The Backyard garden adds one more dimension to your yard and it’s surprising how the addition of plants seem to enlarge your backyard and adds to the relaxing feeling you are trying to create. Your backyard garden area should be an extension of what you like both in design, color and use.
photo credit: Zanastardust

My backyard always has a mix of flowers, vegetables and herbs. They grow in raised beds, theme gardens and hanging baskets. I guess you would call it a backyard jungle. But it’s relaxing and fun. And that is what gardening should be, fun!

Flowers tend to be the easiest gardens followed by vegetables and the last garden variety that tends to be more work are fruit gardens. Fruit gardens need more maintenance to keep insects away. Insects are attracted to the sweet in the fruit and don’t like to take no for an answer

In order to make sure you have a healthy fruit crop you will have to decide if you use a chemical for insect control or use natural insect control. I always use natural pest control that I mix up using home ingredients. I also hand pick insects if necessary. I may loose a few fruits this way but its worth it knowing I have healthy produce and have not hurt the environment.

My backyard fruit garden consist of blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries. I also grow melons in the garden area. These smaller fruits produce well and are relatively insect free. This is because I make sure I have the best-fertilized soil I can mix up and use a heavy ground cover to keep moisture in the soil. I also grow a few fruit crops in hanging baskets.
photo credit: axelkr

My larger fruits do include fruit trees, which is a whole other category when it comes to care

When considering fruit trees I would carefully check your growing zone conditions and take into consideration how much space a fruit tree will take. You will also need to check and see if the fruit trees you select need another tree to help pollinate the fruit crop.

Dwarf trees or espalier trees may be a consideration. They take less space and espalier fruit trees are very pretty and often are used to help create privacy in smaller backyards.

Fruit trees need to have sun and be located in an area where the wind can move through the trees. Growing too close to a larger tree or a building that blocks sun and air current will cut back on your fruit crop. One last consideration is do you have the time to prune your trees? Fruit trees need pruning to keep the tree healthy and let the sun get to the fruit.

Growing fruit in your backyard garden oasis will add more work but there is nothing quite as nice in the morning than a fresh peach that is warmed by the sun or homemade strawberry shortcake. As with all gardening and additions to your backyard oasis you need to consider time and the additional value it adds to your property and your needs.

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