Plants for a 'port garden'?

[djewesbury]

I have a good-sized garden for a city-dweller, about 100 ft long by the width of an ordinary semi-detached house. I've been getting it under control this year, with the help of this wonderfully dry summer, and am initiating a new project. I'm planting a 'port garden', incorporating tastes and aromas familiar from our favourite drink. I already have a well-established plum tree, and a few herbs. I might be able to incorporate some berries (though I might have to restrict that as I already have three gooseberry bushes). I'm also going to plant some violets, obviously. Any other suggestions?

[uncle tom]

How about a vine or two?

[djewesbury]

Remember the climate in Belfast, Tom!

[jdaw1]

Presumably the Belfast climate is cherry-incompatible.

[DRT]

Plum tree?
Raspberry bush?
Strawberry?
Brambles?
Bunberries?
Tobacco plant?
Leather plant?

[g-man]

blueberries work but you need to put them in a separate pot as they require very acidic soils

[djewesbury]

Presumably the Belfast climate is cherry-incompatible.

The plums seem to be ok so cherries should be fine; perhaps a dwarf though. There are already too many trees...

Plum tree?
Raspberry bush?
Strawberry?
Brambles?
Bunberries?
Tobacco plant?
Leather plant?

Thank you Derek. I will plant a Symington bush also.

blueberries work but you need to put them in a separate pot as they require very acidic soils

Good choice. Thanks..

[DRT]

Make sure you give your bunberries plenty of water and keep them in the shade in the hottest part of the day.

[jdaw1]

Make sure you give your bunberries plenty of water and keep them in the shade in the hottest part of the day.

Are you being helpful?

[djewesbury]

Make sure you give your bunberries plenty of water and keep them in the shade in the hottest part of the day.

Are you being helpful?

In the way that only he knows how.

[mpij]

Liquorice.

[djewesbury]

Liquorice.

Interesting! And liquorice's Yorkshire compatriot rhubarb should be included too.. for those slightly tired old colheitas..

[Glenn E.]

Liquorice.

Or Fennel, which has the benefit of being useful in cooking.

[g-man]

reminds me.

I've got some szechuan peppercorn seeds i need to plant!

[Cynthia J]

Are you really in Belfast? It's a lovely concept, but aren't you much warmer and more humid with Gulf Stream effect? For example, rosemary and lavendar, which are part of the Douro landscape like dandelions and nettles in England, do smell different to me here, growing on schist soil in baking hot dry summers, than they did in my garden in Kent. Be sure to get the rabbit-eared type of lavender, which in England is often called French. Photos from the Douro -

Lavender.JPG (246.32 KiB) Viewed 7686 times

Esteva http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cistus_ladanifer is key.

Gum Cistus.JPG (224.27 KiB) Viewed 7686 times

Raspberries, brambles, cherries, currants, those should be easy. Mint and violet, ditto. Apples, pears. Figs could be tough, I seem to remember fig trees in England that flourished but never set fruit. Blueberries I grew in Kent quite successfully - dig a 3 foot deep trench, line it with a slightly perforated plastic, then fill it with acidic compost, then plant. Spectacular results, at least in the three years before I moved to Portugal. Orange - possibly a dwarf tree inside the house?

I think you could do pretty well for young port flavours. For mature port flavours, you will have to start drying and preserving your apples, figs, pears, tobacco leaves (quick trip to Cuba in order to learn proper drying / curing / rolling techniques?). Sounds like a fun project!

[LGTrotter]

I take it an elder tree would be banned, but it might come in handy for beefing up the laggards. Jeripoga? is that the word?

[djewesbury]

I take it an elder tree would be banned, but it might come in handy for beefing up the laggards. Jeripoga? is that the word?

There is an elder tree next to the plum already.. tell nobody...

[djewesbury]

Are you really in Belfast? It's a lovely concept, but aren't you much warmer and more humid with Gulf Stream effect? For example, rosemary and lavendar, which are part of the Douro landscape like dandelions and nettles in England, do smell different to me here, growing on schist soil in baking hot dry summers, than they did in my garden in Kent. Be sure to get the rabbit-eared type of lavender, which in England is often called French.

The Gulf Stream is a capricious visitor and increasingly seems to pass to the south of us these days (although not this year apparently). So it's pretty mild here generally. Certainly, hot summers are a rarity so I know what you mean about the scents and tastes being different.. Uncannily we just planted some rabbit-eared lavender yesterday before reading your message...

Esteva http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cistus_ladanifer is key.

Can certainly find a spot for a Cistus. Good idea.

Raspberries, brambles, cherries, currants, those should be easy. Mint and violet, ditto. Apples, pears. Figs could be tough, I seem to remember fig trees in England that flourished but never set fruit.

Figs take two seasons for the fruit to mature don't they.. There's a fig in a neighbour's garden which has never fruited.

Blueberries I grew in Kent quite successfully - dig a 3 foot deep trench, line it with a slightly perforated plastic, then fill it with acidic compost, then plant.

Perfect. Will do. These will be popular in the house...

Thanks a million. Will keep posted through the seasons...

[g-man]

Raspberries, brambles, cherries, currants, those should be easy. Mint and violet, ditto. Apples, pears. Figs could be tough, I seem to remember fig trees in England that flourished but never set fruit.

Figs take two seasons for the fruit to mature don't they.. There's a fig in a neighbour's garden which has never fruited.

[/quote]

they require extreme care the first few years

i've got 4 successful fruiting fig trees on my property

First two years, I did some winter time pruning.

too many green leaves means not enuf sun gets in on the inner leaves of the plant means they're just going to try and grow more leaves .

[Cynthia J]

Jeff, New York / Newark (that's roughly your 'hood, isn't it?) are at 40º North latitude (roughly same as Douro), Belfast is around 54º north...

Daniel, this sounds like a wonderful project, good luck!

[Alex Bridgeman]

How about a Eucalyptus bush for the menthol. And several different types of mint since I have often distinguished between peppermint, spearmint and applemint.

And different types of cherry - white vs red vs black

[djewesbury]

Incidentally, although Derek may not have been totally serious when he suggested it, nicotiana is being included in the list.
Thanks as well Alex. All good points. Will be difficult finding a spot for the eucalyptus but perhaps against the (rather mature, mixed) hedge....

[g-man]

figs + blue cheese + tawny port

what a great pairing

[mpij]

You could consider a Douro river shaped water feature then, plant some corkscrew rush in it. In a hot summer you may have some success with a bottle gourd.

[PhilW]

Perhaps a Cork Oak tree?
(I like G-man's suggestion of a blue cheese bush though )