruning, if done in moderation. pruning rejuvenates fruit trees and encourages the growth of fruiting spurs. lack of regular, moderate pruning is one of the most common causes of no fruit production. lastly, a particularly cold, windy winter can damage susceptible flower buds. or they can be damaged by a late spring frost, especially if the buds have already begun to swell. do you have any info on growing fig trees? i planted a golden fig several years ago. it has not yielded any fruit. what am i doing wrong?   m.a., fanwood, new jersey figs (ficus carica) can be planted in the ground or containers. they normally require some protection from winter winds and cold temperatures if left outdoors in your area. figs require at least eight hours of sunlight during the growing season. it is important to select cultivars that are tolerant of your conditions in the northeast. figs recommended for your climate include 'brown turkey,' 'celeste,' 'white marseilles,' and 'conadria.' of these, 'celeste' is a little more tolerant of the cold. it is important to remember that the cultivar you select should be self fruitful, not requiring cross pollination. many times, if plants are killed to the ground, they will re grow from root sprouts. it is not uncommon for figs to fail to set fruit or ripen properly. figs have a long juvenile period, or length of time in which a plant will not produce fruit possibly four years to five years. it is important to not over fertilize plants. a spring application of an organic fertilizer is sufficient for plants in the ground, but potted figs may require periodic feeding with a dilute, balanced fertilizer during the summer. extreme heat and dry weather can cause poor fruit production and reduce quality. specific varieties of figs may not pollinate in your area (e.g., california types). heavy winter pruning will reduce fruit production. repot and root prune the plants every two to three years. containers should be shaded in the heat of summer to reduce root damage and water loss. bring the containers inside in late fall and keep them in a cool location with moist soil. after spring frosts, the containers can be brought outside once again and placed in a southern exposure. when is a good time to trim limbs off of a flowering pear tree?   kim, miamisburg, ohio most flowering pear trees are pruned in june or july after they have flowered. however, if you are taking an entire branch off the tree, almost anytime except winter will work. if a branch is diseased or damaged, even winter removal is satisfactory. can i use pressure treated lumber to build a raised vegetable garden?   joanne, bloomsburg, pennsylvania until recently, the chemical most commonly used to preserve wood used outdoors was chromated copper arsenate, also known as cca. arsenate is a form of arsenic, a substance that is present naturally at low levels in soils and at even lower, trace levels in water, food, and air. over a period of time, rain can leach arsenic from cca treated wood and potentially result in arsenic levels in the underlying soils, which might not be safe. this wood is also called "pressure treated wood." in 2004 the epa banned the use of cca to preserve wood for residential use. an exception is that it can still be used for permanent wood foundations. new epa approved chemicals without arsenic have replaced cca for home and garden use. most of new chemicals rely on copper, which isn't cheap. so to keep the cost reasonable, lumber now is treated according to its intended use, with the copper content in the preserving chemicals varying from around 20% to 95%. the price also varies accordingly. tags listing appropriate end use categories are stapled to the ends of the boards. it is still not clear if these are safe for long term use. for more information, see http://www.toronto.ca/health/factsheet_ptw.htm. how do you know when artichokes and eggplants are ready for harvest?   pao, los angeles, california the artichoke is actually an edible bud. it is harvested at an immature stage and selected for size and compactness. overdeveloped artichoke buds begin to open or spread; the bracts may have a brownish cast and are tough and stringy; the artichoke hearts have a fuzzy, pink to purple appearance. artichoke harvest begins in late july or early august and continues until frost. once the flower buds form, do not stress the plant. harvest buds when they reach full size but before the bracts (bud leaves) begin to open. cut off the bud with two to three inches of stem. continue to water and feed the plants. harvest the eggplant fruits when they are six to eight inches long and still glossy. use a knife or pruning shears rather than breaking or twisting the stems. many eggplant varieties have small prickly thorns on the stem and calyx, so exercise caution or wear gloves when harvesting. leave the large (usually green) calyx attached to the fruit. when the fruits become dull or brown, they are too mature for culinary use and should be cut off and discarded. over mature fruits are spongy and seedy and may be bitter. even properly harvested fruits do not store well and should be eaten soon after they are harvested. what is the best way to prepare my vegetable garden soil for spring planting next year? i have turned the soil and added peat moss. should i add lime?   wayne, claymont, delaware although peat moss is a great soil conditioner, improving