Growing Fruit in Cold Climates: Hardy Trees, Fruiting Hedges & Home Orchards with Véronique Alexandre

Vegetables
Written By Steven Biggs

Hardy Fruit Trees

Growing fruit in cold climates might seem daunting, especially if you have a small home garden. But with the right trees and a creative mindset, it’s surprisingly achievable.

In this episode, we chat with Véronique Alexandre from Hardy Fruit Tree Nursery, a Canadian nursery specializing in fruit trees adapted to harsh northern winters.

Want a hedge on your property? Forget the cedar hedge, Véronique will tell you about a flowering, fruiting hedge.

She has many tips to help home gardeners succeed with fruit. We explore:

  • Fruit trees, bushes, and cultivars for cold zones

  • Growing a flowering and fruiting plum hedge

  • How to fit fruit trees into small gardens and suburban yards

  • What you need to know about ordering and planting bare-root fruit trees

  • A tough-as-nails apple that grows in zone 2 and even colder

  • A new cold-hardy, tasty, and bred-in-Quebec cold-hardy apple that stores very well

Whether you want a single apple tree, a productive backyard orchard, edible landscape, or a hedge that feeds your family, this episode will inspire you to start planting fruit—even in the coldest regions.

Fruiting Hedge

If you’re looking for more on edible hedges, check out this edible hedge guide.

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Steven Biggs

Recognized by Garden Making magazine as one of the "green gang" of Canadians making a difference in horticulture, Steven Biggs is a horticulturist, former college instructor, and award-winning broadcaster and author. His passion is helping home gardeners grow food in creative and attractive ways.


He’s the author of eight gardening books, including the Canadian bestseller No Guff Vegetable Gardening. His articles have appeared in Canada’s Local Gardener, Mother Earth News, Fine Gardening, Garden Making, Country Guide, Edible Toronto, and other magazines.


Along with over 30 years working in the horticultural sector and a horticultural-science major at the University of Guelph, Steven’s experience includes hands-on projects in his own garden including wicking beds, driveway strawbale gardens, and a rooftop tomato plantation—to the ongoing amusement of neighbours.


When not in the garden, you might catch him recording his award-winning Food Garden Life podcast or canoeing in Algonquin Park.

Next

Creating a Perpetual Food Garden That Sows & Grows Itself — with Charlie Nardozzi