Edible Landscaping
At our September meeting I aquired something I had been wanting for some time- Paw paw trees! Now I need to find a good place for them. Right now they are just seedlings and can be stashed somewhere I can keep an eye on them for a couple of years as they grow bigger. Paw paws are a fruit tree native to Michigan, have good size yellow fruit that is supposed to be pretty tasty, and a lovely fall color. My research reveals that they get to be about 30 feet tall and are an understory tree, in open shade, so they should fit just fine somewhere in my yard.
If you’ve been reading these articles of mine for a while, you may already have come to realize that I like to grow a lot of different fresh fruits and vegetables in my garden. I just seem to get some kind of particular joy out of eating something that a moment ago was still attached to a tree or plant. Those of you who have a vegetable garden, I’m sure know what I mean. There is an incredible variety of edibles that can be grown in this area, and so much variety even in the same family! Different colors, shapes, sizes and even flavors of everything from Artichokes to Zuchini. They always seem to taste so much better than grocery store produce too.
When I am going to add something to my garden- I look to something that provides food first. If I can’t eat it, then it provides food for birds or beneficial insects, while it provides food for my soul by just being pretty. Flowering trees are nice to have, so why not one that provides food as well? Peach trees have lovely pink flowers in spring, and the fruit ripens in late summer usually, but can vary by variety. Apricots have fragrant white blooms, and also summer fruit just before the peaches. Juneberries have strands of white flowers, tasty red fruits that mostly the Robins get to eat, and are absolutely lovely in the fall. Cherries bloom white and fragrant, and have their fruits in June. I find that these plants take no more care than their non-productive counterparts other than the necessity of doing something with the harvest. They get pruned for shape and optimal harvest, pests are dealt with (generally in an organic way) and cared for just as the rest of the garden, with water, weeding and fertilizing.
Herbs are another thing that fits in well in the edible landscape. Many of them come in several colors and scents- tricolor sage, different shades of lavenders, and basil- well basil comes in so many different colors and scents! My favorite is Cinnamon basil, and this summer I saw a variegated basil I will have to find seed for this winter, but there are also lemon, lime, and purple basils. Pineapple sage is a pretty scented plant with red flowers in the fall if you are lucky, but I prefer the Honeydew sage- looks almost the same- maybe more rounded in shape, but it flowers starting in late August- lots of red flowers, and I think it smells more like Vernors Ginger Ale than honeydew- very nice to rub and sniff. Next to it is Lemon verbena- the flowers aren’t significant, but the leaves smell heavenly- like lemon drop candy. Chives are of course in lots of gardens- I think the flowers are lovely, and also make a great addition to a salad, along with johnny jump-ups and viola flowers. And don’t forget scented geraniums! They can add another dimension to any dish! Dill, garlic, lemon balm, mints, catmint, catnip, perilla, a variety of thymes, oregano- all these look lovely in the landscape and smell and taste great too.
I don’t just like to grow edible plants- I like to grow them in un-conventional ways. I mix them in with the rest of my landscaping, tucked in here and there among the perennials, shrubs and trees like jewels. There is a row of blueberry bushes in the front yard (yes, the front yard) that not only have pretty little white flowers in spring, but provide loads of blueberries, are low maintenance, and right now are flame red almost as bright as the burning bushes they replaced. And then there is the purple broccolli that is just now starting to head up- lovely bluegreen leaves and a large deep purple head. Also tucked in here and there are red currants, alpine strawberries, Fallgold raspberries, and Heritage red raspberries. (those last hardly ever make it into the house- I just eat them in the garden out of hand) Four different varieties of tomatos are grown in decorative planters, with 8 foot bamboo stakes forming a support teepee for them. Flowers for butterflies and bees are planted at their bases, along with ‘Alaska’ Nasturtiums to add spice to a salad. Herbs are planted near gateways and along pathways, so that their scents can be enjoyed as I stroll through the garden.
So as you dream about what new things to grow next season, consider adding in some edibles in your landscaping- maybe try a variety of fruit, vegetable or herb not usually available at the supermarket. Create an Edible Landscape- food for the body and the soul!
See you in the Garden!
Ellen Leigh