tilth and moisture retention, it doesn't really contain the nutrients that plants require. since you have already added peat moss, you should now concentrate on adding compost, particularly compost that includes manure or other high nitrogen material. planting a cover crop of winter rye is another very good way to enhance your garden soil it should be turned under very early in the spring. adding dolomitic limestone on a yearly basis, generally speaking, is also a good idea because it provides calcium and magnesium and keeps the ph in the range most vegetables prefer, about 6.5. generally speaking again, you will want to add some kind of balanced fertilizer in the spring prior to planting. i want to build raised beds in my vegetable garden. what is the best material to use for the retaining wall?   bob, westport, massachusetts in the ideal world, my vegetable garden would have raised beds retained with 18 inch high stone walls. stone is imperishable, which means that once the walls were in place they would last for generations, at least. what's more, at a height of 16 to 18 inches, i would be able to garden sitting down! the garden i worked in this summer had large logs retaining the beds, and they might last 10 years or so, depending on the tree species that produced them. but frankly, provided the beds are well drained, are raked flat, and are not stepped on, retaining walls are not necessary at all. i used to tell people i didn't have raised beds, but rather sunken paths created by the pressure from my feet. gravity is all that's really needed to keep a raised bed in place. when should i plant irish potatoes and sweet potatoes and how do i choose what variety to plant? when do i dig them up?   rosa, hillsborough, north carolina in regard to planting times, it is usually best to ask an experienced grower in your local area, but there are a couple of things i can tell you. irish potatoes can be planted a couple of weeks before your frost free date, because you will be covering your seed potatoes with a couple inches of soil and it will take a few weeks for the sprouts to emerge. sweet potatoes must be planted after your last frost, and companies that sell sweet potato slips usually ship them at that time. choose varieties according to their catalog descriptions, going by stated qualities that appeal to you. if you are disappointed, then try different varieties the next year. or ask a gardener in your area for recommendations. irish potatoes can be harvested as soon as "new" potatoes form by rummaging with your hands under the growing plants. you will know the crop is as good as it is going to get when the plants begin to die down. sweet potatoes are finished growing once frost has killed the vines. i have seen past episodes where a winter cover crop is planted in the vegetable garden to restore nutrients to the soil and keep it in good condition for the spring planting. what types of crops are those? can you plant seeds?   laurie, los angeles, california in new england the winter cover crop we use is called winter rye. it doesn't actually restore nutrients to the soil, but it assimilates nutrients already there and preserves them till spring when the rye grass is turned into the soil as green manure, providing a beneficial dose of organic material. however, i'm not sure that winter rye is appropriate for your climate. you should contact a local organic growers association to find out what works best for coastal california. buckwheat perhaps? this is something we would use as a summer cover crop. all cover crops are sown directly from seed. i grow garlic every year and nice green shoots come up but never produce a bulb like the ones we buy in the supermarket. what should i do? also, my pecan tree produces a good number of pecans, but they all fall off before the nut inside is developed. advice?   saleem, sugar land, texas first of all, garlic is a heavy feeder and requires rich soil, with fertilizer and organic material, which should be prepared prior to planting. i suspect that you are planting your garlic cloves in the spring. plant them in the fall, as you would tulips or daffodils, but only an inch or two deep. mulch the bed with several inches of straw immediately after you plant. green shoots should poke through the mulch in a few weeks. harvest your garlic after it flowers and the leaves begin to turn yellow. as for pecans, we can't grow them here in new england, and so i know little about them. but pecans are an important commercial crop in the southwest, and i'll bet someone at a regional agricultural college can help you solve your problem. i'm replacing a six year old perennial garden with a vegetable garden next year. besides pulling up the plants and the roots this fall, is there any other conditioning i need to do to the soil?   catherine, kittery, maine fall is the perfect time to establish a gardening space for use in the following spring. the best thing you can do is to incorporate lots of organic material into the soil: compost, leaf mold, decomposed manure, and, if the soil is particularly hard and lean, even peat moss. you can do this with a rototiller or with a spading fork. since most new england soils are on the acid side, adding dolomitic limestone is probably a good idea. if you want to go the extra mile, then plant a cover crop of winter rye, to protect the soil from erosion and compaction during the winter but remember, the ryegrass will have to be inverted with a spading fork come spring, and that's a lot of work, but well worth the effort if you are up to it. i'd like to know more about creating an edible garden. since we are moving to a small property, i want to make good use of the space.   