EDIBLE LANDSCAPING
(Page 2 of 3)
. . . and Beauty
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I started experimenting early on with unusual gardening and
landscaping techniques, colorful vegetables, and exotic
food plants. My work—and the work of other
edible-landscapers—has begun to prove that landscapes
can be ornamental and tasty, colorful and useful.
When my landscape maintenance business first began, I took
care of completely ornamental landscapes. Over time, more
and more clients wanted vegetable gardens, but I noticed
that too often the vegetable garden was treated like a
second-class landscape, hidden away behind the dog pen or
garage.
I soon realized there is nothing second-class about food
plants, and that I could design and plant an edible and
gorgeous landscape. The beauty and variety of a
well-designed edible landscape really impress my clients
and their friends and visitors.
A good traditional ornamental landscape combines colors,
textures, smells, and sounds, but usually neglects flavors.
Your edible landscape will stimulate all the
senses—fragrant daylilies for the flower order that
can be used in salads or stuffed with herb cheeses, a
colorful ground cover of a variegated gold and green thyme
for soups and casseroles, a soft herbal sitting bench
planted with chamomile that can be harvested for tea, a
cool, relaxing arbor laden with the fruits of kiwi vines
and grapevines. The possibilities are endless.
There are hundreds of examples of food plants that add
color to your landscape:
Vegetables . . .
Ornamental kale provides a spectacular display of fall and
spring color, and it has the same taste as garden kale. In
the photograph on page 40, the ornamental kale is planted
among lettuce for a beautiful contrast in color and form.
Ruby chard, `Romanesco' broccoli, nasturtiums, and
`Radicchio' (an Italian red-leaved chicory) are all true
ornamentals, and they're edible too.
Liberated from the conventional garden, colorful vegetables
have a place in the edible landscape .
. . . and Perennial Edibles
There are many perennial edibles that have as much color as
ornamentals.
The silver-grey highlights of artichokes and the bold
pattern of their leaves are as dramatic a show as any plant
makes.
