Plant a few top fruit trees for backyard orchards on your property, and your taste buds will thank you. There is nothing quite like fruit trees in the landscape to delight the eyes and nose with springtime blossoms. And there's nothing a wonderful as biting into freshly picked homegrown apple or peach. That's why we've chosen the top fruit trees for backyard orchards that will grow almost anywhere. Selecting the right kind of fruit tree to grow in a landscape comes down to two main factors: the varieties of trees that grow well in your area and your own personal taste. According to Ed Laivo, fruit tree specialist for Natural Hills Nursery, the top fruit trees described below have proven to be dependable growers in the widest range of climates and are better than others when it comes to consistent fruit production and flavor of the fruit. Here are Laivo’s top recommendations for backyard fruit trees that will produce bushels of delicious fruit, year after year. Top Fruit … [Read more...] about Top Fruit Trees for Backyard Orchards
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5 Life Lessons I Learned while Foraging for Wild Foods
No one is born an expert—in foraging for wild foods or anything else. We learn by doing, and along the way we make mistakes. As a forager, I’ve struggled to find that essential balance between adventurousness (Hey, I’m eating wild food that I just picked myself, that’s adventurous!) and caution (Hey, I’m eating wild food, I’d better be careful! ). The first, and absolutely essential rule of “The Forager’s Creed” is never put anything in your mouth if you’re not 100% sure what it is. Actually, that’s good advice for life in general. Here are five more life lessons I’ve learned from foraging for wild foods. May you save yourself some time and trouble by learning from my mistakes. Foraging for Wild Foods Lesson #1: Don’t procrastinate I discovered a giant patch of mayapples one August afternoon when I was hot and sweaty and tired. At that moment, I wanted nothing more than a cool swim in the lake. I’d read how unusual it was to find more than one or two, but here was an … [Read more...] about 5 Life Lessons I Learned while Foraging for Wild Foods
