Just for fun and a nice winter diversion, I thought it would be fun for people to think about everything they grow and choose the one plant that takes first place. What is the ONE plant that you consider indispensable?
On the flip side of that (sort of), what is your biggest planting mistake? You know the one; maybe it spreads everywhere or is always shedding limbs or got much bigger than you thought or has juglone that kills nearby plantings....
And if you're still wanting more, what is your "I wish that that plant would grow in my climate" plant?
I'll start. I need to preface this by saying many of my plantings have yet to fruit because many are quite young. Also, tomorrow, I may have a completely different
answer. You know; it's sort of like, What's your favorite flower? It's always the one that's blooming! This is hard; I'm waffling among grapes, asparagus and strawberries...But the rules say just one, and because the first two also have drawbacks, I'm going to choose strawberries. They fruit from late May into November, they are my groundcover which keeps weeds at bay, and they produce so much that I have them every day for breakfast and will probably still have some left with this upcoming season. They are small plants that don't really require much maintenance. Their flowers are lovely and draw in many pollinators. I love my strawberries.
What I don't love is a fothergilla that I planted many years ago. It actually feels a little cheaty because it's not really a
permaculture kind of plant, and I may discover that I despise something that has yet to become problematic. After cutting the fothergilla back, it has sent out woody runners that are impossible for me to remove. I've tried cutting it to the ground and covering it with
cardboard. The thing will not die. I guess I just need to keep hacking it back at ground level...I do plan to plant goji and maypop this spring...both with some hesitation. Time will tell, but I really love the taste of dried gojis....
And now...drumroll please; the plant that I wish I could grow but can't would have to be a pistachio tree. It is really remarkable how many plants do grow in my zone 5 garden, but pistachios are not one of them, according to what I've read. This is actually kind of surprising, because so many nuts do grow this far north. They really intrigue me because they don't get huge like a walnut or many of the nut
trees do. As it is, I have two heartnuts and four hazelnuts growing, but, boy, I'd love to add a pistachio! If there is anyone who can grow one in zone 5, please, please let me know!
