Soccer & Planting The Same Season

Is Insane.

And a man thought it up.

Because no woman in her right mind would flippin’ say “oh, let’s cram in a sport three times a week as well as try to get things planted in time for some harvest in our 3 month summer.”

I am sorry if I haven’t returned phone calls, emails or talked to you in forever. The past couple of weeks have been crazy and aren’t going to lessen until everything is planted and we are done with soccer. Some weeks we are even going to have 4 days of soccer to make up for the games that were snowed out.

Yes, my dear American readers, we get snowed out in these parts for our kids soccer games.

So now to catch up on some posts.

To the left, I planted my Carmine Jewel cherry bush that I picked up at the Saskatoon Farm a couple weeks ago, middle is a Honeyberry bush which I am excited as heck to try this year and the right is my Crimson Passion cherry.

The local wildlife approves of the new additions.

So when buying this tree, the owner pointed out that the buds of three mean that it will produce fruit this year. And since there were more than this one to choose from I will take that as the gospel truth and be hoping for some cherries!

My little Crimson passion has 3 clusters of 3 , so we might get 9 big ol’ cherries this year!

And the honeyberry. It has come across my radar before, but really was pushed to the forefront of my mind after my gardening course. The “teacher” had told us that he doesn’t bother with blueberries but that these are an excellent choice. And since I am mad at my blueberries (this is their last spring, one more chance, no blooms=they are outta here!) I was wanting them.

But at $40 each at the Saskatoon farm, that was a bit pricey especially when I dropped a quick $80 on saskatoons and the Carmine jewel cherry.

Then I happened to look into a wrapped garden crate at Walmart and had the surprise of my life.

Look, it takes a lot to surprise me, but this did it.

In that crate were Carmine Jewel Cherries, Honeyberries and Evan’s Cherry’s, all ready to go.

At WALMART of all the places.

$12 baby.

So I grabbed two Berry Blue honeyberries after unwrapping the crate myself, lamented long and hard that I had no room for an Evan’s (yet! wait and see).

I was smart enough to remember that you needed two for cross-pollination.

What I forgot is that they have to be different kinds, so here is my $35 one from Hole’s. God bless them for saving my behind.

This is a Borealis Honeyberry which is the best pollinator for Berry Blue, according to Holes and they know their stuff.

So really, I spent $60 on three honeyberry bushes, which I am pretty happy with!

It’s hard to tell now, but there are the other two honeyberry’s, Borealis in the middle between the two. This space should be completely filled up when the bushes are larger, they can get to be 4×4 feet but that takes years upon years. And then all the Dephiniums and globeflowers just fill in the spaces.

I still can’t believe the strawberriew overwintered AND are blooming! People, leave your leaves and organic matter on your flower and gardenbeds, not only to create amazing soil but to help plants overwinter.

Aaah my Saskatoon is blooming! We will have berries at last!

Speaking of which, I planted another 5 in the yard, all bush types, Northline Saskatoons. They will only grow 5-7 feet in height, making them perfect for city yards. And that will take quite a few years my friend, they are slow growers.

I love this crooked one!

My nemesis, AKA my blueberries are just budding. Why they are so late, I don’t know, but everything is late this year.

You’d better blossom, if you know what’s good for you….