Lifelong gardeners Janet Melrose and Sheryl Normandeau tackle the tasty topic of fruit in the seventh book in the Guides for the Prairie Gardener series.

Strawberries, blueberries, saskatoons, pears, plums, apricots, cherries, currants, kiwi . . . There are lots of great reasons to grow your own. There's the unparalleled taste of fresh produce to consider, and the opportunity to help reduce ever-rising grocery bills. Then there's the ornamental appeal (think grape vines and apple blossoms).

Whether you're growing an orchard in a rural area, planting a couple of currant bushes or haskaps in a small urban yard, or a container of squash on a balcony, you'll find help and inspiration here.

Janet and Sheryl answer your questions on things like

• Placement for sun- and shade-loving plants
• Pollination, propagation, and grafting
• Mulching, hilling, trellises, and those oh-so-fancy espaliers
• Troubleshooting pesky spots, scales, worms, flies, and other killjoys
• Preventing weather damage and prepping your plants for winter
• Harvesting and storage methods

With a primer on what exactly counts as fruit (scientifically and culturally) and Prairie-friendly lists of species and varietals for every space and inclination, you'll soon know your drupes from your pomes, your berries from your pepos and be well on your way to harvesting the fruits of your own labour (yes, we went there).

Janet Melrose is a garden educator and consultant, and an advocate for Calgary's Sustainable Local Food System. She is a life-long gardener and holds a Prairie Horticulture Certificate and Home Farm Horticultural Therapy Certificate. She has a passion for Horticultural Therapy and facilitates numerous programs designed to integrate people marginalized by various disabilities into the larger community. She is a regular contributor to The Gardener for Canadian Climates magazine. She lives in Calgary where she runs her education and consulting company, Calgary's Cottage Gardener.