Got Backyard Trees?

Nah I wish I did. I don’t have yard here in Cali.

But, where I grew I up, in South Jersey, we had a Apple, Cherry, Fig, Pear and Walnut Trees. We only really took care of to harvest was the Cherries. We also had full garden, plus grape vine, raspberry and blue berry plants.

I hope to have all those for my own place if I ever move back.

Thanks for the suggestion! If Apple, Cherry, Fig, Pear, & Walnut can survive in South Jersey, I’m sure they can survive here in Nevada! Walnut is probably too large of a tree? But I will plant your other suggestions! What I’m really looking at is if Almond can grow here.

I’m also going to go with blackberry, blueberry, & grapevine and hope the berrys can catch enough sun up by the fence.

Not at the moment, but once I’m done with my current ‘campaign’ I will be looking at getting some cherry and/or apple trees.

I have an orange tree and a lemon tree and I live in California.

Citrus! Lucky! Winters in Nevada can hit 30 below, so Citrus won’t last long here.

wildflower, what’s your current “campaign”?

To expand my garden by about 25% by cutting all the weed, grass and trimming the hedges…we pretty much haven’t touched it since last year – it’s a bit of a jungle at the moment.

wildflower, what kinds of tools are you using to hack away at the jungles?

I can go on for ever on this one. I live in California. We have many trees in our yard. It’s not just one or two. They are many different types. lemon trees, oranges, apples, cherry , fig trees, grapes, plums, apricots, pomegranate, almond tree, pear, grapefruit, kumquat, pomelo. There are a lot more, but like I said. I can go on forever.

For the hedges I use something similar to this and for the grass I’m starting out with something like this before I can use the mower.

…and yes, I already have blisters on my hands, but thankfully I’m more stubborn than the grass or branches are..

babygalll, will Almond Trees survive 30 below? Don’t you need to have at least 2 of them to fertilize each other? Thanks wildflower! I need to remember to buy better gloves to avoid blisters. All I got is these Kevlar Gloves & they’re kind of thin, though they might survive getting shot in the hand…..

Thankfully the gun-laws around here mean I’m worried about being shot by flying pieces of nettle….

Damn, that’s a voracious looking hedge trimmer! I was thinking of getting a small electric mower & planting Zoysia Grass, they say you only have to mow & water it once a year. Very invasive little grass plugs, they are!

wildflower, thanks for reminding me to buy eye protection so I don’t get a case of Nettle Eye.

Yes, you do need goggles…..I was lucky to find a pair of sunglasses that are practically some sort of visors, since it’s actually sunny this week…...!?!

Here in Los Angeles , my backyard contains: peach, orange, tangerine, lemon, mexican lemon, lime and avocado trees and what appears to be a young almond tree which has not yet produced (seed courtesy of a squirrel, probably). And hanging over into my yard from the neighbors yard: apricots and loquats. And let me add that the following are “in reach” if I use one of those expanding pole pickers: grapefruit and banana (I have to grab these very quietly and discretely, unless of course the neighbors happen to be away).

whatthefluther, you fruit-thief!

You guys are great! You gave me more ideas than I could have come up with! From your all ideas, and living in Nevada, this is what I think might survive (without growing too large): cherry, kumquat, fig, apple, peach, pear, plum, apricot, avacodo… and for “bushes” blackberry, blueberry, & grapevine.

@whatthefluther,
It seems your backyard is alot like mine… We have the same trees! Well, almost, I don’t have an almond tree but, I do have a tall skinny tree, yet instead of bearing fruit it has these long hangy things. Hmmmm, are you stealing the fruit off my trees?

Don’t forget the herbs: basil, rosemary, parsley, etc.. And maybe the sometimes smoked “herb” called hemp which will grow most anywhere (why do you think they call it weed) which I’m not suggesting you smoke but makes wonderful rope (for some reason, all my rope seems to go up in smoke).

uh oh, ummmmmmmmmm…Los Angeles is a big city sccrowell…I’m in a little corner of it up a hill (and I hope I’m not up a creek here).

I prefer Whiskey to Rope and seeing as I can’t plant whiskey, I’ll hide a pint in the Grotto. I was thinking of making wine from the grapevine though… If the wine turns out potable, I’ll design some labels on the computer. I’ll call it “Nevada Beaked Alien Wine”, circa 2009. PM me your addresses if you all want & I’ll express my thanks for your input by mailing you all a bottle!

Still can’t convince you to switch to tequila, psyla? You can certainly grow the agave cactus in Nevada and set up a little still and make your own.

Maybe the Tequila wouldn’t taste & smell so bad if it was homemade? OK, I’ll add Agave Cactus to the list and Google how to distill it. That would be pretty original to be distilling my own Tequila. Maybe in the meantime, while the cactus is growing, I can acquire a taste for it. Hope the cactus doesn’t grow too quick, I’d like to be able to procrastinate for a few years if possible.

Here’s a good way to acquire a taste for it:

Pour this in a blender and mix well. Serve in tall glasses with straw and umbrella :)
Ice cubes
Rose’s Lime
Bols Red Orange Liqueur
Tequila (clear)
Cointreau

and of course, clubbed octopus for garnish (hey, it works in a Scalmari)

of course…

last year we discovered a “herb” growing thru the gaps in our fence from the neighbors yard. Why anyone would pick a spot right next to their neighbors yard, to grow “herb”, is beyond me.
But we just let it continue to grow LOL

@psyla – I’m sure you can’t grow an avocado outdoors in your cold climate. When you order your trees, just please check the zone thing. It’s essential.
Fabulous to be able to begin a whole orchard from scratch.

what about pomegranites? (sp)
Or persimmons?

I’m in upstate NY, and the overhanging branches of my neighbor’s Mulberry tree are due to fruit in 4 weeks (my cereal and ice cream bowls are counting the days ;P ).

@cheebgragon: We also have persimmons and loquat.

I never liked the taste of raw persimmons, but the house I use to live in had a persimmon tree, and every year my mom would make the best persimmon bread!
= ( now I’m hungry LOL

I have 2 plum trees that produce like mad and live in CA (SF)

we dont live in the states, so our backyard trees are quite different from all of you.. we have fruit trees – bananas, lanzones, macopa, mango, “tambis”, avocado, guava, papaya, jackfruit, “guayabano” sour sap, lemon, “santol”, coconuts, “aratiles” (just for the birds).. we even had pili nuts, but recently we cut it down… we still have plenty of “madre de cacao” cacaote, and red palm trees..

@nephrons…where do you live? it sounds more tropical than the US, except for Hawaii, of course.

@whatthefluther… i happily live in the tropical country PHILIPPINES!

LA the state: lemon, lime, orange, pecan, banana, fig