2011 The Year of The Edible Landscape

Rosemary can be grown as a perennial shrub.

Pretty is Out. Practical is the new black in home landscaping. No longer is the pretty little bed of annuals the right thing to do. Ornamental edibles are the new blooms, adding their delicious color to flower beds and garden paths.

Recession gardening took hold as the economy worsened, but it was also spurred by the sustainable living movement and the desire to go green. Now, growing food is not only trendy, it is quickly becoming politically correct. Expansive, thirsty lawns are being torn up and replaced with edible landscapes, mulched and composted with kitchen scraps and garden trimmings. Dirt is being double-dug and beds are being raised to support the GIY trend.

Vegetable gardening increased by 19 percent in 2010; vegetable seed sales grew by 30 percent. Canning and freezing vegetables are also on the rise as more people turn the corner from supermarket convenience to self-sustainability. 2011 promises to be just as fruitful. People who caught the gardening bug last year are counting down the days to the last frost, eager to dig in the dirt and watch their efforts grow.

Edible Color

Transforming your landscape to a GIY food store does not have to be expensive or a complete, all-at-once overhaul of your yard. Ornamental edibles are gaining popularity because they are easy to grow and care for and attractive elements in the landscape. Colors make a garden pop. In the edible landscape, peppers, eggplant, squash, melons and rhubarb can provide a rainbow of color and texture to a garden. Peppers all start out green, but ripen into vibrant reds, oranges and yellows. Eggplant comes in more colors than purple and white. Try bright red and orange miniature eggplants to brighten up a garden path or planting bed. Bright yellow summer squash, with its beautiful yellow blossoms are prolific producers that rarely disappoint.

Eggplant Brings Edible Color into the Landscape

Bedding Plants

Replace bedding plants with edible greens in a variety of colors as well. Lettuce comes in more colors than green. Several shades or red lettuces, ornamental chard and kale tucked underneath roses or along a walkway make a stunning display. Strawberries are another garden favorite that work well as a border plant and in containers. These compact little bushes have beautiful green, textured leaves, white blossoms and, of course, fruit that turns a deep red. Try growing them in vertical wall planters on a sunny wall to save space and keep the slugs and snails away from your prized fruits.

How to Build a Vertical Wall Planter

Perennials

Perennials can reign in your garden as well. Artichokes are a perennial thistle that grows up to 6 feet tall. The spiky leaves and sturdy plant are attractive shrubs. The choke, or the flower bud, is delicious grilled, steamed and marinated. Left on the plant, it will open into a huge flower. Asparagus will last up to 20 years in the garden, producing two to three harvests per year, depending on the area you live in. Asparagus used to popular as a landscape plant. The fine, feathery fern grows tall and looks beautiful along a wall. The ferns turn yellow in the fall, and are cut away at the end of winter before the new spears start to emerge.

Herbs

Herbs are another attractive addition to the landscape. Plant evergreen rosemary in place of ornamental shrubs. In zones 6 or higher, rosemary is a perennial. In other areas, it is grown as an annual. Sage makes a wonderful bedding plant. The silvery leaves offset other colors in the garden, and the spikes of purple blooms are nice in cut flower arrangements. Both sage and rosemary are perennial. Italian parsley has fine green leaves with a lemony scent; the compact blooms are a bright, sunny yellow. Annual herbs like basil and cilantro can be planted throughout the garden as well.

Whether you are tearing up your lawn or tucking a few edibles into your planters, you can grow some amazing food that will turn your yard into an edible landscape.

Photo By Donovan Govan, via Wikimedia Commons

Eggplant image via Wikipedia