Ten Fruiting Plants for the Greenhouse - beauty plus food

Unusual fruiting shrubs and trees - where have you been all my gardening life? That was the question I asked myself while standing at One Green World’s tasting table in Molalla, Oregon. The nursery specializes in unique fruits from around the world. Affable owner, Jim Gilbert, presided over an enticing array of mouth-watering offerings. Landscaping you could eat—oh boy. Yellow cherries, aptly named ‘Gold’, were so tangy and juicy I had to restrain my hand from leaping out for more, even as I savored my first sampling. Plates of red, black, pink and white currants were labeled with names like ‘Blanká’, ‘Swedish White’, ‘Revada’, and ‘Gloire des Sablons’. Each one carried a flavor as distinct as different wines. Jim presented edible blossoms of pineapple guava—the petals surprisingly soft and sweet. I stood there, trying not to gobble the delectables, and made a vow—from now on, I’ll grow landscaping that gives me food.

I admired Prunus ‘Nichols’ in the sale yard. This plum is all about red—foliage and fruit, inside and out. Then I discovered the tropicals, like dwarf pineapple Ananas comosus ‘Sugar Loaf’—a great candidate for greenhouse culture. Indoor landscaping you could eat—double oh boy.

I asked Jim for a tip on how to determine which plants would be happy growing in a glasshouse. He told me to look for those less-vigorous varieties that are naturally dwarf or grow slowly. For instance, the small fig tree, Ficus carica ‘Negronne’, with its dark red-fleshed fruit, flourishes in container culture. Jim also liked dwarf citrus and gave me terrific advice for growing citrus in containers—use acid potting soil—the kind for rhododendrons. He said the acidity of the free-draining soil mix allows the plants to take up more essential nutrients, including iron. (For other tips on citrus, see my column, “What’s Wrong with my Plant?”)

Ten fruiting plants to try in a greenhouse

• Citrus junos ‘Yuzu Ichandrin’ – lemon-lime flavored fruit
• Citrus latifolia ‘Bearss’ – juicy lime
• Citrus meyeri – easy-to-grow Meyer lemon
• Eriobotrya japonica – loquat, light orange fruit
• Feijoa sellowiana – pineapple guava, fruit and those delicious petals.
• Ficus carica ‘Atreano’ – dwarf fig, light green fruits with pink flesh
• Punica granatum ‘Sochi Dwarf’ – dwarf pomegranate
• Musa acuminata ‘Super Dwarf’ – eight-foot tall banana, for fruit, leaves
• Olea europaea ‘Arbequina’ – compact Spanish olive
• Ugni molinae – Chilean guava, small tasty fruit.

 

Tips for better bouquets- August 2010

Sep 9, 2010

Award-winning garden writer Mary Kate Mackey’s work has appeared magazines like Fine Gardening, Meredith’s Simply Perfect series and Sunset. She co-authored... Read More...

 

Photograph your Garden like a Pro - July 2010

Aug 5, 2010

Each year a moment arrives when your garden calls out to be photographed. Suddenly those cascading branches of ‘Snowmound’ spirea create a colorful... Read More...

 

Grafted Vegetables - June 2010

Aug 5, 2010

Grafted what? OK, as home gardeners, most of us are familiar with grafting apples, roses or grapes for disease resistance and vigor. But right now, around the world—from... Read More...

 

Five for Fabulous - 2010 Plant Stars - May 2010

Jun 4, 2010

Just imagine, box loads of free plants from major growers arriving on your doorstep each spring. Oh boy. That’s my favorite garden writer’s perk—the... Read More...

 

Northwest Flower Field Walks - April 2010

May 4, 2010

Think of the delight of stepping into a greenhouse, surrounded by the sights and scents of flowering plants. Now, I invite you to expand that greenhouse experience... Read More...

 

5 tips to liven up your Greenhouse - March 2010

Apr 6, 2010

Outside,Oregon gray skies dump cold and windy rain-it’s that moment of no-color, before spring’s panoply of blossoms. But inside my sunroom, I’m... Read More...

 

Great Garden Show Ideas - February 2010

Mar 10, 2010

I’ve never met an indoor garden show I didn’t like. From Philadelphia to San Francisco, Boise to Atlanta—each show floor is like a huge greenhouse,... Read More...

 

How Plants Freeze - January 2010

Mar 5, 2010

In wintertime, the greenhouse is in its glory with colorful and glowing plants. It takes good care—water, heat and light—for these greenhouse beauties... Read More...

 

Five Specialty Nursery Catalogs for the Holidays - December 2009

Jan 11, 2010

It’s the darkest time of the year, when your outdoor garden makes few demands—although you may be enjoying the plants in your greenhouse—so now... Read More...

 

Hot Ferns for Cool Greenhouses - November 2009

Dec 7, 2009

Hot Ferns for Cool Greenhouses Ferns are the duct tape of garden design—they visually connect all other disparate plants. That’s why floral designers... Read More...

 

Wish Upon Next Years Plant Stars - September 2009

Nov 4, 2009

The decisions about which new plants will appear at a nursery near you next spring are happening right now. Here’s a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes process... Read More...

 

Ten Fruiting Plants for the Greenhouse - August 2009

Sep 10, 2009

Unusual fruiting shrubs and trees - where have you been all my gardening life? That was the question I asked myself while standing at One Green World’s tasting... Read More...

 

Whats Wrong with my Plant - July 2009

Aug 3, 2009

“Rooting for You” explores ideas that help you become your own best gardening expert. Whether you care for three containers by your front door or full-on... Read More...

 

Every Plant Tells a Story - June 2009

Jul 2, 2009

If they made movies about the plants’ life stories - how they start out as unknowns in far away places and end up as star performers at a nursery near you... Read More...

 

Rooting for You - May 2009

May 27, 2009

This is the year of the vegetable garden—from the White House to local front lawns—everyone is planting crops. However, even seasoned gardeners can... Read More...