Chew on This: Eat Your Landscaping! « MasterPLAN Outdoor Living

Adding edible plants to your backyard landscape can add great aesthetic value, save you money at the grocery store, and give you a great conversation starter.

You don’t need 10 acres to grow edible plants, or even a full garden. Edibles can be mixed in with other traditional plants to spice up your backyard space. Planting with edible gives you a chance to enjoy the freshness and flavor of homegrown fruits and vegetables, plus you can grow unusual varieties that you might not be able to buy in stores, all the while enjoying the outdoors and having fun!

Consider planting blueberry or raspberry bushes, or fruit trees such as apple trees, pear trees and cherry trees. Trees and bushes may take a year or two to bear fruit, so you will need patience, but the harvest will be worthwhile.

Three of the most popular edible plants to include in your landscape design are strawberries, tomatoes and mint. All are relatively easy to grow, and can produce a tasty fresh harvest.

Cherry tomatoes can grow up a trellis, adding warmth and beauty to an entryway. Herbs such as basil, oregano, rosemary and sage can add flavor to your cooking and beauty to your backyard.

You can find tasty edible plants to suit just about any climate, but most don’t fair well in mostly shady and wet areas. You might want to plant your fruit trees and annual veggies in the sunniest spots with the best soil, while some herbs can thrive in rocky or poor soils. Some might require a little extra attention, more water, fertilizer or pruning, but the work doesn’t have to be a major time suck.

Other ideas for easy edible landscaping:

Put pots of herbs on the porch, patio or garden steps.

Grow cherry tomatoes in a hanging basket.

Build a grape arbor.

Grow flowers such as nasturtium, violas, borage, daylilies or calendula, which can be eaten in your salad.

Grow red-jewel cabbage as a interesting border.

Colorful peppers such as Lipstick and Habanero can be grown in the midst of flowers.

Tuck lettuce, radishes, or other short-lived greens into a flower bed.

Gooseberry bushes can replace a barberry hedge.

Basil looks great when grown with coleus in a planter.

Grow yellow or “rainbow” chard.

Plant chives around your mailbox.

Train raspberries to grow up your fence.

Edible plants are a delight for the senses. Many have beautiful blooms in the spring, and then blossom into lush greenery before producing their fruit. Contact MasterPLAN Landscape Design & Installation today for guidance on what are the best plants to make your backyard beautiful and tasty!

Chew on This: Eat Your Landscaping!

Other ideas for easy edible landscaping:

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