jan, blyth, ontario if you are talking about using vegetables in the landscape, i have to say that i do not endorse the idea (because, for one thing, the cultural requirements for vegetables are quite different from those for landscape plants), but here are some ideas for growing edible plants in a limited space. it doesn't make much sense to grow ungainly crops such as winter squash, storage cabbage, or potatoes. i would grow greens such as mesclun, lettuce, and swiss chard. i would also grow herbs. one plant of summer squash will pretty much supply all of that kind of fruit a family can use in a summer. tomatoes are a must and determinate varieties with compact vines are a good choice for small spaces. a five foot row of green beans, picked religiously, will provide a side dish two or three times a week for a month or more. if i hoped to have something to save for the winter, then i would grow a patch of storage carrots. it would be a good idea to read up on the french intensive method of growing vegetables. this summer i planted basil in an old cement tub. it did wonderfully. how can i store the excess basil, and is it safe to transplant one of the plants to a pot and bring it indoors so that i can have fresh basil all winter?   joyce, philadelphia, pennsylvania basil is easy to store. run it through a food processor with a bit of olive oil, and then put it in plastic bags and into the freezer. some people like to freeze it in ice cube trays before bagging it in order to have small portions available. if you want to make pesto in the wintertime, just thaw what you need and put it into the food processor again along with garlic and whatever type of nuts your recipe calls for. it's certainly safe to bring basil plants indoors for the winter, but i don't recommend doing so. basil plants get rank and lanky, and produce too many flowers at the end of the season. if you want fresh basil in winter, then start some new plants from seed in the fall. i like your accurate and straight forward advice so far. could you help me; i am having terrible trouble trying to start dill, marjoram and basil indoors. the seeds sprout, but they are so thin, seem to reach for the sun (southern exposure), are alive for a bit, and then they wither and die. i especially would like to grow lavender; my ancestors lived in provence, france, and it grew on their property in profusion years ago. thank you so much.   adrienne acton, maine thanks for the compliment, and i hope i can help. the problem you have sounds very much like a fungal disease called "damping off" common to young seedlings. the fungal spores, which are often present in un sterilized soil, attack the seedlings' stems just above the ground level, and for all intents and purposes, simply mow them down. it's very discouraging, and there's really no cure once the process has begun. the trick is to prevent the problem in the first place: use sterilized soil less mix (available at garden centers) and make sure you have clean pots and garden tools. (old pots and tools can be washed with a light bleach solution to clean them.) for good measure, especially for certain plants like petunias, which are prone to damping off, i like to use a common liquid fungicide (also available in garden centers), which you water into the seeds after planting. this practically eliminates the problem. what herbs and fruits can thrive in desert locations?   elisabeth, tucson, arizona many herbs and fruit will thrive in the desert (and i don't just mean prickly pears) as long as they receive sufficient water. i have seen rosemary plants used as edging in residential neighborhoods of tucson. i have eaten lemons and pomegranates harvested in the foothills of the santa catalina mountains, and i see no reason why you shouldn't be able to grow figs in this region as well. you owe it to yourself to pay a visit to the tucson botanical gardens, where they maintain an herb garden. while you're there you may be able to get advice and more ideas from people who are actually experts on desert gardening. i have several terra cotta pots that have contained plants that have died. i would like to reuse these pots. should i clean the pots? if so, what should i use to clean them? i would like to use the pots for herbs and vegetables. what kind of soil should i use and what kind of plants would work best? i live in an apartment, so space is limited. i have a deck that faces the west, so my plants will get lots of afternoon light. thank you for your help.   sarah, bellevue, washington of course you can reuse your pots. cleaning them never hurts! rinse them out with a mild bleach solution and lots of water. vegetables, unlike a lot of ornamentals, require a lot of soil volume to be grown successfully. use a larger sized pot that's 18 24" in diameter. soil less mix is a terrific planting medium that's the best choice for containers. for good results, mix up to 1/3 part compost into the soil less mix. be sure to add a balanced fertilizer as well, as most vegetables are heavy "feeders." what to plant? generally, vegetables that can be harvested over a