laughing lioness Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 What do you have in your yard? Did you start with a master plan or have you "fit" things in as you go? I'd love to hear about what you have done/ are doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoVanGogh Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 Below is a handout I wrote many years ago for a nursery on the subject. I still do quite a bit of edible landscaping, tucking herbs and veggies in wherever I can fit. === Edible Landscaping Herbs: Parsley (A few years ago the Antique Rose Emporium had an entire bed edged with curly parsley!), Thyme (Especially variegated ones, such as variegated lemon thyme), Salad Burnett, Basil (Column basil stays very narrow and grows 3-4 feet tall – does not set seed; Purple Ruffles basil; Cinnamon basil, Lemon basil – which is very good in a lemon chicken dish…), Chives, Pineapple sage (Blooms red in fall and is great for hummingbirds!), Roses (Both blooms and rose hips are edible), Lemon grass (Looks great in a pot! Should be overwintered indoors), Dill, Sage Large Herbs: Rosemary and Bay Tree Winter Herbs: Chervil, Winter Savory and Cilantro Flowers – Make sure to only eat flowers that have been grown organically Violas, Pineapple sage, Roses, Daylilies, Nasturtiums, Chive blooms, Borage, Calendula, Lavender, Scented Geraniums, Squash blossoms * Make ice blocks for your next party by adding edible flowers and herbs to water and freezing – looks beautiful in a pitcher of lemonade, herb teas, etc. Vegetables Lettuce greens (spring and fall crops – does not do well in summer) Beets (Greens are edible, too) Swiss Chard, Kale, Pak Choi Onions and garlic Eggplant (Colorful crop, but may attract too many pests in some gardens. I have grown it in a pot without attracting pests.) Kohlrabi and Brussels sprouts are very unusual looking crops Okra (Same beautiful flower as its relative, the hibiscus.) Fruits Peach – great for spring color Apple Fig Grapes Berries Citrus (Will need to be grown in a pot and overwintered indoors – I harvested seven lemons off my Meyer’s Lemon last year.) I have not included a few edibles that I feel are overly invasive, such as mint, lemon balm, passion vine and elderberries. Mint and lemon balm will do well contained in a pot, however. Tips: Look for varieties that are very colorful, such as Purple Beauty Bell Pepper or Candlelight Hot Pepper. Look at your harvest times. For example, some lettuce greens are ready to harvest in 45 days while others may take 60 days. Do consecutive sowings of short season crops, such as radishes and lettuce greens. Look for varieties that stay compact and won’t sprawl all over your ornamental plants. For example, bush cucumbers instead of vining cucumbers. Invest in a few ornamental trellises or obelisks to contain things like cherry tomatoes. (I grew Snow White cherry tomato within an obelisk in my front yard this past year…) Think about watering needs, fertilizing needs and sun light requirement. Do not plant vegetables near plants that you may want to spray (ie: do not plant edibles near roses if you think you may spray your roses.) Also, think about how you are going to harvest your crop – you may want to group things together to make harvesting easier. You can plant winter/early spring edible plants very near to dormant plants that have been cut back (such as Katie’s dwarf ruellia or dormant daylilies.) For example, I will cut back the ruellia lining my front sidewalk and overplant with violas or salad greens. Quotes: “A display of good foliage helps a garden get through the dull times more gracefully. Foliage color is as important as foliage texture.†~ Herbs in the Garden by Rob Proctor & David Macke Think: Winter Red Kale, Red Burgundy Okra, Bright Lights Swiss Chard, Bronze Fennel, Scented Geraniums “A collection of potted herbs is great when space is tight, but even when it’s not, containers open avenues for growing tender and exotic herbs that might otherwise be impossible in cold-winter regions. Growing herbs in containers is a wonderful way to bring the outdoors to your doorstep. Even if you have the same herb growing in a border or herb garden, it’s often more convenient to pinch a leaf from a patio pot that’s just a few steps from the kitchen.†~ Herbs in the Garden Think: Meyer’s Lemon, Lemongrass, Kiefer Lime, Scented Geraniums, Spicy Globe Basil, Rosemary Topiary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caitilin Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 Lol! And here I though this was going to be a thread about goats and chickens, who landscape your lawns, and then you eat them! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZooRho Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 I SO want to do more edible stuff in my yard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 I don't own enough landscape yet, but I drool over Rosalind Creasy's books. See? :drool5: Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kebo Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 So far we have... grapes navel orange tree blood orange tree kumquat trees (pots for now) calamondin (pot for now) Meyer lemon tree (pot for now) lime tree (pot) mandarin orange tree (pot) plum tree nectarine tree fig tree pomegranates (2) various herbs (rosemary, lemongrass, etc) sadly, I think my pluot, apricot, and nectaplum trees died over the winter. I used to have a strawberry guava, but it couldn't take even the mild frosts we have here and started to look terrible. I wish I had a master plan! I just get carried away by enthusiasm for something interesting in the nursery. Our lot is just a quarter acre, so I think I'm about done :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 