Fresh Eating Favourites

History: Bonne Louise de Jersey originated from Avranches in Normandy, France in the 1780s. It was originally known as Bonne Louise d'Avranches until it was taken to Jersey in the Channel Islands. As it grew in popularity in the UK, it was given the name Bonne Louise de Jersey instead.  

Why We Grow It: Bonne Louise de Jersey is a rich, buttery pear that produces a juicy, red blushed fruit. In spring, this pear is also adorned with a profusion of notably attractive blossoms, adding a nice touch to any landscape. Although the tree is less vigorous than some other pears, this makes it suitable for potting and espalier.

Species: Lonicera caerulea

History: Boreal Beast was developed by Bob Bors at the University of Saskatchewan as part of the Boreal series of haskaps. The goal of the Boreal series is to cross haskaps from Russia, Japan, and the Kuril Islands to create superior cultivars with the best qualities of all three strains. Boreal Beast was rated very highly for flavour in the breeding program. Named after Beauty and the Beast, Boreal Beast was intended to be the pollination partner for Boreal Beauty but in practice it has been found that their pollination times don't quite overlap.

Why We Grow It: Boreal Beast is noted for its excellent flavour with a great aroma and pleasant aftertaste. The shrub itself is quite vigorous and sturdy, and produces good-sized crops of delicious medium-sized berries.

Species: Lonicera caerulea

History: Boreal Beauty haskap is part of the Boreal series of haskaps developed by Bob Bors at the University of Saskatchewan. The goal of the Boreal series is to cross haskaps from Russia, Japan, and the Kuril Islands to create superior cultivars with the best qualities of all three strains. Boreal Beauty was released in early 2017, chosen for its large size, firmness, and good flavour. Its name, a reference to Beauty and the Beast, was meant to be a handy way to remember that Boreal Beast is the recommended for pollination partner for this variety, but in practice unfortunately the two don't overlap quite enough for pollination to be optimal.

Why We Grow It: Boreal Beauty sports large berries that are more oval-shaped and firm than other haskaps while maintaining with good flavour. This variety could show promise for mechanical harvesting. It is also quite vigorous and produces heavy crops. 

Species: Lonicera caerulea

History: Boreal Blizzard was developed by Bob Bors at the University of Saskatchewan as part of the Boreal series of haskaps. The goal of the Boreal series is to cross haskaps from Russia, Japan, and the Kuril Islands to create superior cultivars with the best qualities of all three strains. While Boreal Blizzard is only a cross between Russian and Japanese varieties, it has produced some of the largest berries the breeding program has seen while boasting good flavour!

Why We Grow It: Boreal Blizzard produces exceptionally large berries that are meaty and sweet. This heavy cropper is ideal for U-pick operations and small farms where the larger berries make them more suitable for hand-picking. 

Species: Lonicera caerulea

History: Borealis was created by Bob Bors at the University of Saskatchewan and was released in 2007, likely being selected for its large fruit, good flavour, and resistance to powdery mildew. 

Why We Grow It: Borealis produces large, round berries with an excellent flavour, albeit less sweet than more modern haskap varieties. The berries are excellent for baking although they are a bit softer and need to be handled more delicately when being picked. The bush itself is a little more compact than other varieties and is very resistant to powdery mildew. 

History: Despite once being the most commonly planted commercial plum tree in New York, Bradshaw's origins are quite hazy. It is uncertain whether the variety even originated in Europe or the US. It was named in 1846 by C.M. Hovey who wrote about it in his "Magazine of Horticulture," naming the variety "Bradshaw" after an E.E. Bradshaw who had exhibited excellent specimens of the fruit for several years. Bradshaw has since been eclipsed by other plum varieties.

Why We Grow It: Bradshaw produces relatively large purplish-red plums of good quality. The flavour is pleasantly sweet and the variety is good for fresh eating and likely cooking and processing like other European plums. It is semi-clingstone. The tree is self-fertile, productive, and quite hardy, although it can be slow to start bearing fruit. 

