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The satisfaction of growing, harvesting and tasting your own fresh fruits is one of the great pleasure of gardening. A fruit garden may be highly decorative as well as productive. In most ares a wide range of fruits may be grown, while in cool regions growing under cover makes it possible to grow even a larger variety.
You may have a large garden, where you can dedicate a part of it exclusively for fruits, or you just have a small garden where you can incorporate fruit into the rest of the garden and even into a small patio garden you should have space for one or two citrus trees in pots or well-trained apples or pears.
Here is a small description of the most common fruits that usually grow in our gardens:
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Apricot is a woody perennial that needs a well-drained soil but must have shelter. Large, round fruits, highly flavored and popular for deserts. The cultivar Moorpark is the most reliable performer of all.
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Apple is a woody perennial tree that prefers a deep, fertile, well-drained soil. Swollen, edible fruits that are eaten cooked or raw over a long season. Interplant with nasturtiums to deter woolly aphids.
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Cherry is a woody perennial tree that prefers a deep, fertile, well-drained soil. Clusters of small edible fruits that are eaten cooked or fresh over a short season. Stella is the easiest cultivar to grow because it is self-fertilizing.
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Damson is a woody perennial tree that prefers a deep, fertile, well-drained soil. Round or plum-shaped edible fruits eaten cooked or raw. The cultivar Merryweather is self-fertilizing and reliable.
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Grape is a vigorous, climbing woody plant that prefers sun and a deep, fertile soil. Bunches of rounded fruits, black, red or pale yellowish-green in color. The leaves are also edible.
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Greengage is a woody tree, perennial that prefers a deep, fertile, well-drained soil. Round or plum-shaped edible fruits are eaten cooked or raw. Cambridge Gage is partially self-fertilizing and the easiest to grow.
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Kiwi Fruit is a woody, climbing, vigorous plant that prefers sun and a deep, fertile soil. Slice through the rough, hairy peel to find a fleshy, green inside that is eaten raw. The late-flowering cultivar Hayward is the most reliable plant to grow.
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Kumquat is a woody perennial that needs a well-drained soil and a sheltered site. Small, yellow fruits that may be eaten without being peeled. This is the hardiest member of the citrus fruits.
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Lemon is a woody perennial that needs a well-drained soil and a sheltered site. Oval to round-shaped fruits from which you squeeze the juice to use as part of a seasoning. In order to do well, these plants prefer to grow in a fairly constant temperature.
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Lime is a woody perennial that needs a well-drained soil and a sheltered site. Small, green, rounded fruits with a thin skin that are mostly used for its juice. There are varieties with sweet or sour-tasting fruits available.
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Nectarine is a woody perennial that needs a well-drained soil and must have shelter. Large, round fruits, highly flavored and popular for deserts. The cultivar Early Rivers produces large crops and self-fertilizes.
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Peach is a woody perennial that needs a well-drained soil and must have shelter. Large, round fruits, highly flavored and popular for deserts. The cultivar Peregrine is self-fertile.
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Pear is a woody perennial tree that prefers a deep, fertile, well-drained soil. Swollen, edible fruits eaten cooked or raw over long season. Conference is the most reliable performer.
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Plum is a woody perennial tree that prefers a deep, fertile, well-drained soil. Round, edible fruits are eaten cooked or raw. Opal is self-fertilizing and produces large crops.
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Along with those we can also raise an other kind of fruits, the soft fruits that are usually hard to store and must be consumed fresh as soon as they are riped or prepared as jam or jelly. Here is a short description of the most common of them:
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Blackcurrant is a woody bush, perennial that prefers a deep, fertile, well-drained soil. Clusters of small, edible fruits eaten fresh or cooked and preserved. The cultivar Ben Sarek is resistant to mildew and late frosts.
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Blueberry is a woody perennial bush that prefers moist, acid soil and an open sunny site. Clusters of small, rounded, black, edible fruits eaten either fresh or cooked. Bluecrop produces the best yields and is ideal for a wet soil.
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Briar Fruit is a woody perennial plant that prefers a deep, fertile, well-drained soil. Clusters of large to medium edible fruits eaten fresh or cooked. Vigorous, rambling, heavy-cropping plants that need a lot of space.
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Mulberry is a woody perennial tree that prefers a deep, fertile, well-drained soil. Clusters of large to medium edible fruits eaten fresh or cooked. The black mulberry is the best fruiting type.
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Gooseberry is a woody bush, perennial that prefers a deep, fertile, well-drained soil. Groups of medium-sized edible fruits eaten either cooked or raw. The cultivar Greenfinch is resistant to mildew and leafspot.
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Raspberry is a woody bush, perennial that prefers a deep, fertile, well-drained soil. Groups of medium-sized edible fruits eaten either cooked or raw. Grow “Malling Jewel” for its compact habit and disease tolerance.
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Red Currant is a woody bush, perennial that prefers full sun and a deep, fertile soil. Clusters of small, edible fruits eaten fresh or cooked and preserved. The cultivar Junifer is well reputed for its disease resistance.
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Rhubarb is a herbaceous, long-lived perennial that prefers a moist, well-drained soil. Edible leaf stalks are cooked and eaten as a fruit. Rhubarb leaves in planting trenches may deter clubroot on brassicas.
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Strawberry is a herbaceous, short-lived perennial that prefers deep, fertile, well-drained soil. Groups of medium-sized edible fruits eaten either fresh or cooked. Plant onions close to strawberries to increase disease resistance.
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