Nuts?
SO...Alex bought a nut bowl at a THIS AUCTION. I laughed at him. ...but then I wanted nuts to attempt planting and I bought this big bag of various nuts still in their shells and there was no better place to put them than in...you guessed it...the nut bowl. voila.
The really cool thing about this little experiment, whether the nuts grow into trees or just wither in the soil, is figuring out what various nuts look like in their shell. I was clueless about most of them. take this...it is a walnut - am I the only one that never pictured a walnut being HUGE?
Last, but not least are the hazelnuts. I planted 5 and ordered 3 and if they all grow I will be pleased as punch. I bought a small (horrendously overpriced) bag of chopped hazelnuts at the grocery store and they are delightful in salads. Truth be told, they are quite delightful in chocolate as well...
SO...I am excited to plant these nut/tree bushes and start harvesting in about 3 years. They are small and produce nuts far earlier than other types of trees because of their diminutive size comparatively. I ordered 2 Arbor day Hazelnuts (you can check out the hazelnut society HERE) and one American Hazelnut bush for variety. They should be here quite soon!! In fact, if you are at all interested in hazelnuts and have room to grow a few trees/bushes (they max out at 10'), you should become an Arbor Day Charter Patron. You pay 20 bucks and are a member and receive 3 Hazelnut bushes. (I am not sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation, but we spent 5 years in Nebraska quite close to them, I've ordered trees from them thrice over and we went to the apple festival every year and it is just a fabulous organization :)
The really cool thing about this little experiment, whether the nuts grow into trees or just wither in the soil, is figuring out what various nuts look like in their shell. I was clueless about most of them. take this...it is a walnut - am I the only one that never pictured a walnut being HUGE?
...and this almond...it makes sense in its shape and size, but I had never seen one before...
Next on the list was the Brazil Nut...which didn't taste all that awesome...
My favorite was perhaps the pecan. Say that 50 times...sounds funny...perhaps the pecan!
Anyway, it was quite delicious fresh out of the shell and even though they can grow to 100 feet tall,
I planted a few (and ordered a couple, but that's another story altogether... ;)
Last, but not least are the hazelnuts. I planted 5 and ordered 3 and if they all grow I will be pleased as punch. I bought a small (horrendously overpriced) bag of chopped hazelnuts at the grocery store and they are delightful in salads. Truth be told, they are quite delightful in chocolate as well...
SO...I am excited to plant these nut/tree bushes and start harvesting in about 3 years. They are small and produce nuts far earlier than other types of trees because of their diminutive size comparatively. I ordered 2 Arbor day Hazelnuts (you can check out the hazelnut society HERE) and one American Hazelnut bush for variety. They should be here quite soon!! In fact, if you are at all interested in hazelnuts and have room to grow a few trees/bushes (they max out at 10'), you should become an Arbor Day Charter Patron. You pay 20 bucks and are a member and receive 3 Hazelnut bushes. (I am not sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation, but we spent 5 years in Nebraska quite close to them, I've ordered trees from them thrice over and we went to the apple festival every year and it is just a fabulous organization :)
...now be honest...you learned something, didn't you?
Please tell me I am not the only one who had no idea what most of these nuts looked like in the shell?
