EDIBLES ON THE WAY
My goal this year is to incorporate edibles among my ornamentals and the plan is beginning to take shape. Today I set out an entire flat of June bearing strawberry plants in two separate sunny beds. Since strawberries and roses favor the same conditions, I put the latter near a couple of nice healthy rose bushes. The strawberries are close enough to the roses to share the sunshine, but not so close that they will be overshadowed by their larger neighbors. I may plant some divisions of catmint in the same area in the hopes of deterring varmints. Of course the cats may flatten the strawberries as they roll themselves in the catmint, but I’ll figure out some other creative way of dealing with that.
The strawberries are strategically positioned in locations not generally frequented by the groundhog. However, I did see at least one cardinal and several blue jays eyeballing me while I installed the plants. I don’t know about cardinals’ IQ’s, but blue jays are no fools. I will put a note on my master list about buying some netting to cover my strawberries as soon as the fruit turns palest pink.
My father used to mulch his strawberries with either pine straw or regular straw to keep the berries high, dry and free of botrytis. My beds are generously covered with shredded pine bark, which should do the same thing.
I’ve had a dwarf blueberry bush for several years, but this spring it has finally come into its own. The branches are covered with scores of bell-shaped, pinky-white flowers. If all of them are pollinated, I might have a pint or so of blueberries. Since the blueberries are close to one of the strawberry beds they can all go under the same net.
“What,” you might ask, “are you going to do to stop the raccoons from eating those blueberries?”
“Our” raccoons, which live just on the other side of the property line in a disused garage and the hollow of a big oak, are immense. Bigger by far than the groundhog, they are also at least ten times smarter. No matter how thoroughly we secure our garbage cans, they get into them. Since these raccoons are ambitious suburbanites like everyone else in the neighborhood, we figure they send their offspring to MIT for engineering degrees. We also think that the combined technical challenge and ever-changing smorgasbord contained within our garbage cans will prove more alluring than the berries.
We also have blackberries, which require absolutely no work. They emerge from the ground every year right beside a large holly tree and proceed to clamber up the outside of the tree. The white flowers ornament the holly and the fruits grow large and sweet. I figure that the blackberries were either “planted” by passing birds, or are descendents of some canes that were installed when the hollies were mere saplings. Either way, the canes are sturdy and the fruits are sweet. For some reason neither birds nor raccoons show any interest in them, even when they are dead ripe. This is particularly amazing give the fact that the holly tree, with its sturdy branches and thick covering of leaves, is a virtual songbird condominium.
I planted butterhead lettuce in pots on the porch for ease of harvesting and also to deter the raccoons. With my insights into raccoon psychology I figure that it’s much more fun for enterprising young raccoons to roll a garbage can than to climb steps.
Some of the young lettuce leaves should be ready to pick soon. Now I am hoping that the daily temperatures don’t go up into the nineties and stay there, causing my beautiful lettuce to bolt and become bitter.
Right next to the lettuce is a big pot of basil that is coming along nicely. Since basil is part of the mint family, its odor and/or taste is unpleasant to many animals. I love pesto sauce, so I have planted a lot of basil.
The only thing left on my agenda is tomato plants. I waited too long to start heirloom varieties from seed, so I will have to make do with young plants. Everyone raves about Brandywines, so I may start with those. I have space to plant them in the ground, but I think that I may be so busy keeping raccoons, groundhogs and birds away from my fruit, that it might be better to put the tomatoes on the porch, right by the basil. All I need is a really big pot and an attractive tomato cage. I am thinking of using some kind of ornamental tuteur for that purpose. Whatever I decide, the job has to be done within the next week.
I would love to add cantaloupes, zucchini, pumpkins and even corn to my repertoire, but I think I’ll wait and see how this year’s small scale venture into edible crop production goes. The raccoons and I are waiting eagerly for the results.