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Edible Landscape

by Mary Alward

There are hundreds of edibles you can plant in the borders and flowerbeds throughout your yard. Here they are readily availabe to tickle your palate.

If you are unfamiliar with the term "edible landscape," it is the concept of planting fruit, vegetables and herbs into your landscape rather than planting them in the backyard where they can’t be seen.

There are hundreds of edibles that you can plant in the borders and flowerbeds throughout your yard. Here, they are readily available to tickle your palate. Blueberry bushes, for example, add beauty and structure to your landscape while bell peppers add color to a mixed border. Plant herbs beside your back door. You will use them more often and they will enhance the taste of your food, making it more enjoyable.

Edible plants require at least six to eight hours of sunlight per day to assure they will produce a large enough crop to harvest. Before planting, view your yard in order to record what areas receive the most sun. Fruit bearers do best in the sunniest areas, while leafy crops love partial sun. Flowers and herbs are more adaptable.

Before making plants a permanent part of your landscape, be sure they will produce what you like to eat. If you’ve never tasted something, be sure to try it before you plant it. For the first year, concentrate on soil preparation and taste your way through neighbor’s yards and the local farmer’s market. This will help you to pinpoint the varieties you wish to plant.

If you work full time and have a busy social life, plant varieties that require low maintenance. Small fruit bearers require less care than peach, apple or pear trees. Herbs are also in the low maintenance category and are something you can add to a wide range of dishes.

Be sure to include some species that are non-edibles. If you plant only food crops, they will require a lot more care than ornamentals such as flowers and shrubs and your yard will look less interesting in winter.

You can choose varieties that will produce when you have time to harvest and preserve them. For example, if your vacation coincides with blueberry harvest, plant strawberries instead. If you plant crops that produce when you have no time to harvest them, you will put yourself under stress, which will erase the enjoyment of your garden.

Plant your favorite edibles in areas where you spend most of your time. Strawberries are great when planted near your child’s play area. This encourages youngsters to look for a flash of red within the lush, green leaves.

Plant lettuce, radishes, tomatoes and other salad favorites near your back door. Add your favorite herbs to your salad garden as well as edible flowers such as pansies. This allows easy access to green and the above mentioned varieties give a beautiful appearance to salads.

Be sure to leave pathways and mulched areas in your landscape. This allows you easy access to plants that require maintenance, pruning and harvesting.

Plant List

Red Raspberry – These can be substituted with blackberries in zones 3 to 8. In southern States, use bababerry.

Rhubarb – This grows in all regions. Check with your local nursery for harvest times.

Apricot – Grows exceptionally well in zones 5 to 9, which are maritime areas.

Pawpaw – There are a wide range of varieties of this species. It does well in zones 4 to 8. Plant perennials between and beneath them.

Everbearing Strawberries – These are available in all zones. Plant roses at both ends of the bed to add color.

Alpine Strawberries – These are delightfully sweet. Check with your local garden center to find out if they are available in your area.

Asia Pear – These do well in zones 4 to 9. They can be substituted with citrus trees in zones 8 to 10.

Pinyon Pine – These are great in zones 7 to 9. Replace with Korean pine in zones 3 to 7 or Swiss stone pine in zones 4 to 7.

Wintergreen – Beautiful red berries are produced on these plants. They do well in zones 3 to 7 but can be grown in other areas as well. If in doubt, check with garden center staff.

Highbush Blueberry – Northern varieties are Jersey, Bluecrops and Blueray. These produce bumper crops in zones 4 to 7. Southern varieties include Sharpblue, Tifblue, Reveille and Misty Blue. These give a good yield in zones 7 to 9.

Lowbush Blueberry – Northsky and North Blue produce a great crop in zones 3 to 7. Elderberry – Varieties Johns and Adams do well in zones 3 to 9.

Lingonberry – Varieties European Red and Koralle will produce well in zones 2 to 8.

Grapes - Himrod, Concord, Candice and Ison’s Muscadine do well in zones 5 to 9. Other varieties are available in most areas.

Salsa Garden

Plant a salsa garden. Include cherry tomatoes, sweet peppers, chile peppers, cilantro and tomatillos. Be sure to re-seed cilantro every few weeks throughout the growing season to ensure a continuing crop.

Salad Garden

A salad garden can include anything you enjoy in your salad. Some favorites are leaf lettuce, golden purslane, radishes, mustard, Swiss chard, onions, sorrel, red and green bell peppers and parsley.

Edible Flowers

Pansies, calendulas, roses, nasturtuims, signet marigold and johnny-jump-ups

Border Herbs

There is a wide range of herbs that can be included in your edging border. Plant tarragon, oregano, basil, dill, garlic, chives, fennel, rosemary, thyme, turmeric and sage.

By planting an edible landscape, you will have a variety of healthy foods at your fingertips throughout the entire summer. Enjoy!

© Mary Alward (Originally published at Suite101)