Musing on weather- Alternative to Plant of the Week
At Cloud Mountain, we have a long history of growing fruit trees, first as a commercial orchard and nursery and now as an agricultural education center. But after many decades of experience, we can still be astonished at how different plants react to varied weather. This was brought to mind last week by the ‘Plant […]
Plant of the Week- April 6
Plant of the Week- Pears Right now at Cloud Mountain, all the Asian Pears are just passing full bloom in the orchards, with the European Pears just starting to flower. Pears are a relatively easy fruit to grow in our climate, so I thought we should highlight them when they are also adding ornamental interest […]
Plant of the Week- March 16
Strawberries! Why are we talking about strawberries in March? Because it is the perfect time to to plant! Planting bare root strawberry crowns while they are dormant is easy and economical. And, if you plant day-neutral varieties, you’ll get fruit this summer! Strawberries prefer sandy, well drained soil and full sun. Remove all weeds, and […]
What a winter it has been!
It is now the last week of February, and throughout Whatcom County, we are seeing early plums in bloom, buds on cherries and peaches swelling, and even pears showing signs of waking up. Should we be worried? Here at Cloud Mountain Our greatest fear is that the skies clear during cold weather. All fruit trees […]
Peppers! By Celeste Monke
‘Tis the season. Temperatures are high and the hothouse fruits are fruiting. This furry fellow still has some days to go, but should turn into a spicy 2” beast with a heat level somewhere between Serranos and Cayenne. A furry pepper you ask? Yes. It’s a Rocoto pepper, from the Andean highlands species Capsicum pubescens […]
An old fruit most people have never tried: Quince
As autumn deepens, we’re all enjoying the fall harvest; apples and pears, winter squash, cider and quince… What the heck is quince??? Quince is a very old fruit, closely related to pears. It is native to Southeast Asia, mainly Turkey and Iran, but has been grown Europe and the United Kingdom for centuries as well. […]