Edible landscape?

[BlsdMama]

We're in Zone 4 and we bought a house last year.

 

The kids cleared the first flower bed for strawberries! What else works well for pretty and functional edible landscaping? We've planted the first couple fruit trees. We want pretty, but if I have to spend time maintaining something then it better be useful!

[fairfarmhand]

Blueberries.

 

Herbs like basil, cilantro, and oregano are fragrant and pretty.

 

 I love a planting of purple basil with lemon basil.

 

Hot peppers are pretty too.

 

 

[zoobie]

Rosemary

Mint (but it goes nuts, so put it somewhere contained)

 

I actually have no idea if those work in zone 4... I think rosemary would survive a nuclear holocaust along with cockroaches though.

[ScoutTN]

Yes, herbs for sure! My mom's oregano was 4 ft high last year!

Can you do some blackberry or raspberry vines? They need to be trellised and require some but not lots of maintenance. Look for thornless varieties. Yummy!

[maize]

Chives look nice while growing and produce pretty purple blooms. Sweet potato plants also look nice, produce flowers, and have edible leaves as well as the tubers. Grape and hardy kiwi vines. Walnut trees. Ramps produce delicious edible leaves in the spring, order the bulbs online (I think I got mine off of eBay).

[Amy in NH]

Nasturtiums

Sunflowers

 

Why not put down landscape fabric and bark mulch, then plant whatever you like? Then it won't have to be edible because it won't require so much maintenance.

 

Strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, or mint will take over your entire garden if you let them.  They'd require more maintenance to keep under control than most other perennials.  I put mint into a 4x8 raised bed IN the plastic pot to keep it controlled; in two years it now lives in the entire 4x8 bed *aside* from in the pot (and aside from the 4x1' space where the chives live at one end).

[KungFuPanda]

Okra apparently has pretty flowers. Parsley is always useful. I'd go for perrenial herbs if you want low maintenance. My tarragon came back without a fuss. Lavender and sage might be nice. You could also try oregano, chives, or sage. Rosemary can be perrenial if a stupid, long, cold winter doesn't kill it. I'd only do mint in a pot because I'm too lazy to pay attention to keeping it in check.

[KungFuPanda]

Chives look nice while growing and produce pretty purple blooms. Sweet potato plants also look nice, produce flowers, and have edible leaves as well as the tubers. Grape and hardy kiwi vines. Walnut trees. Ramps produce delicious edible leaves in the spring, order the bulbs online (I think I got mine off of eBay).

Just Say No to ramps!

[Cinder]

Seconding blueberries. We put in a few in the front yard and so far haven't been busted by the HOA. Dh did plant a couple crapemyrtles near them hoping they'd blend in.   :D

[KrissiK]

Rosemary is nice. Due to the drought, I am not planting flowers this year. I have tomatoes in my flower bed. There are pea plants in another flower bed. I figure if I have to water them they may as well be productive and not just ornamental.

[maize]

Just Say No to ramps!

Why?

[KungFuPanda]

Why?

I grew up in a place where they grew wild, grown men went "rampin,' and there were actual ramp festivals all for the most horrifically pungent plant on the planet. One ramp will make your whole house reek. I have ramp PTSD. I can't imagine planting them intentionally in my suburban yard.

[maize]

I grew up in a place where they grew wild, grown men went "rampin,' and there were actual ramp festivals all for the most horrifically pungent plant on the planet. One ramp will make your whole house reek. I have ramp PTSD. I can't imagine planting them intentionally in my suburban yard.

Hm. I only planted mine last year so my patch is quite small, but so far they seem nearly identical to their European cousin ramson, which I am more familiar with and loved gathering where it grew wild in Austria.

 

They are quite garlicky, but I like garlic. We used to put them in grilled cheese sandwiches. I've been craving them for a long time and finally decided to grow my own.

[Tsuga]

I think rosemary would survive a nuclear holocaust along with cockroaches though.

 

Hah!

 

In our household, we say you can always count on the chives.

[KungFuPanda]

Hm. I only planted mine last year so my patch is quite small, but so far they seem nearly identical to their European cousin ramson, which I am more familiar with and loved gathering where it grew wild in Austria.

 

They are quite garlicky, but I like garlic. We used to put them in grilled cheese sandwiches. I've been craving them for a long time and finally decided to grow my own.

