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trovesoftrilliums

Incorporating edibles

trovesoftrilliums
10 years ago

Anyone have interesting ways to incorporate edibles into their cottage gardens? I am especially interested in brambles. They seem prone to taking over large areas! I am thinking I will just have to find them their own spots-beds.

I have blueberry and gooseberries doing well as shrubs in my garden but I do have to net the blueberries which can be awkward. I also have a sour cherry with plenty of flowers now--sure hope we get a few cherries this year.

Comments (6)

  • peachymomo
    10 years ago

    I'm still in the early stages of re-landscaping my entire yard, and I haven't yet gotten around to the beds that I want to incorporate edible in. When I do I will use blueberries, currants, a dwarf lemon tree, and some herbs. I have a hardline stance against brambles in or near the garden, having fought a continual battle against encroaching blackberries from the neighbor's yard since I moved in. I love the berries, but I keep the plants at a distance from my gardens in a place where my boyfriend can mow around them, and I always recommend that others do the same. There are lots of fruiting plants that can play well with others and be quite beautiful in the garden, brambles aren't among them.

  • trovesoftrilliums
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Hmmm, I might have to try big tubs or some other approach. My blackberry Darrow has sent runners out all over the place I see.

    I might focus just on raspberries and pass the blackberries along at an upcoming garden sale.

  • peachymomo
    10 years ago

    Raspberries will be about as aggressive as blackberries, they are both bramble fruits. Both will spread by underground runner, though blackberries do tend to grow larger than raspberries and they have larger thorns. Raspberries are of course covered in 'rasping' small thorns. Of all the fruiting members of the rose family, I think the brambles most resemble roses in their canes and growth habits.

    The advantages of bramble fruits are the general ease of growing them, and the large amount of delicious fruits that can be eaten fresh, frozen, or preserved in a variety of ways. I'm all for growing brambles, I just think people should be well informed of their growth habits before planting them.

  • trovesoftrilliums
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I am thinking of sinking in roof flashing to try to contain the runners. I much prefer raspberries so if I can only have one, that is what is pick. I just took a look at my blackberries and already gave up in frustration.

  • peachymomo
    10 years ago

    I've heard of people having good luck with underground containment of runners, theoretically the flashing should work well. You want to block them down to two feet, because the runners come from the top two feet of roots. Another option is to use a raised bed, I have my raspberries planted in a raised bed made out of big, old eucalyptus logs and the raspberries haven't escaped in the four years they have been planted there.

  • trovesoftrilliums
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I was wondering about the raised bed. I might be able to do a low raised bed plus flashing--boy it is like building a fortress. :)

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