Thanks to the sun, and large varieties of fruits and vegetables, the 2009 Ballard Edible Garden Tour blossomed with a big turnout.

Fourteen Ballard homes were featured on the tour sponsored by Sustainable Ballard, Groundswell NW, and P-Patch Trust.

Green thumbed residents opened their front, back and side yards to others interested in growing their own food. They were on hand to answer gardening questions, give sage advice, and speak with pride about their successes with strawberries, blueberries, apples and a cornucopia of vegetable crops.

“This garden is a combination of ornamental perennial flowers and edible things,” said Chris White, of Christopher White Landscape Architecture in Ballard.

His 31st Avenue Northwest home was on the tour.

“We pride ourselves on this mixture," he said.

Edibles, all in his front and side yard, include potatoes, zucchini, beets, chives, mizuna, sage, oregano and four varieties of strawberries.

“I’m always out here picking stuff and cooking with it,” said White’s wife, Bridget Charters, who teaches in the culinary department of the Art Institute of Seattle. “It’s so fast and easy and it’s good for the students. I’m always recommending that they grow their own to understand what it takes so they don’t waste, and they will learn to take good care of their product.”

“Normally we have netting to enclose this 40-foot row of blueberry plants,” said Dave Conners, who shares a backyard garden with wife Nancy two doors south of White and Charters. Nancy explained that the heavy winter snow ripped the netting, and they have to put up more, and soon.

“Robbins love blueberries,” said Dave, who teaches fruit-tree pruning at the University of Washington. “If you grow blueberries without netting the birds will come and you will have to share. The blueberry plants start bearing fruit in the middle of July. They bloom at different times for a long season. That’s why we chose a variety.”

The Conners’ also grow 18 different varieties of apples from around the world.

“My wife and I almost made the mistake of picking our favorite three or four apples and planting multiples. But we realized we can buy those in the store. We have a lot of esoteric apples instead.

"We have the oldest apple known English apple, White Winter Pearmain, which originated England in the year 1200. Also the Jonagold, promoted by a Washington horticulturalist. It grows better in Western Washington than Eastern Washington.”

Dave said he spearheaded the planting of 51 Japanese Maple trees in 2001 along 31st Avenue Northwest as part of a city program.

Said Nancy, “I don’t think much about having a house this time of year. I just want to be out in our garden.”