The Orchard sits between The Children’s Garden and The Ornamental Raised Beds. Started in 2000 by Master Gardeners Roger Sawyer and Stew Avery, the orchard was created to demonstrate the use of various dwarf rootstocks to provide good quality fruit for the homeowner, as well as providing hands-on instruction in proper ways to prune orchard trees for students taking the Master Gardener course each winter.
This outdoor classroom demonstrates how to properly plant as well as graft a tree, different pruning styles, the pests and diseases that can affect fruit production, and the control and treatment of these problems.
Dwarf rootstocks are used predominantly as they are easier to maintain, take up less space, and you don’t need a precarious ladder to pick the fruit.
The orchard provides something of interest year-round. However, if you want to sample some of the varieties of fruit grown here, late summer or fall might be best. The visitor will find apple, pear, cherry, peach, prune and fig varieties here which continue to produce year after year.
Plant List
| Scientific Name | Common Name |
|---|---|
| Cercis | Redbud |
| Hyacinthoides hispanica | Spanish Wood Hyacinth |
| Ficus carica | Oregon Brown Turkey Fig |
| Malus domestica | Apple |
| Prunus avium | Sweet Cherry |
| Prunus domestica | Prune |
| Pyrus communis | Pear |
| Pyrus pyrifolia | Asian Pear |
More on Home Orchards
- EC 631, Managing Diseases and Insects in Home Orchards Produced by OSU Extension, Insect and Disease Management (Spray Schedule for Fruit & Nut Trees).
- The OSU Extension Service Douglas County Home Gardening page features links to many resources on fruit trees and shrubs.