EDUCATION, EVENTS & ARTICLES
Edible Landscaping
Text and Photos by Bill Melvin
The author front "yard" with an espalier pear against the house, and Macintosh apple shading the south side. Foreground includes boulder raspberry, gold currant, and may culinary & medicinal herbs.
For some reason the aesthetic beauty of these plants is often overlooked and they are relegated to a corner of the back yard, in the vegetable plot or along the back fence. These plants should be treasured and admired for their ornamental qualities and unique character. Plant them throughout the landscape, in special places for accent features, or in prominent locations so they can be enjoyed on a daily basis and appreciated from flower, to fruit, to harvest.
Consider a proliferation of apple tree blossoms filled with honeybees, the sweet aroma of western sand cherry blooms in the spring, the rainbow colors of chard in the perennial border, the sweet earthy aroma of clove currants with their vibrant yellow blossoms and bright berries, or the electric purple tubular flowers of culinary sage in bloom. When integrated with our local flora these edible delights can create vibrant, dynamic landscapes while attracting butterflies, hummingbirds, beneficial insects, and curious culinary admirers. These are not only functional edible landscapes, but also creations of stunning beauty.
When creating your edible landscape, the most important step is careful strategic planning. Close observation of your site will allow you to track the patterns of nature, locating areas of sun and shade, windy spots, particularly hot or cool locations, water flow patterns, and the habits of wildlife. An understanding of plants' particular needs is also essential since finding the right place for the right plant is the guiding theme for any successful landscape. If you are a novice, a consultation or design from a professional or experienced friend can prove to be an invaluable service.
Drawing on my background in Permaculture design, I seek to establish companion plantings that create a symbiotic relationship between all the living elements in the garden. This combines integrated pest management strategies with soil building techniques that act as an anchor supporting the ecological balance of the garden. One of my favorite practices is to spread wood chips inoculated with mushrooms (mycorrizea) throughout the garden as mulch. That gets soil microorganisms growing, and hopefully adds an additional edible crop.
Clusters of remaining elderberries in late summer. The white flower clusters are beautiful and medicinal.
Wild native plum pruned into a tree form provides dramatic spring accent in a public right of way along 9th St. in boulder.
Echinacea is a good butterfly attractor with exceptional medicinal qualities, plus edible flower.
With the groundwork laid, foundation plantings of trees and larger shrubs are then introduced into the planning, and this is where the fun really begins. Now you can start envisioning your basket filling with pears, peaches, apricots, plums, and apples, or carefully filling a tray with clusters of elderberries, raspberries, currants, aronia berries, or wild plums. Since many varieties of berries are somewhat shade tolerant, they combine well with fruit trees as a suitable understory with mixed herbaceous perennial species.
Prunus is one of my favorite genus' to incorporate into landscapes. There are so many interesting shapes and sizes, unique flavors of fruit, economic benefits, medicinal qualities, wildlife benefits, plus, one powerful overriding quality - an unmatched sweet and pungent springtime fragrance. Just a few examples include our native wild plum, apricot trees, cherry trees and bushes, dwarf Russian almond, western sand cherry and its cousin, Pawne Buttes, a low spreading variety, chokecherries, the Canadian red chokecherry with deep burgundy foliage, or Nanking cherries that make an excellent hedge. Profuse white prunus blossoms light up a spring landscape and the fragrance is intoxicating when they are planted along a path, near a patio, or around a sitting area.
Borders of paths and beds are a fun place to replace common perennials with edibles. With such easy access these niche areas provide good opportunities for enticing passers-by into pinching off an aromatic leaf of hyssop or lemon thyme, picking some mint leaves to chew, or cleansing their pallets with a sprig of parsley. Add a few colorful vegetables in with some daylilies for an explosion of color. Rainbow chards, red leaf lettuces, red and golden beets with striking veins in their foliage, and purple chive flowers look just as terrific next to each other in the garden as they do in a salad. You can throw a few daylily petals into the salad, too.
Chives, like all members of the allium family, repel pests and should be used liberally throughout the garden, especially around apple trees where they are said to help mitigate coddling moth damage. Oregano is a quintessential addition to any edible landscape with its many varieties and sizes, and its great ability to attract beneficial insects.
With so many terrific edible plant species in all forms and colors, it's a shame they aren't integrated into landscapes more often. Not only are many of them beautiful plants certain to capture the attention of garden admirers, but you also get to benefit from the bounty that they offer throughout the seasons. So get out in your yard, tear up some turf, and plant a few of your favorite fruits, berries, herbs, and vegetables, fusing them right into your gardens of beauty.
Bill Melvin owns Ecoscape Environmental Design in Boulder. He has studied permaculture design for many years.