Maybe I grew up with a particularly pungent wild strain in southern WV. I LOVE garlic and onions, but ramps are in a league of their own. I remember men loving them, but women hating them because it took work to get the stench out of the house. Also, a person who eats them can stink for days. Garlic has NOTHING on ramps.

[maize]

Maybe I grew up with a particularly pungent wild strain in southern WV. I LOVE garlic and onions, but ramps are in a league of their own. I remember men loving them, but women hating them because it took work to get the stench out of the house. Also, a person who eats them can stink for days. Garlic has NOTHING on ramps.

Interesting, I don't remember ramson making the house smell. I'll have to see if the ramps turn out to be more pungent. I actually planted ramps in my back yard and ramson in the front, so I should be able to compare them.

[happi duck]

This thread made me realize I forgot I wanted to plant edible flowers this year!

[maize]

This thread made me realize I forgot I wanted to plant edible flowers this year!

Which flowers? Nasturtiums are the only ones I am familiar with and I don't much care for their flavor.

[happi duck]

Which flowers? Nasturtiums are the only ones I am familiar with and I don't much care for their flavor.

Um...

I totally forgot...meant to figure it out and didn't at all! I've never even tasted any but the idea intrigues me.

[Luckymama]

Rosemary won't work for zone 4. Even in a protected and warm microclimate, it does not survive some of our zone 6b/7a winters :(

 

You'd need to keep it in a pot and bring it indoors for the winter.

[The Girls' Mom]

Rainbow Chard and Crimson Chard are gorgeous and very yummy :)  

 

In my side flower/herb garden next to the house I have:

 

Perennials (here in TN anyway):

Echinacea (coneflower) 

Anise

Rosemary

oregano 

sage

thyme

lavender

mint (in pots)

asparagus

 

Annuals:

Patio tomato

Cilantro (this is annual, but self-seeds very easily)

Basil

lettuce

Nasturtium

Chard

 

Some low maintenance non edibles that I have mixed in:

 

Spirea

Irises 

various lilies

daffodils (spring only)

Stella Doro 

Hydrangeas

Stonecrop

creeping jenny

Salvia

 

Not in our flower bed, but we have blueberries that are very shrub-like and work well in landscaping.

 

 

[MSNative]

If you search "potager" you should get a lot of good ideas and pics. This site was the one that got me started doing edible landscaping. Now, she is in a way warmer climate than I am but I still stole a lot of her ideas and just swapped out for plants that worked in my zone.

http://theprudenthomemaker.com/kitchen-garden/edible-landscaping

 

My favorites - herbs, different color cherry tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, cucumbers, lettuces and other greens, beans, peas, and thornless berries. I intersperse those with sunflowers, zinnias, and other annuals that give pretty season long color.

[Cinder]

Oh, I just remembered way long ago when we lived on a military base, I had a watermelon vine growing behind a patch of rose bushes. It was an accident--before seedless was common I ate watermelon outside and spit the seeds in the dirt. One took. I got 4 huge watermelons that year but I didn't know the right time to pick them so only one was ripe enough. I had to keep turning the vine back into the area behind the roses because it tried to take over the yard and carport. Small garden plots were allowed in the backyard but not the front or side. Amazingly, even with weekly yard inspections, I never got busted for the watermelon vine.

 

You're probably not looking to grow watermelons but maybe you could grow cukes or summer squash or green beans on a small trellis.

[MSNative]

Oh, I just remembered way long ago when we lived on a military base, I had a watermelon vine growing behind a patch of rose bushes. It was an accident--before seedless was common I ate watermelon outside and spit the seeds in the dirt. One took. I got 4 huge watermelons that year but I didn't know the right time to pick them so only one was ripe enough. I had to keep turning the vine back into the area behind the roses because it tried to take over the yard and carport. Small garden plots were allowed in the backyard but not the front or side. Amazingly, even with weekly yard inspections, I never got busted for the watermelon vine.

 

You're probably not looking to grow watermelons but maybe you could grow cukes or summer squash or green beans on a small trellis.

Lol! We had a secret pumpkin vine when we lived on base. I had forgotten about that til your story. ;)

You also bring up another really good point. Attractive trellises and pots can really help an edible garden still look attractive. Using a trellis instead of a tomato cage makes a huge difference in appearance.