I once came across a book/article in a mag that was on edible landscaping. basically, they did a "normal" landscape plan - but everything they used was edible. where they wanted climbers - they did peas, kiwi, grapes, etc. shrubs in moist soil - blueberries. that way they even turned their front yard into a 'garden' but it didn't look like a food garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elizabeth Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 Edible Landscaper right here.... :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 (edited) What do you have in your yard? Did you start with a master plan or have you "fit" things in as you go? I'd love to hear about what you have done/ are doing. When we moved into this house almost 7 years ago, I was really interested in native landscaping so I did all my beds in natives. Then I became interested in permaculture and edible landscaping and have tried to add in what I can. Unfortunately, I feel like I've just barely started and we'll be moving very soon. In addition to my square foot gardens which I had hoped to evolve into part of the permanent landscape, I have all kinds of herbs, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and a Satsuma planted and had big plans for more. Now I'll have to hope that the new owner will take care and continue on with what I started. I don't own enough landscape yet, but I drool over Rosalind Creasy's books. See? :drool5: Rosie I have her latest book and it is indeed drool-worthy. :D I also really love The Edible Front Yard and Gaia's Garden. ETA: I also thought The Quarter-Acre Farm was a good read, not so much as a how-to but as a memoir of sorts. Edited February 13, 2012 by Alte Veste Academy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruby Rose Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 (edited) We have Kumquats from the previous owners but none of us are really fans. Edited February 13, 2012 by Ruby Sue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 Six apple trees, three plums and three cherries. We also have underplanted some of our sycamore windbreak with hazel. I'm planning on using strawberries along the edge of flower beds. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughing lioness Posted February 13, 2012 Author Share Posted February 13, 2012 Thanks for the book recommends- the picture was :lol:. Suzanne, (and anybody else)- do you think Elderberries are too invasive? I was thinking about adding them this spring. And currents. We live on the great plains, by a river (much gravel) and wild life. Should I invest in trees (again- round 2) or more bushes? (we have an acerage- lots of land). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 (edited) Thanks for the book recommends- the picture was :lol:. Suzanne, (and anybody else)- do you think Elderberries are too invasive? I was thinking about adding them this spring. And currents. We live on the great plains, by a river (much gravel) and wild life. Should I invest in trees (again- round 2) or more bushes? (we have an acerage- lots of land). They do seed. The trees themselves are easy to contain: you can cut them back hard and they sprout again. To get good berries each year, I think you are meant to prune one branch in three back hard every year. This site has more information. If you have acreage, I'd put in a couple of elders, but off away from the house, where you won't be too worried about their seeding and doing their thing. You may end up with a productive thicket! I make 'green string pudding' each year, more formally known as elderflower milk. I love it but not everyone does. You just steep elderflowers in simmering milk then sweeten and thicken (with tapioca, rice, whatever you like). I add a couple of drops of green colouring for fun. I don't know anything about currants. We have gooseberries growing pretty much wild, but they are too shaded where they are and don't really fruit. They are the remains of an ancient cottage garden and now the trees have grown to big in that area. ETA: elders should be cheap to buy - I'm a complete novice at propagation and I managed to propagate two ornamental elders from cuttings last year, so it must be really easy! Laura Edited February 13, 2012 by Laura Corin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughing lioness Posted February 13, 2012 Author Share Posted February 13, 2012 They do seed. The trees themselves are easy to contain: you can cut them back hard and they sprout again. To get good berries each year, I think you are meant to prune one branch in three back hard every year. This site has more information. If you have acreage, I'd put in a couple of elders, but off away from the house, where you won't be too worried about their seeding and doing their thing. You may end up with a productive thicket! I make 'green string pudding' each year, more formally known as elderflower milk. I love it but not everyone does. You just steep elderflowers in simmering milk then sweeten and thicken (with tapioca, rice, whatever you like). I add a couple of drops of green colouring for fun. I don't know anything about currants. We have gooseberries growing pretty much wild, but they are too shaded where they are and don't really fruit. They are the remains of an ancient cottage garden and now the trees have grown to big in that area. ETA: elders should be cheap to buy - I'm a complete novice at propagation and I managed to propagate two ornamental elders from cuttings last year, so it must be really easy! Laura Thanks, Laura! I will change my proposed location for the elderberries! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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