Home grown fruit is a good way to provide fresh produce to your family.  Home grown fruit can also add eye appeal to your property.  Some home-grown fruit such as strawberries, produce flowers that can add an attractive element to your landscape.  Depending on the type of plant, it is possible to use fruits such strawberries in hanging baskets or potted plants.  Fruits such as raspberries can provide edibles all summer long.  It is important to take into consideration the type of home-grown fruit being use in your project.  Plants such as raspberries or black berries produce thorns, which may be un-appealing to some people.  It is also important to keep in mind that some fruits spread quite rapidly.  Make sure that the growing area for your plant is adequate to meet its needs.

Home Grown Fruit

Home grown fruit trees.

Fruit trees are a great way to produce fruit for your property.  In eastern Iowa, apple and pear trees do quite well.  There are many different varieties of each type of fruit tree.  Some fruit may be sweeter than other, while some may be sour and bitter.  Make sure that you know the difference in the varieties of fruit.  It may be beneficial to visit you local apple orchard prior to selecting an apple tree.  This way you can sample  multiple varieties and see which species appeals to your taste buds the best.

When fruit trees are fully mature, they can provide an over abundance of fruit.  Be prepared to have more fruit than you can eat.  Anytime you plant a tree that produces fruit, there is always a mess associated with it.  This is one of the biggest reasons why you do not see fruit bearing trees planted in landscapes.  If you are willing to do the work, home-grown fruit trees can be quite rewarding.