[Onceuponatime]

If I lived in your area, I would grow rhubarb and hazel nuts.

[shawthorne44]

Chocolate Mint.   It doesn't go as nuts as mint, and chocolate!  

[ThursdayNext]

Rhubarb with its big leaves, several lovely tidy blueberry shrubs, ferny looking asparagus, mint in a pot, chives with purple blossoms, some bright red chili peppers all sound nice to me. I've tried rainbow chard and kale, but it didn't blend in well. Also husband and kids hate it. ;) Raspberries and blackberries should be back garden, imo. And I second the idea that attractive trellises and pots can help tomatoes and cucumbers to fit in.

BTW, asparagus is a pain to weed around, so never let grass get a foothold.

 

You will know what's right for your neighborhood. For ours, I don't feel we can get too vegetabley in the front yard. We have various herbs mixed in with the flowers in the front flower beds. (Most of which is not perennial in zone 4.) We have several blueberry bushes, a suffering fig tree, and plans for some Asian persimmons. And the kids have strawberry pots on the front porch.

[ThursdayNext]

Which flowers? Nasturtiums are the only ones I am familiar with and I don't much care for their flavor.

Pansies, violets, and violas are edible. The kids love it when I add them to a salad or put them in our water pitcher. Also nice on cakes.

Roses are edible, both the petals, and rosehips. You want rugosa roses for hips, and can make them into jam or jelly, or eat them plain, an excellent source of vitamin C. Middle Eastern and North African cuisines use rosewater.

Lavender is used in some French cooking.

Anise hyssop has that anise/licorice flavor. It is nice in herbal tea, and I tried it in scones once. But it self seeds like crazy, so you have been warned.

 

I'll be watching for more edible landscaping ideas, love this thread!

[LostSurprise]

I live in zone 4b.

 

Rosemary
Mint (but it goes nuts, so put it somewhere contained)

I actually have no idea if those work in zone 4... I think rosemary would survive a nuclear holocaust along with cockroaches though.

 

As mentioned later, rosemary doesn't survive as a perennial in US zone 4. You would have to pot it up and take it in for the winter. 

 

Rosemary won't work for zone 4. Even in a protected and warm microclimate, it does not survive some of our zone 6b/7a winters  :(

You'd need to keep it in a pot and bring it indoors for the winter.

 

Nasturtiums

Sunflowers

 

Why not put down landscape fabric and bark mulch, then plant whatever you like? Then it won't have to be edible because it won't require so much maintenance.

 

Strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, or mint will take over your entire garden if you let them.  They'd require more maintenance to keep under control than most other perennials.  I put mint into a 4x8 raised bed IN the plastic pot to keep it controlled; in two years it now lives in the entire 4x8 bed *aside* from in the pot (and aside from the 4x1' space where the chives live at one end).

 

I'm not a fan of landscape fabric, but these berries and mint do spread. Worthwhile IMO, but it takes work each spring and/or fall to cut them back. Also, canes tend to have some kind of thorn. Depending on the age of your children, you may need to take that into consideration.

 

Hah!

 

In our household, we say you can always count on the chives.

 

Yep, chives are just fine in zone 4. Oregano and mint are very strong perennials as well (but both spread..mint more than oregano..I can keep oregano in one place with minimal work but I pot mint). Parsley, dill, and cilantro can self-seed but are finicky. 

 

I love the little wild strawberries. So tiny! If you can find them they're fun. 

 

Currants and gooseberry do not spread as much as cane fruits (raspberry/blackberry) but are easier to grow than blueberry (which can be finicky about sun/shade/soil ph). They also grow in partial shade. Speaking of shade, fern fronds are edible (the early curls), and parts of milkweed. 

 

The greens of ox-eye daisies are edible, as well as dandelions, chicory, certain kinds of nettles, but I wouldn't plant them unless you know you like them. 

 

For trees, I'm fond of pie cherries/sour cherries and plums. They're harder to find then apple. Also, the University of Minnesota has a great cultivar for hazelnut (bushes). If I had more sun I would grow that. 

 

For annuals, peas and beans (especially runner beans) have very pretty flowers. They do need a place to climb and spread out, but a tent of scarlet runner beans is very pretty. Sunflowers take yearly prep, but they can also be pretty.