History: Discovered in New Zealand by farmer O. Moran in 1952, Braeburn took the world by a storm, becoming one of the most popular commercial apples in the United States and parenting many modern cultivars such as Jazz and Sweetie. 

Why We Grow It: Its winning sweet-tart flavour wrapped in an attractive orangey-red skin makes it an excellent fresh eating apple. It is firm and holds its shape well when cooked, and keeps about 4 months. This variety is fairly disease susceptible, meaning it is better for the experienced natural grower or conventional orchards. It is moderately vigorous and a heavy cropper.

History: Brettacher Sämling (sämling meaning seedling in German) originated as a chance seedling on a farm in Brettach, Germany in the early 1900s. It is possibly a descendent of the French cooking apple, Lebel. It is known for its excellent storage qualities and is still grown commonly in parts of Germany.

Why We Grow It: Brettacher Sämling produces large, juicy apples with a sweet-tart fruity flavour that has a hint of spice. The apples, green with a red blush, are best enjoyed after being stored for two months. They are fairly versatile, also considered suitable for sauce and juice/cider. Compared to other apple trees, this variety is relatively low maintenance and only requires a hard prune every two to three years. 

Photo credit: Sven Teschke 

Species: Vitis riparia x Vitis labrusca

History: Brianna was bred by renowned grape breeder Elmer Swenson as a cross between Riverbank grape (V. riparia) and Fox grape (V. labrusca) as part of his effort to create high-quality grapes that were cold hardy enough to be grown in the cooler parts of North America. Brianna was first bred in 1983 on Swenson's farm in Wisconsin and released in 2001. It was named by Ed Swanson who was planning on naming it Brian due to its vigour but chose Brianna instead, believing the feminine name was more fitting for white wine.

Why We Grow It: Brianna is a seeded green grape with an excellent complex fruity flavour that has hints of grapefruit and pineapple. The medium-large green fruit is suitable for fresh eating or making wine or juice. This variety boasts good disease resistance, vigorous growth, and begins producing fruit at a young age.

History: Brookgold was developed at the Crop Diversification Centre South in Brooks, Alberta and was named for the town and its golden colour. It was introduced in 1979.

Why We Grow It: Brookgold, like other fruit varieties developed in the prairies, is very cold hardy! Although there is sometimes a trade-off between cold hardiness and fruit quality, this variety still produces small yellow freestone plums that are very sweet, making them great for fresh eating and good for canning and preserving. 

Species: Vaccinium angustifolium

History: Brunswick lowbush blueberry is the second lowbush variety developed at the AAFC Kentville Research and Development Centre in Nova Scotia. It was discovered growing wild on a blueberry farm owned by Shepoddy Blueberry and Lumber Co. in New Brunswick and was selected in 1965 for further testing. Proving to be an excellent variety that grows well and is relatively disease-resistant, it was named for its province of origin and released in 1977.

Why We Grow It: Brunswick produces firm, medium-sized dark blue berries, bursting with sweet flavour. These lowbush blueberries grow into a compact bush, with glossy dark green foliage that turns a lovely red in autumn. Blueberries are great for baking, for example Steph made some wonderful black currant and blueberry tarts that are pictured here!

History: Burbank plums were introduced to the West by Luther Burbank, "The Wizard of Horticulture." He grew them from Japanese seedlings he received in 1885 and the variety was named after him, so, somewhat confusingly, they are actually a Japanese plum despite the English name. The variety was introduced commercially in 1897. 

Why We Grow It: Burbank plums are lovely with colours ranging from yellow skin and red blush to a dark purplish red. These clingstone plums have good flavour and firm flesh, great for fresh eating, canning, or making into jelly.

History: This apple was developed in New York in 1974. It has never achieved major popularity but remains a curiosity due to the deep red colour of its skin which causes the flesh inside to become stained pink.

Why We Grow It: Along with its visual appeal, this apple boasts a sweet, sub-acidic flavour that makes it suitable for both fresh eating and making cider. Although these apples don't store well, the fruit hangs onto the tree for three weeks which helps to keep it available a little longer.

