RE: Cold Climate Permaculture Plants: Sea Buckthorn
Very cool! When I first read the title, I had to read it again because as you mentioned in the article, Sea Buckthorne is often used in beauty treatments. I just didn't think the Canadian Renegade would be worrying about crow's feet and laugh lines. (I know Aimee writes articles too, but I always think of Matthew first since his face is right there.) I don't have much of a skin care regime myself, but there was an herbalist back in California that made a soothing skin cream with it and for some reason the name of the plant stuck with me.
Glad to know that it's so good for permaculture! We're going to be finishing up a fence with corrugated metal (like the outside of a shop) this spring, and the front side of the fence faces the road but gets full sun. The only issue is the snow collects there in the winter because of the plows. Have you grown them personally? If so, how did they do in the snow?
I have grown them! I have some I bought as yearlings. Had them for 3 years now, so I guess they would be 4 year old plants. Just started getting a crop off of them.
They have done well, except the pesky deer like to eat the tender new shoots in the spring and have stunted their growth. They leave the older branches because the older branches have the thorns.
I don't think snow will hurt them at all unless we are talking about the snow forcefully being pilled up against them. But that would apply to pretty much any shrub or tree.