long period are probably a good choice. tomatoes, lettuce and other greens for cutting are great. herbs work exceptionally well in containers, and you can use smaller pots for an attractive display. these can also be brought indoors for use throughout the winter. i really appreciate the resource you provide. i'm a novice gardener and would like to learn more about growing an apple tree from seeds. there's a tree here that produces the ugliest, tastiest apples i've ever come across. the trees are about 40 years old, i think, and no one in this area (provo, utah) seems to know what they are. they're firm, about half green and half red, and taste like a crisper granny smith. i'm relocating to idaho, and would like to take them with me. i have seeds, but how do you start a tree? is it like growing anything else? how would i go about this? i would really appreciate any information you could give me.   shaun, firth, idaho without a picture, it's hard to tell, but the variety you describe sounds much like wolf river. to quote creighton lee calhoun, jr.'s wonderful old southern apples: "wolf river originated with william a. springer, a quebec lumberman. about 1856, mr. springer moved his family by wagon from canada to wisconsin. on the way, on the shore of lake erie, he bought a bushel of large apples, probably alexander. mr. springer saved some seeds and planted them when he reached his farm, which was located on a little stream called wolf river near fremont, wisconsin. wolf river originated from one of these seeds. ... the fruits are large to very large ... often irregular ... angular and ribbed; the skin is pale yellow or greenish ... with splashes of red." not only does this description fit the apple in question pretty well, but the story of how the variety came about illustrates the difficulty in growing apples from seeds. as each apple is a product of a random cross pollination, the only way to assure getting the same variety is to take a slip of your tree and start a new one from the graft. while this sounds complicated, it really isn't, and there are dozens of good guides out there that can take you step by step through this process. i just moved into my current home last fall and now that spring is here i have a plant that looks and smells like some variety of basil. it is growing randomly in one patch. how can i know if it really is basil? thanks.   jennifer, peterborough, new hampshire buyer beware on this one: basil is a tropical plant that never winters over in peterborough, new hampshire. it is possible that some seeds might have made it through the winter and sprouted, but i certainly wouldn't trust it. you could take the plant to a local garden center for an id, but personally, given the fact that basil costs pennies per plant, i would simply sow a few plants of my own from a known source, and admire your "wild" basil from afar. i have been a gardener for all my 48 years, but for the past two years the squash plants turn white and dry. i use natural compost, dry cow manure, and lime too. the earth is black gold for all my other veggies. thanks.   douglas, east longmeadow, massachusetts the most common pest of squash is the squash vine borer, which tunnels into the vines, often causing the entire plant to wilt and die. since the bugs are inside the stem, they are extremely difficult to see. there are several other insect pests which trouble squash as well; most can be defeated by growing your plants under row cover. start your plants indoors, then transplant them outdoors after all danger of frost has passed. immediately protect them with spun row cover. here at the victory garden we make small 3' x 3' tents using heavy guage wire half circles, and cut out pieces of row cover, with rocks to hold the edges of the fabric down. the plants will soon start to outgrow this protection, but by the time these tents need to be removed, the egg laying season for most squash pests is already over. my zucchini are growing nicely and have many blooms. however, no fruit is developing on the vines. i have tried spraying bloom set on the bloom but it is not helping. could you please tell me what to try?   tonda, las vegas, nevada the blossom set spray you mentioned, which is a natural plant hormone product used mostly on tomatoes, may not be effective, or as effective, on zucchini. it sounds like your problem is a lack of insect pollinators. i would try pollinating the plants myself: take a small brush to remove some pollen from the male flowers and transfer it to the female flowers. (the female flowers are shaped slightly differently than the males, with a small ovary at the base of the stem that resembles a miniature fruit. the male flowers lack this feature.) if you can't decipher which is which, simply spread the pollen from several blossoms to every open bloom, and that should cover your bases. hope that helps! my vegetable garden is not growing. i give it plenty of water and tilled in peat moss before planting. all the plants are staying small and producing small, if any, product. this has happened two years in a row. some yellowing of leaves has also occurred. i have heavy clay soil but the first year it grew well. have i leached the soil of nutrients?   