Friday, January 11, 2013

The BrazelBerries Collection: New for 2013!

Introducing BrazelBerries, a collection of ornamental berry varieties that make berry growing easier and more accessible for home gardeners.  Since the 1970s, the Brazelton family and their team at Fall Creek Farm & Nursery in Oregon have been propagating and growing berry plants for farmers and nurseries around the globe.  Over two decades, their breeding program focused on finding berry plants that were simple to grow, exceptionally beautiful, and of course, delicious.  Below, take a look at two varieties Strange's will have available in our nursery this Spring:


Raspberry Shortcake
A Revolutionary, Thornless Dwarf Raspberry
Raspberry Shortcake is a compact, mounding plant, reaching 24 to 36".  It's ideally suited for large patio containers, requires no staking, no trellis, no companion pollinator, and has sturdy upright canes -- without a single thorn.  As if that weren't enough, it rewards home gardeners with super-sweet raspberries in mid-summer.
Zones: 5-9
Fruit Season: Mid-Summer
Flavor: Sweet / Vanilla Essence
Shrub Habit: 2 - 3 ft Dense Compact Mound
Planting & Care: Full Sun, neutral soil (pH 6.5 - 7.5), good drainage, fertilize early spring, moderate watering.
Pruning: This dwarf red raspberry produces abundant new canes each spring and fruits on new canes that have gone through a winter dormancy period.  Once fruiting is finished, prune out canes at the base that have fruited leaving new canes to fruit the next season.


Peach Sorbet
A Four Season, Compact Blueberry Beauty
Peach Sorbet is a real peach of a blueberry.  A four season show stopper, this compact blueberry is stunning with vibrant new spring growth ranging from peach to pink to orange to emerald.  Spring's white bell-shaped flowers will give way to an abundant summer crop of healthy, peach-sweet blueberries.  In most climates, Peach Sorbet keeps her leaves through the winter when the foliage color can dramatically shift to a rich eggplant purple.  This blueberry is full of charm, color year round, and is perfect as a landscape hedge, an accent plant or in decorative containers right on the patio.
Zones: 5-10
Fruit Season: Mid-Summer
Flavor: Sweet / Tropical Essence
Shrub Habit: 1.5 - 2 ft Compact Mound
Planting & Care: Full sun, acidic soil, good drainage, fertilize early spring, moderate watering
Pruning: This blueberry produces new canes each spring and fruits on new canes.  Once fruiting is complete, prune canes that have fruited leaving new canes to fruit the next season.  Annual pruning promotes plant growth and berry production.