Hi Amy,

I researched grapes this spring---planning to grow one on one of my lattice panels---and I've decided to get 'Reliance'. But here's one of the sites I found when I was looking that has a great reference chart for different varieties. The table grapes are at the bottom. If you see something you're interested in, you can check it out further like I did.

I don't have room for small fruits or fruit trees, but I think most of the things you want will work for you. I'm sure other people will be along with more recommendations.

Happy gardening,
Skybird

Here is a link that might be useful: Grape information chart!

Amy, I don't live in Colorado but I grew up in southern Oregon and on the northern California coast . . . .

I know, what does that have to do with your questions? Well, when I was a kid, I lived in Blackberry Heaven. You couldn't beat 'em down with a stick. Actually, we pulled them out of the upper pasture with a chain hooked to the tractor.

After I moved here, I began to notice a few little patches of wild blackberries along the irrigation pipes and roadsides of northern Idaho. I kept an eye on the plants over the years and learned that they never really grew. And walking by, I learned that the berries would dry up and freeze without ever amounting to a darn thing. I'm not even sure if the birds get anything off 'em.

Imagine my surprise when I discovered that a few folks were growing blackberries in their backyards! And not just any blackberries, but ones without thorns. Not only did they grow but since one neighbor has some rambunctious vines that I can reach while standing in my garden, I've learned that they produce good, sweet berries!

I still have no idea why these plants do better than the scraggly, wild specimens that I've seen around. Those are darn few, hopeless, and abandoned but the domestic varieties must have some real merit.

A guy even brought a ton of blackberries to the farmers' market one year. I asked him the variety. The neighbor doesn't know what his are but the farmers' market guy told me that his plants are "Doyles."

They aren't tidy but they are wonderful.

digitS'

I know raspberries can take the cold for sure, at our place in Alaska, I had berries coming out my ears. Of course, I had a neighbor who told me to pick the ones in his yard too, and I just couldn't bear to see them all rot, so I picked them whether I needed them or not. I actually got sick of raspberry pie (I never thought THAT was possible). I made jam from reds and yellows (jam from yellows is really good. Pie w/ yellows kind of bland). I froze, jammed, canned, juiced even made sweet juice we used to make slushies. Ok, I don't want THAT many, but I do miss them...

When I was back home in VT last month, my mom bought some local black raspberries. I know I ate them as a child, but I don't know where, since I guess they weren't so commercially available, so they must have been wild. They were so yummy...

Sort of the same with the blackberries, don't know where we ate them, but I know we picked and ate straight from the bushes.

Digit, is it very dry where your are? Thornless berries, that sounds so nice!

Just for thought... Several years ago, we were driving to VT with my stepchildren who were maybe 11 and 15. At a stop in Ohio somewhere, I was walking the dog and came across some wild berries, I think raspberries. I convinced the 11 year old to taste them, but his older sister was absolutely convinced he and I were going to be horribly sick, because we ate some berries we found on the roadside...the concept of wild berries was just too crazy an idea for her. Poor child.

Raspberry-chipotle jam is pretty good, if you need ideas. We're in wild raspberry season here now, and drive up to a few, secret spots known only to the '52s, the birds, and the bears, and pick away. Usually after 3 or 4 hours, we have accumulated a quart, and thats about right, because everyone is so sick of eating raspberries after that 3 or 4 hour orgy they don't want to see one for a while.

Greenbean, you might want to check out the information on the Colorado Master Gardener website. There's a wealth of information here.

http://cmg.colostate.edu/

Alice

"Digit, is it very dry where your are? Thornless berries, that sounds so nice!"

Right at 20 inches of precip a year, Amy, and most falling as snow. Summer of 'o7 we had right at 1 inch of rain over the 3 months. We might beat that this year . . . not sure.

d'S'

Thanks All!