Blueberry Bushes in Barrels

The Learning Garden currently has two large Blueberry Bushes growing in half barrels. These  big beautiful bushes have produced a lot of flowers but few fruit. The reason for this is they are the exact same variety. Blueberry blossoms require pollen from the blossoms of another variety of blueberry that blooms at the same time to produce significant fruit. On a day soon to be announced we will be adding three more Blueberry bushes to our collection of Blueberries in barrels.
Last year the bushes were a buzz with bees and Anna's Hummingbirds were sighted as well. We look forward to a big harvest this year. If you would like to help with or observe this planting project check the blog for updates.
 

November in the Learning Garden

Thanks to a few dedicated students work has continued in the Learning Garden at SMU this fall. So far in the month of November we have transplanted our Raspberry Canes along the fence. A simple piece of twine will hold them back and up for easy picking next summer and fall. We hope to control their tendency to spread by under ground roots. We dug a trench first in the hard ground and then filled it with good soil and planted into that.

Blessed with warm weather this November our daytime temperatures averaging 51 degrees and breaks in the gentle Fall rain we have been able to work each week at our usual time of noon to 2. This week we only worked for one hour from 1 to 2 but we completed so many tasks. We planted Garlic. We have two beds of Garlic planted which we will be harvesting next summer.

We weren't done yet. We harvested Jerusalem Artichokes and moved the Barrels over  to where our garden expansion is underway.

We experimented with growing Jerusalem Artichokes in wine barrels.

A bouquet of red Jerusalem Artichokes an edible tuber that tastes like water chestnuts.

 

Thanks to all the student volunteers for helping create a special place on campus. Next week we plan to be here again between Noon and 2, weather permitting. Look at that beautiful sunshine!!

A snack in the SMU garden

delicious red berries

This is what was ripe in the garden today and made for a very good snack.