Fruit tree time!
Right now, I'm looking at putting some fruiting trees in my backyard because I think it just makes so much sense to grow your own food. You combat climate change by minimizing emissions associated with the commercial production and transprort of food, you control what chemicals you expose your food to, and in light of recent food price increases, you'll save money. (Watching things grow also gives me a gooshy feeling on the inside, but maybe that's just me.)
Commercially grown varieties of fruit available in supermarkets are chosen to maximize profits for the supermarkets and growers. They choose varieties that look visually attractive, store well (so you can purchase your favourite variety year round) and those that resist. These considerations are not so important for the home gardener, who might be looking for a fruit which tastes great, despite bruising easily, or one that can hang on the tree for a long time, despite being a bit ugly to look at.
Woodbridge Fruit Trees are a small Tasmanian nursery that specialise in preserving and propagating forgotten varieties of fruit. They offer over 60 varieties of apple trees, as well as pears, cherries, plums and more!
I have ordered three apple trees that fruit in early, mid and late season, giving me variety and an extended apple-eating season. I chose varieties with interesting-sounding fruit, like White Transparent, which has whitish yellow skin and an "unforgettable" flavor, and Spartan which has purplish-black skin. Cool ...
Woodbridge fruit trees are grafted onto dwarf stock, growing to about 2-3 meters. This is great for a backyard orchard. You can reach the fruit at the top of the tree easily, throw a net over your tree in what may be a vain attempt to keep the birds from eating the fruit, and you can fit more trees in, affording you more variety.
The trees are $24 each and you can order over the internet. The trees are shipped bare-rooted during July and August for a modest fee. (For example, shipping 6-10 trees to Victoria costs $12 ).