All the Dirt on Gardening

All seven of the new fruit trees made it through their first summer in the ground. They came from a variety of sources, both local and mail order as I researched and searched for varieties that would survive our weather, fungal diseases due to the high humidity here, high temperatures, sometimes-droughts, and every insect known to warm, humid zone 7 gardens everywhere. These photos are taken from the east -southeast of our 2.5 acres. In the first photo on the left is the raised bed usually full of garlic but pressed into service for winter squash and pumpkin vines. The second photo is from the east. On the left is the same garlic-squash bed but you can also see the garden shed and the two new apple trees over there. The dream-fantasy-illusion is to have an allee of fruit trees that provides spring flowers for the pollinators, summertime shade for gardeners' rest and maybe some bits of fruit when they mature. This year we planted a second Pawpaw (not shown), Red Currant bush ...

If you go Nan Chase speaking July 9, 7 to 8:30 pm Tulsa Garden Center 2435 S. Peoria Ave., Tulsa, Free and open to the public, refreshments served I nformation www.tulsaherb.com Nan Chase has three books to her credit, including:   “Asheville: A History”, and “Eat Your Yard: Edible trees, shrubs, vines, herbs and flowersfor your landscape” . After 30-years of what she calls serious gardening, Chase and her husband moved to a home with a small lot in Asheville, NC. When they had land they grew apple, pear, and peach trees; berries , nuts, and herbs; green beans, tomatoes, lettuce, and kale, pawpaws, persimmons, crabapples, quince, yucca, and medlar. Their move to a more manageable place meant less work but growing edibles was part of their life and they had to figure out a way to grow things that were familiar. The Chases rotated plantings, engineered trellises, fences and railings that would support food crops growing vertically. They added ...