Sunday Mar 1st I planted my very first parking lot plant! I purchased a raspberry (an impulse buy, I'll admit) and a pot for it. I use outdoor nurserys as a good gauge of what is plantable right now. If they have it outside on a shelf growing, I'm positive that it is equipped for the current weather. After purchasing it, I realized I didn't know anything about raspberry plants. A little research revealed that raspberries grow vertically more than horizontally, they are cold hardy and perennial, and produce fruit in late June through the end of July. If trimmed properly I should be able to get it to grow more densly than the normal sparsley spaced vines it produces when planted in the ground. It should top out about 6' with no need to stake the hardy vines.
Th closely spaced needle shaped thorns reminded me of course chin whiskers, so I named him Elmer, it seemed suitable. I like to name my plants because it makes me feel a more solid relationship to the plant as a cohabitating life form. I care about Elmer, I've given him a special meaning outside of the vague abstraction that is raspberry, or Rubus idaeus; he is MY raspberry.
I potted elmer with a 50/50 organic potting soil/ compost mix and the next day he put out these little buds. I think Elmer likes his new home. Raspberries like full sun and partial shade, so I placed him at the very corner of the building so he can benefit from a little shade in the hottest part of the late after noon.
I also planted strawberries, which are ever bearing and cold hardy, I made two containers with five plants each. I punched holes through the bottom of a tin bucket I found in my storage shed and a tin box I also found. I'm leaving one outdoors and hot housing the other inside the window. In theory, by rotating the plants indoors and outdoors I can mimic a winter-spring transition anytime. With a little luck, I'll have strawberries all year long!
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