Romeo, Romeo...

His name is Romeo.

He is handsome, tall, and charming. His scent is incomparable: sweet, soft, somewhat musky.

The best part?

He's very attractive. To beneficial insects!

(slap your thigh now)

Romeo is a Romeo Cherry that I found at a Canadian Tire tree lot yesterday while picking up a bunch of manure to use as soil amendment for some bushes that I'm putting in today. He is already a good 7 feet tall, has just begun to bloom for the year, and is just simply gorgeous.

Even better, he is hardy to usda zone 2 (I'm between 2 and 3), and produces dark, sweet, juicy cherries. While a smaller, less hardy, (and probably less delicious) Nanking Cherry was a full hundred dollars, Romeo was on sale for 45$.

An imposing angle for an imposing guy.

I couldn't resist!

Using a small natural rise on my land, I built a circular raised bed about 1.5 meters, or 5 feet, across. If you're interested in making your own raised beds, they're easy! Check out my 'how-to', which includes some alternatives if you don't have a lot of extra soil to use.

I planted the rest of Romeo's bed with strawberries, gladiola bulbs, and raspberry stalks (that will grow GOD WILLING. I got them for 1.50$ each: a complete steal. Let's just hope that I don't get what I paid for!) I also planted three walking onions, which are sun- or shade-tolerant, perennial onions that will continue to grow and produce as my presently-grass-land-like garden matures into a forest with deeper shade.

When that happens, the strawberries will die out, and the onions will take over!

In the meantime, Romeo is the place to be if you are an insect of any kind. What was a berefect piece of land only days ago is now buzzing - literally.