Aquaponics and Earth

This past weekend we had friends stay with us. Instead of watching TV or other things we went out to the Auaqaponics and Earth Farm and worked together, picking over 500 peppers and other crops that needed to be harvested.  At first I was doing it alone, but then I invited everyone to come out back. It encouraged me to hear them talking about how good the vegetables looked, and as we picked we talked about many other ideas. We spent several hours doing this, though it seemed like only one hour. Today I was thinking that this was what America was like 40 to 60+ years ago. People breathed in the fresh air and work was fun because they had the right attitude. They knew they were growing food that was extremely healthy for their families to eat, plus they grew enough for loved ones or the farmers market. 

Edible landscaping offers an alternative to conventional residential landscapes that are designed solely for ornamental purposes. Edible landscapes can be just as attractive, yet produce fruits and vegetables for home use. One can install an entirely edible landscape, or incorporate simple elements into existing yards and gardens. It’s all about rethinking some things.

What is edible landscaping?

Edible landscaping is the use of food-producing plants in the constructed landscape, principally the residential landscape. Edible landscapes combine fruit and nut trees, berry bushes, vegetables, herbs, edible flowers and ornamental plants into aesthetically pleasing designs. These designs can incorporate any garden style and can include anywhere from 1-100% edible species 

Why landscape with edibles?

There are many reasons to incorporate edible plants into the residential landscape. These include:

• To enjoy the freshness and flavor of home-grown, fully ripened fruits and vegetables
• To control the quantity and kind of pesticides and herbicides used on the foods you consume
• To increase the food security of your household
• To save on grocery bills
• To grow unusual varieties not available in stores
• To get outside, interact with the natural world, and have fun.  

History of edible landscaping

Edible landscaping is as old as gardening itself and has undergone a recent revival.

• Ancient Persian gardens combined both edible and ornamental plants.
• Medieval monastic gardens included fruits, vegetables, flowers, and medicinal herbs.
• Plans for 19th century English suburban yards, which modeled themselves after country estates, often included edible fruits and berries.

The edible components of residential landscapes were largely lost in this country to the now familiar shade trees, lawns, and foundation plantings. In the past two decades, however, there has been a revival of interest in edible landscaping, thanks to the work of early pioneers who have a passion to bring this back.

How to landscape with edibles

Like all plants used in the landscape, edible plants grow best in certain conditions. Many (but not all!) fruits and vegetables do best where they receive at least 6 hours of full sunlight a day. Most also like well-drained soil. Parts of your yard that satisfy these conditions are good places to start an edible landscape.

To perform a complete makeover on these areas, consult the books recommended below for a full design process. To start simply, consider a one-for-one substitution. Where you might have planted a shade tree, plant a fruit tree. Where you need a deciduous shrub, plant a currant or hazelnut. Where you have always had chrysanthemums, plant bachelor’s buttons—you can eat them. Edible plants come in nearly all shapes and sizes and can perform the same landscape functions as ornamental plants. A small area, about 25 by 25 feet, can be planted almost entirely with edibles that have ornamental value and appear to be a decorative garden. The list can be changed to suit individual taste or local garden conditions. 

Here are some more ideas for edible landscapes:

• Put pots of herbs on the patio
• Include cherry tomatoes in a window box or hanging basket
• Build a grape arbor
• Grow nasturtium, violas, borage, or calendula and include flowers in salads
• Eat your daylilies
• Plant a fruit tree in the corner of your yard
• Grow Red-jewel Cabbage
• Plant colorful pepper varieties (e.g., Lipstick, Habanero) alongside flowers
• Tuck lettuce, radishes, or other short-lived greens into a flower bed
• Replace a barberry hedge with gooseberries
• Put basil together with coleus in a planter
• Try yellow or “rainbow” chard
• Grow chives around the mailbox
• Train raspberries up your fence

Won’t it take a lot of work?

Many common ornamental plants can survive with minimal care. Most edible plants, however, require a certain amount of attention to produce well. They may require a little extra watering, pruning, fertilizing, or pest management. The time required, however, need not be exorbitant. To care for a fruit tree, for instance, may take only a few hours a year, while the yield could be enormous. It is best to treat edible landscaping as a hobby and not a chore. You may find yourself checking on your plants more than they strictly require, just because you want to see how they’re doing. If you are concerned about being overwhelmed, just start small.

Conclusion

The possibilities for edible landscaping are endless. By incorporating just one—or many—edible plants into a home landscape, you can develop a new relationship with your family and come to understand the food you eat.

The book we have posted on square foot gardening is the best book written on this subject anywhere in the world.  It is an all-time best seller, and this last year its sales broke records, even during the recession.

Large portions of this document is from Ohio State University Extension Horticulture and Crop Science.