Jenny

Kiwi

I don’t need any more plants for the garden at the moment, but there are one or two things on my wish list that I’ll happily squeeze in if the opportunity arises. Mostly they’re things you wouldn’t find in a garden centre, like a Japanese wineberry or a Chilean guava.

Pete and I went out for a picnic lunch at the local farm shop today. It’s quite a nice place, with a little children’s farm (check out the furry pigs!), a picnic area and a garden centre.

After lunch we went for a quick mooch around the garden centre, and hidden away in a far corner there was a lovely selection of fruit plants. I would have been tempted by the crab apple ‘John Downie’ (recommended by Dave Richards at the RISC roof garden) if the price tag hadn’t been £40. But at £12 my new kiwi (Actinidia chinensis ‘Jenny’) was a better bet.

Furry kiwi

It’s a beautiful plant, with lovely furry stems and leaves. My track record with kiwis isn’t good – I bought 3 cheap plants from Woolworths and none of them survived – but this looks like a strong specimen so hopefully it will thrive.

I’ve cleared out the ivy and honeysuckle that were growing up the trellis and the patio and put Jenny there instead. It’s a dry spot, so I must remember to water regularly. While I was outside I also repotted my young fig plant. They’re both now in large pots with water reservoirs in the bottom, which should help to keep them happy.

If you’re a new visitor, linking across from James Alexander Sinclair’s GW blog or from Emma T at the Independent, welcome!

Posted 15 July 2008, 20:56.   Posted in .

2 Comments for Jenny

  1. Does this kiwi need a male and a female plant? The ones I’ve been eying at the garden centre here do. If I had a good spot to put them I would buy them in a second!

    Meighan · Jul 15, 10:14 PM

  2. It’s a self-fertile variety :)

    Emma · Jul 15, 10:17 PM

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