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Strawberry Tree

Since moving to Washington, I have discovered a great number of new trees. One of my favorites is the Strawberry Tree ( Arbutus unedo ). It is a four-season tree with semi-glossy evergreen leaves and lovely mahogany bark. In autumn, clusters of white flowers appear, bearing a resemblance to Lily-of-the-Valley flowers. And then there are the little fruits, which resemble strawberries that appear at the same time as the flowers. I am not sure why, but I have only seen a few fruits on ours. I don't know if birds are getting them before I see them or what happens. The fruits are said to be edible but not very tasty (to humans). This year, our tree is loaded with flowers, the most I've ever seen. Bees absolutely love it and so do the hummingbirds. The flowers usually continue to appear straight through winter, and it can be blooming even during the coldest periods of winter. Aside from the fact that I have not seen much of the colorful fruits, the major negative note is the fact tha
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Meet a new blogger!

I'd like to introduce a new blog to you. My friend Jennifer lives just over the Tennessee state line which is about 20 miles from me. We met a few years ago when she visited my garden. She has a talent for rooting plants and I guess you could call her a rose rustler. Her blog is titled "Confessions of a Serial Tiller" (I love it!) and I'm looking forward to it. Blog away Jennifer!


Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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  1. GingerJanuary 15, 2010 at 8:26 PM

    What a cute name for a blog, and how nice of you to feature her!

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  2. serial tillerJanuary 15, 2010 at 8:39 PM

    Thanks for the publicity Phillip! I am glad I quit procrastinating and finally got started! I tossed around a lot of titles but this one just stuck with me. Glad to be in the blogging community. Y'all are such nice folks!

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  3. Lisa at GreenbowJanuary 16, 2010 at 5:03 AM

    What an intriguing title of her blog. I will pop over and have a look.

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  4. George GastonJanuary 16, 2010 at 5:17 AM

    Phillip thanks for pointing out Jennifer's blog... I must admit I love her title. Especially since I could confess to being a serial killer in the garden. I guess my thumb is less green, due to being covered in chocolate from baking.

    I hope the extreme cold has finally left your area and your garden can start preparing for Spring.

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  5. Southern AspirationsJanuary 16, 2010 at 6:11 AM

    Cute name and I'm excited to check her out!

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  6. Southern AspirationsJanuary 16, 2010 at 6:11 AM

    Cute name and I'm excited to check her out!

    ReplyDelete
  7. UnknownJanuary 16, 2010 at 8:02 AM

    I love that you'd take the time to post about a new blogger, Phillip. That's the sort of blogging network I support with all my heart. Off to welcome her now!

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  8. CarolJanuary 16, 2010 at 9:01 AM

    What a lovely introduction! Great blog title. Very sweet of you Phillip.

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  9. AnonymousJanuary 16, 2010 at 7:36 PM

    Phillip~~ I love a person who is creative with words. Jennifer's got a very nice blog.

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  10. Rob (ourfrenchgarden)January 17, 2010 at 1:47 PM

    That's a seriously good blog name.

    Hello Jennifer!

    ReplyDelete

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