mike, grand junction, colorado if the information you have given is complete, i think i know what your problem is. it's not a bad idea to add peat moss to clay soils, but composted manure in addition to the peat moss is an even better idea because peat moss contains no nutrients to speak of   it's just a soil conditioner. i don't think you've leached the nutrients from the soil; rather, i think your crops used up whatever was there the first year, nitrogen in particular. you should add a balanced fertilizer to your garden every season, or every time you plan to grow a new crop. and the ph of your soil should be checked. though western soil is likely to be somewhat alkaline, the peat moss you've added may have brought the ph below the ideal 6.5. how often and how much fertilizer does a cucumber plant need in order to survive and bear healthy fruits?   jennifer, beverly hills, california like most vegetables, cucumbers are very heavy feeders; plus they prefer a soil rich in organic matter. so before planting, i like to work at least 3 inches of compost into the soil, as well as a slow release fertilizer that will continue to feed all season. (you can find slow release fertilizers at any garden center; simply follow the directions on the label as to application rates.) in my garden we start our cucumbers indoors from seed in the greenhouse; conversely, you may also direct sow or purchase plants from a nursery. in any event, after planting be sure to heavily mulch the area to prevent weeds and conserve moisture. sufficiently watered and tended, you should have a great crop next year! is there a type of artichoke that will grow in missouri? also, what can i do to perk up the growth of my avocado trees? one more question: what can i do to keep armadillos out of my flower beds?   brian, branson, missouri the problem with growing globe artichokes where they are not winter hardy is that they are biennials; that is, they need two seasons before they can produce those large flower buds we love to eat. however, there is a variety named 'imperial star' (available from johnny's selected seeds, fyo) which will produce buds the first year provided that they are vernalized, tricked into "thinking" they have gone through a winter by being exposed to temperatures around 50°f for eight to 10 days. full instructions are printed on the seed packet. avocado trees should, like all plants do, respond to fertilizer. you can probably find the specific ph requirement, the proper nutrient ratio, and application rate on the internet. as for armadillos, that's one garden pest i've never had to deal with. you should ask other gardeners in your area what to do about them. ← back to ask

want to experience tropical fruits straight off the tree? the number one destination in the continental united states i recommend you visit is the fruit and spice park in homestead, florida. it’s a place like no other. the park’s 37 acres are planted almost entirely with tropical fruit trees. there are over 150 kinds of mango, 30+ of avocado, 40 types of banana, 20 jackfruit varieties, 25 types of annonas, plus much, much more. the best part is: you can eat the fruits these trees produce! in order for every visitor to have the opportunity to sample fruits that are in season, the park has three basic rules: since most tropical fruits drop off the tree as they reach full ripeness, these rules enable a constantly self replenishing supply of perfectly tree ripened fallen fruits. for fruits which don’t drop on their own like lychees, park staff help things along by snipping off the fruits with pole pruners and leaving them on the ground under the trees for visitors to find. what you as a visitor do is: wander from tropical fruit tree to tropical fruit tree, eating whatever ripe fruits you find that the trees have dropped. it’s such a simple concept, which feels so incredibly right. some kinds of trees at the park litter the ground under the tree with dozens or hundreds of ripe treats, while for others it’s like an easter egg hunt, searching for fallen gems which other visitors have missed. if you know what to look for and are persistent in searching for fallen goodies, most days you can easily find enough fruit to completely fill your belly. i’ve learned to enter the park with an empty stomach   that leaves extra room for eating more tropical fruits. late spring to mid summer is mango season, and when i visit that time of year i walk along the double row of mango trees at the back of the property, gorging on exquisitely delicious, gourmet mangoes. i typically get so full i can’t fit another mouthful in me. in autumn it’s be the season of insane abundance of falling avocados, and in winter the canistel trees will be dropping their pumpkin pie/cheesecake flavored treats. i love how in an era when the prevailing cultural attitude in the us is to actively avoid planting fruit trees (“what if falling fruits stain the driveway? what if free fruit attracts vagrants? what if someone eats a fruit with a worm in it and they get a tummy ache and sue us?”), the fruit and spice park proudly and unapologetically flouts these norms by planting out hundreds and hundreds of tropical fruit trees, and inviting people to come and eat the resulting fruit abundance. given the uptight attitudes prevalent these days regarding planting out food producing plants, this feels like a breath of fresh air. in addition to the fruits you can eat from the grounds, the park has a tasting table at the entrance admissions building, where staff have collected the best fruits currently in season, and