Picture of Burgundy apples on the tree courtesy of Shannon McInnis

History: Butirra Precoce Morettini was bred as a cross between Coscia and Bartlett in 1956 by A. Morettini as part of an Italian breeding program. It is mainly grown in Italy, Spain, and Portugal. 

Why We Grow It: This is an excellent early ripening pear that is sweet and juicy, with crunchy medium-fine grained flesh which mellows in storage to a delectable buttery texture. It has mild floral notes, with just the right amount of sweetness. The tree produces reliable and heavy crops of yellow fruit with a vibrant red flush that store decently well. 

Species: Juglans cinerea or hybrid. NOTE: Butternuts are known to hybridize readily with other closely related species so there is no guarantee on whether these seedlings are pure, though the mother trees appear very true to type. 

History: Butternut is an endangered tree native to southeastern Canada and the eastern United States where they grow naturally along sunny stream banks with rich, well-draining soil. The nuts have been used as a source of food and made into a butter-like oil by indigenous peoples. The trees have also been used for making syrup, furniture, and woodcarving. Unfortunately, Butternuts are highly endangered today due to Butternut Canker which has decimated their population within two decades. 

Why We Grow It: By planting endangered species, collectively we can help Mother Nature potentially find a naturally resistant variety of Butternut. The nuts are quite similar to other walnuts but with a milder flavour. They can survive in zone 2, but they must be planted somewhere zone 3 or warmer to produce nuts. The sap can be boiled to make walnut syrup, which tastes very similar to maple syrup but with notes of caramel and butterscotch.

Be mindful of the juglones in the in the roots/nut husks, they are toxic to many other species. They require a buffer of about 50'/30m from the edge of the trees canopy for juglone-sensitive plants. This article from The Garden Hoe has a helpful list of plants that tolerate juglones. However there are recent (2019) studies showing healthy soil high in organic matter and mycorrhizal fungi actually reduce the toxicity of juglones suggesting many plants can grow below juglans species in a healthy ecosystem - it will be interesting to see more study done in this area!

History: Calville Blanc d'Hiver was discovered in France and first documented in 1598. It spread to other countries and was even grown by Thomas Jefferson in Monticello.

Why We Grow It: Known for its rather misshapen and lumpy appearance and the odd red splotches on its green skin, this apples exterior belies a strong, sweet-sharp flavour that makes it great for fresh eating, cooking, and cider. Some claim it rivals Bramley's Seedling as one of the best cooking apples with the added benefit that, unlike Bramley's, it holds its shape when baked or cooked. It is also boasts a high Vitamin C content.

Species: Prunus nigra

History: Canada plums are native to from Nova Scotia to Manitoba and south to Iowa with scattered populations as far west as Alberta. The fruit is traditionally eaten by indigenous peoples in its range and it was also eaten by early European colonizers. Canada plums have been used in fruit tree breeding programs due to their cold hardiness and the ease with which they hybridize with Japanese plums. Some hybrid plums with Canada plum heritage include Pembina, Superior, and Patterson Pride.

Why We Grow It: Canada plums produce small, red fruits. The skin is astringent but the flesh is quite sweet with a nice tang. They are fine for fresh eating but are best in preserves. These flowery trees make great pollination partners for other Canada plums, American plums, and hybrid plums due to their early bloom period and long bloom window. For those looking for a stunning display of spring blooms, Canada plum is a great choice!

History: Canadian Harmony peaches were developed at the Harrow Research and Development Centre in Ontario and released in 1968.

Why We Grow It: In our quest to bring the most cold-hardy peaches to our Canadian growers (you!), we added yet another excellent peach variety to the line-up. With large, freestone fruit of good quality, Canadian Harmony is hard to turn down. It is a great all-around peach that is good for eating, baking, and preserving; just about anything you can do with a peach. It is less suitable for big growers because of soft flesh, but well-suited for the backyard, yielding juicy, flavourful fruit with good sweetness. 

