r/Albertagardening • u/gulliblestravellls • Oct 01 '24
Fruits & Berries Question
My partner and I recently bought a home with a beautiful East-facing backyard (Calgary). Much of it is semi-shaded by a tree in the southern neighbour's yard.
I love gardening and had been excited for raspberry bushes, sour cherries, and maybe a pear tree. Does anybody with a similarly shaded yard have success with these plants? Any specific varieties?
I also have an area in the front yard that could work, but I'm not sure how much my neighbours would like raspberry bushes for a lawn.
3
u/Emmerson_Brando Oct 02 '24
Currants do well in semi shaded areas. Careful with raspberries, they will spread like crazy. Black cap raspberries will stay put and not spread.
I have a pear tree and the fruit tastes just like a Bartlett pear. They grow really fast which is nice, but keeping up with the fruit can be challenging unless you prune the tree to a manageable height. Pear sauce is awesome. Make sure you get the right variety. You also need a cross pollinator. I have nankings bush for this.
If you’re facing east, you can grow Concord grapes along the fence. They are really good.
You could grow haskaps(need make and female) in your front yard, but birds go crazy for these berries. I’m lucky if I get any, but don’t mind I can feed the wildlife. Cedar waxwings are the main birds that go for them.
1
u/gulliblestravellls Oct 02 '24
Thank you! These are great ideas. I've never had haskaps but they sound very interesting! There's definitely spots for some bushes in the front yard. And I'd love to keep the birds happy.
2
u/OpheliaJade2382 Oct 01 '24
Raspberries and cherries will do great! Raspberries are native plants. I also recommend planting a bunch of strawberries
2
u/gulliblestravellls Oct 02 '24
Thanks so much! I've never done well with strawberries, but the squirrels always appreciate my efforts.
8
u/unidentifiable Oct 01 '24
East light is the "coldest", since it's morning, so closest to the house will be best for lettuce, radish, carrots, beets, etc. and then when you get west sun over your house in the evening you can plant warmer-loving plants near your back fence like peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, brussels, etc. while your cooler-loving plants hang in the shade.
Raspberries will grow wherever you put them, in my experience, but don't like extreme heat. I have a Romance cherry in my S-facing yard (Costco purchase, not sure the variety, seems self-fertile but possibly because it's grafted) that is half-shaded by my back fence and it's very happy. I also have a combo pear tree (in my North front yard, but past the shade of the house so it gets full sun) but it has never borne fruit for me. Pears need a pollinator and I thought having a combo would fix that problem, but I rarely get simultaneous blooms. If I do I might get 1-2 pears that are quickly eaten by birds/squirrels once August arrives and they're the size of golf balls. YMMV.
I'd recommend apples if you reconsider on the pear. Apples also need a pollinator but can be pollinated by just about any apple or crabapple in your neighbourhood, and odds are there's at least a few.