they offer plates of sliced bits of these. this is great as a way to get a sample of each kind, and also to find out what’s currently in season. but these are just tiny slices so you can get a taste. if you want to really fill your belly, you need to walk the grounds and hunt down your fruit prey yourself. important note: the more familiar you are with tropical fruits, the better your experience is likely to be at fsp. sometimes first time visitors walk through and miss most of the good stuff, and leave wondering where’s all the fruit they’d heard about. if you’re not super knowledgeable about tropical fruits, you might try to find an experienced fruit buddy to accompany you on your first trip there. the park also has guided tram tours, which may be helpful if you’re a first time visitor. another important note: if you’re squeamish about eating a fruit that’s touched the ground, or about having to cut a bad spot out so you can enjoy the delicious other half of a fruit, you’ll need to get over it before you’ll be able to enjoy the fruity riches which the fsp has to offer. 😉 also: only eat fruits which you’re pretty confident you’ve id’d correctly. there are some poisonous trees at the park, including ackee, which is a delicious edible at the right stage of maturity, but can be lethally toxic at the wrong stage. don’t be too worried, the ackee tree has lots of warning signs around it. just don’t go eating everything you see dropping from a tree if you have no idea what it is. a quick internet search on your phone can be super helpful in iding mysterious fruits. the fruit collections at the park are roughly organized by region of origin, so there is a tropical american area, an asian area, and an african area. some tropical fruit trees like breadfruit and cacao are so cold sensitive even south florida’s mild winters give them problems, so the park has a couple greenhouses where you can see trees of these extreme tropicals. there are other plantings besides fruit trees at fruit & spice park. there’s a sizable collection of clumping bamboos, with about 70 varieties represented. and in case you were wondering about the “spice” part of the name, there’s also an herb & spice garden. in that area, be sure to smell the foliage of the allspice, bay rum, and cinnamon trees   these have a incredibly wonderful fragrance. other things to do while you’re in homestead: a good place to buy tropical fruits you can take home with you is the redland market village, open on weekends. i recently wrote a blog post describing the place. i’ve heard that brothers fruit stand is another place with good local tropical fruit for sale. if you want to eat more than just fruit, there’s the mango cafe, located right at fsp. if you enjoy a hostel experience, one great place i’ve stayed at in the area is hoosville hostel, which has both private rooms and dormitory style accommodations are available. they have a wonderful courtyard with sitting areas, a little waterfall you can swim in, and a network of rope ladders and platforms that let you climb high into a giant ficus tree. fruit and spice park is open 7 days a week. greatest fruit abundance might be on weekdays, when there are fewer visitors. admission is just $10. bring a pocket knife & water bottle for rinsing fruit juice off your hands. want to experience tropical fruits? the number one destination in the continental united states i recommend you visit is the fruit and spice park, @fruitandspicepark in homestead, florida. it's a place like no other. this video shows a tiny tidbit of the experience. the park's 37 acres are planted almost entirely with tropical fruit trees. they've got over 150 kinds of mango, 30+ of avocado, 40 types of banana, 20 jackfruit varieties, 25 types of annonas, plus much, much more. and you can eat the fruits these trees produce! in order for every visitor to have the opportunity to sample fruits that are in season, the park has three basic rules: 1) don't pick fruit off the trees, 2) don't take fruit out of the park, 3) whatever tree fallen fruits you find, you can gorge yourself on while you're in the park. since most tropical fruits drop off the tree as they reach full ripeness, these rules enable a constantly self replenishing supply of perfectly tree ripened fallen fruits. what you as a visitor do is: wander from tropical fruit tree to tropical fruit tree, eating whatever ripe fruits you find that the trees have dropped. it's such a simple concept, which feels so incredibly right. some kinds of trees at the park litter the ground under the tree with dozens or hundreds of ripe treats, while for others it's like an easter egg hunt, searching for fallen gems which other visitors have missed. i've learned to enter the park with an empty stomach   that leaves extra room for eating more tropical fruits. right now it's mango season, and on my recent visit we walked down the double row of mango trees at the back of the property, gorging on exquisitely delicious, gourmet mangoes. i got so full i couldn't fit another mouthful in me. in autumn it'll be the season of avocado abundance, and in winter the canistel trees will be dropping their pumpkin pie/cheesecake flavored treats. the park is open 7 days a week. greatest fruit abundance might be on weekdays, when there are fewer visitors. admission is just $10. bring a pocket knife & water bottle for rinsing fruit juice off your