Bare Root Peach Trees
We are very pleased to be able to offer peach trees to our customers. They are both challenging and rewarding plants to grow. However, due to the unique challenges of growing peach trees, and the increased care required for their success, we regrettably cannot offer our standard 90 day guarantee on peaches. Please inspect your peach trees to your satisfaction when you pick them up at the nursery, or immediately upon arrival if they are shipped. For shipped trees, make your claim within 7 days of receipt of the trees. After 7 days of receipt, you will have been deemed to have accepted the trees in as-is condition.

Species: Vitis sp. (hybrid)

History: Canadice is a cross between Bath and Himrod that was first bred in 1954 at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, New York. Selected for its seedless nature and cold hardiness, it was released in 1977. The variety was named for Canadice Lake, one of the nearby Finger Lakes.

Why We Grow It: Canadice produces seedless red grapes that are sweet with a hint of spice. The fruit is best known for fresh-eating but it can also be used for jellies, juice and wine. Although this is one of the more cold hardy varieties of seedless grape, it may still suffer winter injury in a particularly cold year. 

History: Carmine Jewel is one of several dwarf sour cherry shrubs developed at the University of Saskatchewan in an effort to combine cold hardiness, dwarf stature, and good quality fruit into one variety. This effort was started by Dr. Kerr (for whom Kerr applecrabs were named) in the 1940s and Carmine Jewel was released in 1999. It is considered the hardiest of the cherries they developed. Carmine Jewel cherries are now the most commonly grown commercial cherries in the prairies.

Why We Grow It: Carmine Jewel is a notably productive cultivar with small cherries that have a high flesh-to-pit ratio. Thanks to their firm flesh, they are a preferred variety for freezing and drying. The shrub is on the smaller size, reaching 6-7ft once mature, great for anyone who loves cherries but doesn't have a lot of space! 

Species: Vaccinium corymbosum

History: Chandler higbush blueberry was introduced in 1995. It originated in Corvallis, Oregon where it was developed by the United States Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service agency's (USDA-ARS) Blueberry Breeding Program.

Why We Grow It: Chandler produces the largest blueberries in the commercial industry, and plenty of them! They are sweet and juicy despite their size and can be harvested over a long period of time. Blueberries are great for baking, for example Steph made some wonderful black currant and blueberry tarts that are pictured here!

Species: Actinidia arguta

History: Changbai Giant kiwis were discovered by the Changbai Mountain Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agriculture near the North Korean border. The variety was likely collected and propagated due to its unusual round shape and excellent flavour. Named for the Changbai Mountains where it was discovered, its name translates literally from Mandarin as 'perpetually white.' It is also named for the exceptionally large fruit it produces.

Why We Grow It: Aside from its interesting origins, Changbai Giant also boasts unusually shaped kiwis compared to other varieties: round like an apple rather than more oblong like other hardy kiwis. The fruit is also very sweet and the plant itself is a little hardier than some other varieties. Like other female varieties, it can produce a large crop of fruits and it is recommended that the vine be grown on a trellis or other kind of support. 

Species: Rubus sp

History: Chester Thornless was created and released as a collaboration between the Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Station, and Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station. It was first bred in Illinois in 1968 and was selected for its thornless nature and cold hardiness. It was later released in 1985.

Why We Grow It: Chester Thornless is easy to grow and rewarding. It produces a reliable bounty of firm, sweet, juicy blackberries that are great for a wide variety of uses.

Pictured on the left: top: Chester, bottom: Illini Hardy

2026/2027 Staff Favourite

Chestnut is Steph's favourite this year! When reflecting on it, Steph said, “Every year I seem to discover a new (old) apple to marvel over, and most recently, Chestnut has stolen my heart. An unassuming little fruit with a unique netting of russet over its cheery yellow-blushing-red skin. Bite in and enjoy the classic nutty, sweet-tart russet taste with crunchy dense flesh at least a month before most other russets are ripe. In sum, an excellent early season russet worthy of any orchard.” 

