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? Do figs and loganberries stay green in winter
Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2007 8:40 pm
by Lady Gardener
Not the actual figs or berries!!!!
I have a friend who wants to grow some plants on a south facing brick wall ( garage). He would like plants that retain their leaves in winter & ones that hopefully produce something edible.
I wondered about figs or loganberries.
But maybe readers will have other suggestions.
The garden is in sunny Hampshire!
Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 2:34 am
by Johnboy
Hi Lady Gardener,
Both Fig and Loganberries lose their leaves in winter. I am hard pressed to think of any fruit that doesn't lose their leaves during the winter months.
JB.
Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 5:08 pm
by Primrose
I have a couple of thornless blackberry plants up against a north facing fence. Some of the leaves do turn yellow and drop off but in a mild winter I usually find that the plants do retain a fair proportion of their leaves.
Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 10:10 pm
by vivienz
It's not edible for us, but ivy is a true evergreen and provides a fantastic late feast of nectar for bees, butterflies & all sorts of flying pollinators, then goes on to give the birds a late winter feast of berries. It's worth having just for the bees!
Vivien
Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 5:57 am
by Johnboy
Hi Vivien,
Just as a warning. Ivy is a great winter home for White Fly here abouts so is something we try to avoid.
On a really frosty winters day if you were to run a hoover over the Ivy you would be amazed at the amount of White Fly you would collect in the dust bag.
JB.
Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 11:33 am
by cevenol jardin
Olives retain their leaves but it may not grow well if too near a wall.
I would recommend against ivy as it gets into the mortar and can cause problems for brick work.
How about
Kiwi fruit - i had one growing in Hastings and as far as i can remember it retained its leaves - can anybody confirm that? my memory could be playing tricks.
NB you do need a couple of plants for pollination in order to get the fruit tho.
JB that's a first for me on bug control - brilliant!
Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 12:26 pm
by Johnboy
Hi Lady Gardener,
I was driving down the road yesterday and all of a sudden I shouted out Strawberry Tree! I knew there would be something to fit you requirement and obviously my subconscious had been at work. (the rest of me retired years ago)
The Strawberry Tree. Arbutus unedo. Is an evergreen
Tree and is capable of growing to 10M but if it is 'doctored' when planted it will happily grow as a controllable shrub. The fruit are not that edible as they are but I have had Strawberry Tree fruit pie and custard and it was quite passable.
I cannot think of anything else at present but perhaps my subconscious will come up with something else. Who knows?
JB.