hands. (more info in comments 👇) a post shared by craig hepworth (@floridafruitgeek) on jun 22, 2019 at 3:55am pdt hi, i'm craig hepworth. i use this site mainly to celebrate the remarkable potential of fruit and nut trees. the second purpose of the site is to try to build community on the open web, by experimenting with how independent websites can interact with each other in a 'social media' sort of way. rss   posts enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. email address: follow by email anacardiaceae (cashew family): mangoes, cashew, mombins, jun plum, jocote, wani, etc annonaceae (custard apple family): cherimoya, guanabana, custard apple, sweetsop, sugar apple, rollinia, biriba, pawpaw, etc apocynaceae   (milkweed family): carissa, natal plum, mangaba, pitabu, sorva arecaceae   (palm family): coconut, pejibaye, african oil palm, american oil palm, butia palm, maraja palm, etc burseraceae (gumbo limbo family): dabai, safou/butterfruit, pili nut cactaceae (cactus family): prickly pear, dragon fruit, pitaya, peruvian apple cactus caricaceae (papaya family): papaya, babaco chrysobalanaceae (coco plum family): coco plum, sunsapote, egg nut clusiaceae/guttiferae (mangosteen family): mangosteen, mammee apple, charichuela, imbe, bacuri, madrono, cherapu, etc ebenaceae (ebony family): asian persimmon, american persimmon, chocolate pudding fruit, etc ericaceae (heath family): blueberry, cranberry, sparkleberry euphorbiaceae   (euphorbia family): fabaceae   (bean family): fagaceae (oak family) juglandaceae (walnut family) lauraceae (avocado family) malpighiaceae (acerola family) meliaceae (neem family) moraceae (mulberry family): mulberries, jackfruit, fig, breadfruit, marang, tarap, chempedak, african breadnut, maya nut, che, etc musaceae (banana family) myrtaceae (myrtle family): guava, surinam cherry, pitomba, grumichama, jaboticaba, wax apple, etc olacaceae, (olax family) oleaceae, olive family oxalidaceae (oxalis family): carambola/starfruit, bilimbi passifloraceae, passionfruit family protea family (proteaceae) punicaceae, pomegranate family rhamnaceae, jujube family rosaceae (rose family) rutaceae (citrus family) sapindaceae, (litchi family) sapotaceae (sapote family) sterculiaceae, (chocolate family) vitaceae (grape family) this hcard created with the hcard creator. any content on this website which is not attributed to someone else is by me, craig hepworth. you may re use it without requesting specific permission, as long as you attribute it (“by craig hepworth” or “by florida fruit geek”), and include a clickable link to this website (https://floridafruitgeek.com). however, any content which i have attributed to someone else belongs to that person, and you will need to contact them directly to request permission to re use their work. optionally, if you feel like letting me know that you’ve shared something from this site, i get a kick out of that. a blog by elizabeth all about cycling in the 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supported by in the garden their passion for fruit you’ve never heard of started small. now they have a botanical garden that’s open to the public. by margaret roach this is what happens if you stay put, and keep digging holes: an effort that begins innocently enough   planting a garden at home   may grow on you. and it could morph into an arboretum. hortus arboretum & botanical gardens, a 21 acre expanse in stone ridge, n.y., with about 11 acres under cultivation, got its start as allyson levy and scott serrano’s much smaller backyard. it has been 25 years since the couple, both visual artists, moved from san francisco to ulster county, where they now count more than 240 genera in their plant collection. and it all began, as most gardens do, by making space for irresistible finds from local nurseries   no master plan involved.

 allyson levy and scott serrano describe their arboretum as “an aesthetically arranged experiment station to test interesting and useful plants”   like honeyberry, a honeysuckle relative with blue fruit that ripens very early. hortus arboretum & botanical gardens hortus is an inspiration. our thanks, as always, to margaret roach for sharing on the broad and diverse topic of gardens and gardening: ms. levy and mr. serrano are visual artists who moved to stone ridge, n.y., 25 years ago. hortus arboretum & botanical gardens, their 21 acre undertaking, began as a backyard garden. mia allen how one couple turned their backyard into an arboretum their passion for fruit you’ve never heard of started small. now they have a botanical garden that’s open to the public. this is what happens if you stay put, and keep digging holes: an effort that begins innocently enough   planting a garden at home   may grow on you. and it could morph into an arboretum. hortus arboretum & botanical gardens, a 21 acre expanse in stone ridge, n.y., with about 11 acres under cultivation, got its start as allyson levy and scott serrano’s much smaller backyard. it has been 25 years since the couple, both visual artists, moved from san francisco to ulster county, where they now count more than 240 genera in their plant collection. and it all began, as most gardens do, by making space for irresistible finds from local nurseries   no master plan involved. more than a few were plants that bore fruit. “scott was channeling his inner bear, planting a lot of berry plants,” ms. levy recalled.