All Staff Favourites are 20% off. The Staff Favourite Discount cannot be combined with other quantity discounts.

History: Chestnut crabapples were bred at the University of Minnesota in 1949. They are one of about thirty varieties that have been produced by the university's breeding program since it started in 1888. 

Why We Grow It: The rosy-red Chestnut crabapple produces fruit that is unusually large for a crabapple with a nutty taste. Unlike other crabapples, it is sweet enough to eat fresh and can be used in cider while still being good for traditional crabapple recipes such as making jellies. 

Species: Lonicera caerulea

History: Chito was created by Dr. Maxine Thompson who collected open-pollinated seeds from berry farms in Hokkaido, Japan in 2000. The seeds were planted in Oregon and evaluated. Chito was selected in 2014 for its open growth habit, vigour, yield, and fruit quality. 

Why We Grow It: Chito produces a large, sweet/tart, ovate berry with a milder flavour than other haskaps. Like other haskaps they are good for fresh eating, baking, and making jam/jelly. This vigorous shrub has a more open growth habit than other varieties, making the fruit easier to see and harvest. 

History: Chojuro (translated from Japanese as 'plentiful') was found as a chance seedling in the orchard of Toma Tatsujiro in Japan around 1895. From there it became the most popular pear in Japan until modern varieties began to supplant it in the 1950s. In Kawasaki, the city where Toma's orchard was located, a monument still stands to commemorate his work as a pear breeder. Chojuro is the most popular Asian pear in North America.

Why We Grow It: This popular Japanese heritage variety is hard to turn down. The flattish round fruit has russeted brown skin and can be quite large, and is excellent quality when the fruit is left to ripen into October: the sweet, crisp flesh takes on notes of butterscotch and/or white freezie! We recommend picking it when the colours turns yellow-brown so it will store through winter, otherwise it does not keep if allowed to over-ripen on the tree.

History: Clapp's Favourite Pear originates from Massachusetts where Thaddeus Clapp discovered it as a chance seedling on his property in the 1850s. It was introduced commercially in the 1860s and continues to be grown in the UK and US today.

Why We Grow It: This old variety is hardy and regularly bears excellent medium-large fruit that are yellow with pink blush. They have good flavour but need to be enjoyed rather quickly since the fruit doesn't store long. The fruit needs to be picked about 10 days before completely ripe and allowed to ripen off the tree.

History: Compact Stella was developed at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York where dormant Stella scions underwent X-ray irradiation in 1964. This caused a mutation to occur, creating a cherry tree that was smaller in stature when fully grown than regular Stella cherry trees. In 1973 this smaller version of Stella was given the name Compact Stella.  

Why We Grow It: Compact Stella sweet cherry trees bear very dark red heart-shaped fruit that is of high quality for fresh eating, and equally well-suited for canning, drying, or freezing. This compact version of the popular Stella sweet cherry is great for anyone with limited space. The typical mature height is 8-10 feet (2.5-3.0m), though they can reach up to 12 feet in optimal growing conditions.  

Species: Vitis labrusca x V. vinifera

History: Concord was created by Ephraim Bull in Massachusetts. In 1843, he began breeding wild V. labrusca grapes, occasionally hybridizing them with V. vinifera, in an effort to breed a good quality grape that could survive a colder climate. After growing 22,000 seedlings, he found one that fit what he was looking for. He named it Concord after the town where his farm was located and introduced it in 1854. In 1869, Dr. Thomas Welch created pasteurized Concord grape juice that prevented fermentation, marketing it as a non-alcoholic substitute for Communion wine. This business eventually became the Welch's company that still exists today. By 1923, Concord became the most commonly grown commercial grape in North America and although its status has fallen somewhat, it is still commonly grown and used in many grape products. The distinct colour of the grapes is also the reason why grape-flavoured products are coloured purple!

Why We Grow It: Concord produces dark blue slipskin grapes that are aromatic with a sweet flavour. This hardy, vigorous variety is great for fresh eating, baking, and jelly and is suitable for juice and wine as well. The grapes do contain a large seed.