For Beginning Gardeners, Planting an Edible Landscape
Landscapes rely on low-maintenance trees, shrubs, and perennials, and occasionally, for the home gardener, annuals and potted arrangements.
After the residence, trees are frequently the basis of the landscape. Numerous fruiting trees that produce excellent crops also make excellent ornamental trees. Numerous fruits and vegetables, including cherries, apples, pears, apricots, citrus, peaches, pawpaw, and plums, are prime examples. Many are spectacular in the spring, exquisite in appearance, and produce delectable fruit. There are numerous cultivars of fruiting trees, each with a varied mature height, and all of them respond well to pruning and shaping. Fruiting trees are sometimes overlooked as landscape options in many settings due to their potential for mess, however this is only an issue if you are not planning to collect the fruit. The majority of fruiting trees make good edible landscape trees.
Crabapples (they make the tastiest jams and jellies! ), hackberry (jams and jellies), and persimmon are some lesser-known but equally wonderful landscape fruit bearing plants (can be used for anything and are absolutely delicious). Again, they all shape well and have wonderful proportions. Crabapples and hackberry are frequently resplendent in the fall. Persimmon trees retain their fruit well after the leaves fall and have an extremely beautiful branching structure.
Nut producing trees are also excellent landscape candidates in areas that require a huge and imposing tree. While black walnuts come to mind, they are the sole exception in the landscape, as they emit a highly toxic poison that kills numerous species of plants within and beyond their root zone. The Butternut is an alternate tree that is making a much-welcomed resurgence in the environment. They resemble the majestic black walnut but lack the powerful plant growth inhibitor found in its root system. Additionally, the nuts are delectable. Butternuts that are disease resistant are now available. Hazelnut flowers when no other tree does and produces stunning foliage in the fall. They are exceptionally small for trees, almost shrub-like in proportion, which makes them extremely valuable in terms of design. Pecans, hickory, and a few chestnuts also make excellent landscape trees.
There are so many flowering shrubs that produce delectable edible crops and are also stunning landscape specimens that shopping for edible landscape shrubs can be a bit perplexing. To assist you in making your selection, we’ve highlighted a few of our favorites. These shrubs tolerate shearing and pruning well; they have lovely blooms, foliage shape and color, fall color, and culinary crops.
Blueberries are fantastic edible landscape plants. They are not nearly as tough to cultivate as people believe. Numerous varieties exist that vary in form, color, and fruiting. Blueberries occur in a variety of tastes, ranging from extremely small and compact mounded forms to big, sprawling, and tall forms. Adding some peat to each initial planting hole and mulching with compost or pine needles is all that is required to correct the pH. They all bear lovely and delicately perfumed pink and white spring blossoms. They all have lovely bushy foliage in a pleasing shade of green, with new growth occasionally being red or pink. In the summer, they all bear delectable blue or pink fruit. And in the fall, they all blaze vividly crimson. They are extremely hardy, surviving in virtually all conditions, including the coldest.
Elderberry has emerged as a highly effective and powerful natural medication. Additionally, it is a lovely plant that is well-suited to the landscape. There are other cultivars with purple foliage, which make them an eye-catching addition to the landscape (especially when planted among chartreuse colors of foliage in other plants). The leaf shape is beautiful and distinctive. The blossoms are extremely fragrant and attract a large number of pollinators. The berries can be used to make jams, jellies, and liquids. While they are frequently treated as a huge perennial, they can grow to shrub-like dimensions in a single season and require much area to spread. They are quite easy to grow, and being a native plant, utilizing elderberry in your landscaping benefits the local ecology. To guarantee enough fruit set, you will need to plant many elderberries. They like direct sunlight but can endure moderate shade gracefully. They do not like to dry out, making them unsuitable for xeriscaping or arid regions of the landscape.
Viburnums are often used in the landscape because they are magnificent shrubs that exhibit all of the characteristics we admire in landscape plants: superb habit, form, color, and variety of cultivars. American Cranberry Bush, or Viburnum trilobum, is an extremely valuable edible landscape shrub selection for the edible landscape. Although the berries are not typically consumed fresh, they are quite delicious when made into jelly or jam. Another native North American plant, birds adore these. Viburnums tolerate shade better than most shrubs, making them an excellent understory plant.
Pine conjures up images of massive tall trees, which is generally accurate- but pine today comes in a bewildering array of cultivars that function as shrubs in the environment. Mugo pine, in particular, is well-suited for landscape application due to its popularity. Additionally, mugo pine produces an abundant annual harvest of delectable pine nuts! Mugo pine comes in a variety of shapes and hues, so you’ll have a great time shopping for some evergreen material to complement your edible landscape nicely.
Shrub roses are among the most ancient garden shrubs and plants. Roses that are fuller and easy to grow operate well in the landscape and produce extremely appetizing and delectable rose hips. Rose hips are an excellent source of vitamin C and can be used to make teas and jams. Rose hips produce excellent extracts such as rosewater, which may be used in cooking as well as in homemade cleaning goods and room fresheners. Roses require severe trimming but are generally quite little maintenance. The blooms are exquisite, and many new cultivars of landscape roses are exceedingly durable, disease resistant, and aesthetically pleasing. Rosa rugosa is a native form of an excellent landscape and native rose that is disease resistant and produces large red and pink hips in the fall.
