Filling up the refrigerator.

A few days ago I prepared and planted about thirty or so Shepherdia argentea, commonly known as Silver Buffaloberry. Like Ribes aureum (Golden Currant), Silver Buffaloberry is dioecious, so I'll have to grow out more than one plant if I plan on getting it to fruit. But first I have to coax the seeds to sprout. Which is why I'm filling up our refrigerator: Silver Buffaloberry requires cold stratification for two to three months. Thus eighteen starter pots planted with Silver Buffaloberry seeds joined an equal number each of starter pots planted with Vitis arizonica (Canyon Grape), Celtis reticulata (Netleaf Hackberry), and Golden Currant. I also planted two larger pots with a scattering of Penstemon pinifolius (Pineleaf Penstemon) and a single pot with several Penstemon whippleanus (Whipple's Penstemon). In another month I'll add Lycium pallidum, commonly known as the Pale Wolfberry and in the same family as the Goji Berry (but native to the American Southwest), as well as Penstemon palmeri, commonly known as Palmer's Penstemon . So...the refrigerator is filling up. I did promise my wife that I would try to keep the plantings manageable, so I will try to refrain from planting too many more species until later this spring.