The last time we visited Sonja and Raymond Barker of the Silverhill Apple Orchard, about five years ago, I focused on their primary crop.

Since then, there have been many changes, including the introduction of new fruits and berries, as well as the installation of numerous crop tunnels.

With the latter acting like a giant orchard umbrella, keeping the rain out and fostering an ideal growing environment for the Barker’s many crops.

One of their more successful ventures has been the ever-bearing ‘Albion’ (they are also trialing ‘Ozark Beauty’) strawberries – all grown in coir (coconut fiber medium) on above-ground benches covered by tunnels that are 28 feet wide, 10 feet tall and 200 feet long. The raised benches allow for easy picking while also deterring in-ground pests and the protection of the crop tunnel means no fungal sprays are necessary and it extends the picking season.

Some of the ‘Albion’ berries have been so large that Sonja has had as few as 12 fruits per pound – and we’re not talking about those big bland California berries that you buy at the store, you are actually getting some real B.C. flavour here.

Although the crop won’t be ready this year, the Barkers have also invested in what could be the next big thing in fresh fruit, Honeyberry. Known botanically as Lonicera caerulea, this shrub is indigenous across the northern hemisphere and features many subspecies. It is already being grown commercially in both Russia and Japan, hence the numerous and somewhat confusing common names.

‘Blue Honeysuckle’ is a literal translation of the Russian name, while ‘Haskap’ comes from the Anui people of Japan, and ‘Honeyberry’ is the more recent U.S. namesake. The fruit – which resembles a rod-shaped blueberry –tastes like an intense mix of raspberry and blueberry, but slightly more tart. It ripens in mid June, just before the strawberries and is very high in vitamin C, with a dark reddish-purple flesh, useful for making wines, juice, preserves and flavouring dairy products such as ice cream.

The shrub is hardy to minus 45 Celsius, adapts to a wide pH range and comes into bearing at a young age – with the best tasting cultivars reputed to be ‘Borealis’ (for home gardens) and ‘Tundra’, which is being developed for commercial production.

Sonja and Raymond are also particularly proud of their exclusive ‘Sandra Rose’ black cherry crop – as this is, in their opinion, the best tasting sweet cherry available.

They also grow ‘Lapins’, ‘Stella’, ‘Rainier’ (the yellow cherry) and ‘Sweetheart’ for sale – as well as ‘Schatten Morello’ sour cherries for pies, preserves and Kirsch.

All of their peaches and cherries are grown as cordon espaliers on wire supports, so that Raymond can keep them contained in the covered crop tunnels. This has allowed him to resolve any bacterial blight problems without the use of chemical sprays.

Raymond has also adopted a German method of pruning (Prunus) fruits (i.e. cherry, peach, plum) known as ‘dirty’ or ‘long stub’ pruning. This method goes against the traditional dormant pruning of cutting just above a bud, by leaving a long dead stub above the desired bud – this seems to compartmentalize and inhibit the entry of bacterial blight through the pruning wound. The dead stub is later removed (usually in August) when bacterial blight is less active.

Of course, Sonja and Raymond have by no means abandoned their mainstay apple crop, as it still dominates their 60,000 square feet of covered tunnels. The crops are better than ever as the cover allows for good colour, less sunburn (particularly on the ‘Jonagold’), earlier crops (up to three weeks) and, best of all, the complete elimination of canker on the new trees.

Raymond grafts and trains all of the apples on Bud 9 or M9 dwarfing rootstock – creating a tree approximately 25-30 per cent of standard.

All of the trees are hooked-up to drip irrigation and pollination is handled by an army of mason bees housed in nearby wall-mounted blocks with upwards of 1200 holes.

Picking starts in early August (‘Sunrise’) and goes all the way into late October for cultivars like ‘Braeburn’.

And for those of you looking for the ultimate in pie apples, let me recommend the Barker’s gigantic ‘Bramley’s Seedling’ apples which have that perfect balance of flavour and tartness.

I haven’t even mentioned the tasty ‘Bradshaw’ plums or Sonja’s famous fresh salad mixes – so I think the best thing for you to do if you want fresh fruit from vine, bush or branch is to pay the Silverhill Apple Orchard a personal visit. They are located at 30111 Silverhill Ave. in Mission and are open by appointment. Feel free to contact Sonja and Raymond at 1-604-820-7957 or by email orchard1@telus.net.

Mike Lascelle is a local nursery manager and gardening author (hebe_acer@hotmail.com).