 

[Sandragood1]

Blueberries are pretty and productive. Small fruit trees will be easier to keep than brambles (blackberries, raspberries, etc). Be sure to get plants from local nurseries or keep your zone in mind.

 

Don't grow what you won't eat. Chard is lovely but if you don't eat it, don't bother. Malabar spinach is a pretty climber for summer.

 

There are tons of resources on the Internet both for gardening and edible landscaping. Have fun with it!

[ThursdayNext]

 

I'm not a fan of landscape fabric, but these berries and mint do spread. Worthwhile IMO, but it takes work each spring and/or fall to cut them back. Also, canes tend to have some kind of thorn. Depending on the age of your children, you may need to take that into consideration.

 

I don't think landscape fabric would have stopped our raspberries. They spread by roots, and the variety we had could send out suckers as far as 4ft away from the plant. Burying a 12" plank border would work fairly well, as the root system is not deep. There are thornless varieties of raspberries and blackberries, though I don't know about zones. Make sure you like currants and gooseberries. I loved them as a kid, but most people don't. And canes/brambles like these are not decorative.

[merry gardens]

Great thread!

 

Another idea: serviceberry tree (or bush.) It's really pretty, tidy small multi-trunk tree, with blossoms in spring and beautiful fall leaves. The berries taste similar to blueberries, but with larger seeds. Birds love them, so if you plant them you might never get any. We've eaten them, but mostly we just leave them on the tree as bird food because the birds here eat them the instant they're ripe.

 

 

 

[MBM]

Check out kitchen or potager gardens if you want pretty gardens. The problem is, you won't want to eat your veggies and ruin how pretty it is!

[KrissiK]

I forgot.... my oregano is making a great ground cover, as is thyme. Sage is pretty and edible and has lovely flowers. Although I live in .... I forgot my zone. I think it may be 8 or 9.

[BlsdMama]

So we have a garden.... A really BIG garden and our acreage is almost two acres out in the country so no picky neighbors. The garden holds the viney things.

 

We have this half moon circle in front of the house, built up with landscape bricks. It's lovely but I can't get over what a great space it is for food NOT flowers. We pulled everything out of it except the rose bush!

 

Rose hips crossed my mind. They were common in Oregon but I haven't seen if they will grow here.

 

We will do rhubarb, asparagus, and raspberries, but in their own space.

 

I love the idea of chives. Will they taint my strawberries? I don't know why I hadn't thought more on herbs!! Nasturtiums I considered as well. Hmmm. Potager? I will Pinterest!!

[BlsdMama]

Now I just need to figure out Nigerian dwarve boats in a tiny space. ;)

[Pam in CT]

Right on the edge of 6a/6b.  The deer with whom I unwillingly share my garden limit what I can grow, but I do manage:

 

blueberries, which are surprisingly attractive as shrubs -- inconspicuous white blossoms, glossy broad leaves that turn nicely red in the fall (these grow right up to northern Maine, so I expect they'd work in 4)

Amelanchier/serviceberry tree as pp noted -- this is probably my favorite of all trees -- looks good all year (and it looks like you can find cultivars that go to 4)

raspberries (butt ugly, but delish... and again, looks like there are cultivars to 4)

viburnum -- I must have 6 different varieties... they are GREAT, and some of them go up as far as zone 2.  Some are edible and some poisonous!

 

rhubarb (perennial) -- has enormous crazy leaves, which I actually love, and one rather dramatic tall (4') spire with white blossoms.  Can't kill it.

chives & leeks & allium (perennial) - different types have purple or white or blue flowers, some of them snowball-type poms and others open and lacey.  They bloom at different times so something is always going.

oregano -- I can keep most types over the winter here; you'd probably have less selection.  I have a nice golden one that I use as a ground cover.

thyme -- there are all different types, some of them variegated, some funky wooly.  They cascade nicely.  Some overwinter here, some don't.

 

Most of the time I can grow potatoes, which work up to very cold climates.

 

Rosemary never overwinters here, and lavendar only makes it ~25% of the time.  I count them as annuals.

Purple basil and golden sage.... ahhhhh.... so pretty.  (Sage is annual here, and basil is, actually, annual.)

Dill does fine here.

 

Back before I lived with deer, I did parsley and cilantro and lettuce and tomatoes.  More than any other single thing, tomatoes are soooo worth it.  (Butt ugly.)