It’s planting season in the garden again. The last frost day here is normally 1 May, but we are in the middle of a very hot and dry spell and the idea of frost seems a distant one, so I am getting started a little early. According to the weather people here this is the hottest April for the last 110 years, except for 2007 which was hotter. The month isn’t over yet, so who knows, we may yet break the 2007 record.
I’m not the only garden blogger growing goji-/wolfberries this year! I thought I was being clever by buying some goji berries at the local market and planting the seeds, but I see quite a number of people had the same idea.
Emma of Fluffius Muppetus, who has had some goji plants for a year now, suggested planting them with an understory of strawberries. As luck had it I was planning to plant some strawberries this year anyway!
I’ve decided to commit one of my raised beds to the project. Emma also suggested planting them in an out of the way spot, because the plants are a bit thorny and sharp, so I’ve allocated my most out of the way bed to the task.
For years now I’ve been growing white Alpine strawberries, and really enjoying them. Imagine how happy I was to run across a plant breeder working with them! Alan recently sent me some seeds of his Jeffersonian Alpine Strawberry mix. As I understand it, it’s a mix of yellow and white Alpine strawberry varieties (both genetic and simple seed mix), with some selection already done for large berries. The name comes about because Thomas Jefferson who also grew and enjoyed Alpine strawberries apparently concluded they would never be profitable to grow and sell. Alan sells them on his farm, and is looking to develop them commercially.
I’m really looking forward to doing some selection on these in my own garden!
Oh wow. Can’t wait to see what the goji bushes end up looking like! I hear they’re very pretty.
Never eard of goji berries (maybe we have some different name for them). I’m waiting for some of the alpine strawberries to sprout. How long do they usualy take?
Hi Gintoino,
You would probably recognize goji berries if you saw them. While people seem to be getting a bit bored with them now, they have been a bit of a craze in the US for the last few years. People think they are extra healthy, even though it’s probably not true.
The strawberries take a long time to germinate, usually a month. I can always send more seeds! Just let me know if you want some. I can also try sending plants if you like.
No luck with asparagus! Thanks for sending the seeds, I’m glad I got the chance to try. If we ever get more information about what may have gone wrong, maybe we could try one more time…
Hi Amelia,
I’m sure I’ll post pictures eventually!