A Gardeners Forum Forums Members History Forum Life 2005 Apple and Pear trees

When we moved to our place it hadn't been lived in for a couple of years and the apple and pear trees were overgrown with only small fruits. we pruned them back last year but what else should we do to to bring them back to how they should be? Also, There are mature shrubs like rhodedendron, azaelea, hydrangea and others but no flowers. I love cottage garden types of flowers, but some people say that cottage gardens don't have shrubs. What do you folks think? Any suggestions for flowers which go well with these kinds of shrubs?

Sounds like soil ph needs to be checked and some fertilizer applied but others might know better.

I've seen cottage type gardens that had shrubs....though usually as a fencing hedge along one side or something. plant "old fashioned" type flowers that go with your flowering shrubs. Whatever you like. It will look cottagey with the best of them.

Then again....that is only my opinion of course.

Sounds like maybe your soil is a little acidy which is fine. Just make sure the flowers you buy are that way too. I would definitely have peonies if you have a place with afternoon shade. They can take up to 3 years to bloom the first time but after that you'll have georgeous blooms that look great in cut flower arrangements.
Normally they come in white, pink and red. Recently they have come out with a yellow one in the tree variety but it is pricey. Do you know what color your azalea and roddy blooms are? Peonies are normally around 2 to 3 feet tall so they would do well infront of the roddys but would over shadow the azaleas. I have nasturtiums in a container. They are an edible vine that also works as a ground cover. They come in yellow, orange, and red. They are an annual but they do self seed.

One reason for small fruits is too many fruits. They need to be thinned. It could be more difficult if your tree is tall, but you should have only 1 fruit per cluster, and the remaining fruits should be spaced about 6 inches apart.

I have espaliered all my apple trees but one and that one I keep short also. I can reach all the fruit just standing on the ground. I don't need a ladder. It makes it easier to spray and thin, as well as harvest.

I just use fruit tree spikes for fertilizer. Just pound them in and your done.

Sorry, I'm to quick to post. About the cottage garden. That's what I have and a cottage garden includes fruit trees, shrubs, perrenials, annuals, vegetables and herbs.

A true cottage garden is supposed to be naturalisticand put together with colorful abandon. I could not do a whole lot to the front of my house because I face north-east but my property is covered in little beds.

Daylillies surround the clothesline poles, scarlet runner beans run up the bird house pole with coneflowers at their feet. Columbines, jacobs ladder and tulips surround a crabapple tree with radishes in the same plot.

Mint grows with the bishops weed with daisys and daffodils with a snowball bush and green peppers for an added mix. The hedging up one side is currant and gooseberry bushes separated by a small white picket fence gate. At the edge is another apple tree and a little bulb bed in the process as we speak.

The side bed has an old white trellis with clematis, columbines and a mix of flowers with tomatoe plants and some parsely and sage. Thinking of adding a small cucumber pickling plant up that trellis also.

Their are little beds with strawberries, and raspberries and black berries. Working on one now for rhubarb, working on another for sunflowers and yellow beans and onions and some bachelor buttons and zinnias.

The back yard is bordered by cherry trees and lilacs and some cedars (for privacy). Just mix and match and have fun. As long as you keep it weeded nothing looks in disarray.