In warmer climates, rosemary can reach shrub-like proportions and produces an excellent shrub. And, of course, rosemary is a necessary component of cookery. You can also use rosemary in homemade cleaning products, particularly soaps, where the aroma works well for masculine (or not so macho) scented bars, and the needles themselves make excellent exfoliants. Rosemary is often planted as a perennial, however it has been known to naturalize in sufficiently warm locations with bright sun. It is capable of withstanding minor drying out but prefers continuous wetness.
If you thought your edible landscape selections of trees and shrubs were liberating, wait until you consider perennials. There are a plethora of perennial foods, most notably for herb use. Some typical perennial herbs that are ideal for landscapes are rosemary (which was previously described as a shrub but may easily be maintained as a smaller perennial), sage, thyme, oregano, chives, ginger (in warm climates), and lavender. While mint is a hardy and aggressive perennial, its spreading habit does not always make it an ideal landscape plant. Mint is best kept contained in pots. Agastache is a less common yet extremely lovely herb that thrives in the countryside. So is tough Echinacea, with its lovely blossoms that now appear in a variety of colors in addition to purple and white. Cheyenne Spirit is an Echinacea hybrid with vibrant red, orange, coral, and yellow blooms that brighten the landscape with their long-lasting blooms. All of these plants’ blossoms and leaves can be used in cooking and for a variety of other tasks around the house.
There are numerous perennial plants that are not herbal in origin but nevertheless provide veggie nutrients. Artichoke is a lovely perennial that thrives in warmer areas. Its distinctive and dignified appearance make it an excellent focal point plant. Harvest the blossoms before they bloom; this is the edible artichoke. While asparagus, or what we know as asparagus, emerges early in the spring as a thick spear (the portion we eat), allowing some of the spears to grow and develop throughout the remainder of the season rewards you with long and wispy foliage that contrasts and fills in well with other plants.
Edible rhubarb is a large-leaved plant that is harvested for its stalks in the early spring. Super hardy, it is the only perennial crop that thrives in the coldest temperatures and is most commonly used in pies alongside strawberries (another excellent perennial edible for the landscape). There is decorative rhubarb that grows much larger and more stunning than the type normally cultivated in gardens, and while edible, it is larger and woodier. Numerous varieties of cold-hardy cabbages and kale are highly beautiful and supply nutritional greens throughout the season. They reseed easily in most places and are excellent for filling up gaps. When allowed to bolt throughout the warm season, the blooms are four-petaled, frequently yellow or purple, and rather lovely.
Strawberry plants are frequently disregarded in the landscape because they are normally grown in gardens and on farms for their fruit, but when grown in full low growing and spreading mounds of lovely green leaves, they also form an excellent ground cover for the landscape. Many kinds do require some management because to their proclivity for spreading, but this can work to their benefit in landscapes where barren patches are difficult to cover.
While daylily plants are quite popular as landscaping plants, few people are aware that their blossoms are extremely delicious and tasty. They are mild, crisp, and, of course, flowery, and are excellent in salads or on sandwiches. Daylilies are resilient and adaptable, and are grown across the world. Daylilies come in an array of shapes, colors, and sizes. One may easily spend a full week poring over breeder catalogs of daylilies. The Stella D’Oro is the most popular, most cheap, and most versatile daylily that has endured the test of time.
Annual ornamentals do not have to be petunias and impatiens. Numerous annual plants with tasty leaves and blossoms complement the scenery wonderfully. Pansies and violas, for example, have tasty and attractive blossoms. They do, however, create an exquisite garnish. Make viola ice cubes and put one into a cup of hot or cold tea for a lovely accent. Store candy viola blossoms in sugar for later use on cakes. In most locations, pansies and violas are perennials, yet they are commonly treated as annuals. They prefer direct sunlight and benefit from shade in hot climates. They are easily cultivated in containers but thrive in borders. Nasturtiums and calendula are two other highly decorative annual flowers that function well in the landscape. Nasturtiums come in a variety of sizes and shapes, from little and mounding to long and trailing. Calendula is often orange in color and daisy-like in appearance. It is excellent as a garnish, in salads, and in beverages. Both nasturtiums and calendula are available in flats in the spring, but are typically simply sown directly into the landscape. Have fun with your children!
Lettuce is an exceptionally gorgeous green landscape annual that looks fantastic at the front of the border. Lettuces are available in an array of colors, patterns, and textures. They are most attractive during cooler seasons, but may be readily reseeded if they bolt and become unattractive. Orach is a year-round lettuce substitute that is just as good and healthful. Orach is connected to the common weed “lamb’s quarters,” but also to spinach. Orach is typically offered as seed and is available in vibrant pink, red, green, and chartreuse hues.
Finally, we arrive at vines. Vines are an excellent way to try something new, as many ornamental landscape vines are also highly edible and attractive, but are less well-known. Hops are a good example. Hops are utilized in the production of beer. They are the green blossoms on a delicate, well-behaved, and extremely resilient tiny vine. Hops adore climbing fences. The kiwi is another easy-to-care-for and resilient vine that produces delectable fruit. The tough kiwi variety of the kiwi with which many of us are familiar has smaller fruits, but they are no less delectable. Male and female hardy kiwi plants are required to produce fruit. They frequently feature green foliage with vibrant bubblegum pink accents. Kiwi vines are enormous, and as a result, they require a substantial support—at least 10 feet.
There are numerous edible landscape plant varieties available! Consider putting your lovely landscape to work for you and your family.
valuable strategy of pots as well as containers outside your home kitchen for effortless access to. 
Sharon Mastel 