Grow edible edging plants for borders along your property lines for fresh edible foodscaping crops all year round.
Borders are great places to make use of permanent or perennial plants. An even better idea is to make sure they’re edible!
First off, consider your neighbors. Do they spray anything poisonous on or near the border between you? If so, you may need to create a barrier that prevents the spray from crossing into your space, or talk to them and offer to keep the adjoining area trimmed in exchange for them not spraying.
Also consider your animal neighbors, tame or wild. To keep them out, you may want a fence. In some areas, a short fence or an electric fence will work, while in the case of deer or elk, you may need a tall, welded-wire fence or a board fence. Plant your borders a few feet in from the fence if you’ve had problems with animals reaching into your space and browsing.
Plants for Edible Foodscaping
Before you plant, outline your goals. Are you hoping to shield your property from neighbors or a highway? If so, consider planting layered borders, starting with trees and working down in height. If you want a hedge, consider a thick line of bramble fruits. Mulch on both sides of the hedges for easier caretaking. A good method for creating a hedge is to run a fence and plant both sides with bramble fruit, tying them up as they grow. If you’re wanting a windbreak, plant serviceberry shrubs in a thick row. These will form a wonderfully dense wall.
Fruit Trees
Fruit trees are a fantastic option for borders. Choose trees on dwarf or semidwarf rootstock. They’ll produce fruit sooner than standard-size trees, and they’ll also be easier for you to maintain and harvest. Many fruit trees need staking, especially during the first few years of their life as their root systems develop, so if you have a sturdy fence already, stake your fruit trees right to it. Apple trees that are resistant to different pests and diseases are good choices. Get your stock from a reputable nursery, as these usually have replacement guarantees. Try ‘Freedom’ and ‘Liberty’ apples, ‘D’Anjou’ and ‘Bartlett’ pears, ‘Elberta’ peaches (self-pollinating), and ‘Bing’ and ‘Van Sweet’ cherries. Wild crab apple trees could also make a great fence row, as they’ll help pollinate your apple tree orchard and provide a tasty jelly. Redbud or serviceberry shrubs can make attractive edges for your yard while helping your pollinators and yielding fruit. Pick trees suited to your climate, and don’t plant trees that’ll grow taller than you can handle. Keep your border trees pruned properly to reduce dead limbs, maintain the proper size, and promote optimal fruit production.
Shrubs and Bramble Fruits
Next come shrubs, including blueberries and bramble fruits, such as blackberries and raspberries. Plant these to form a thick hedge, or weave them onto split-rail fences for support. Blueberries generally won’t need support, but bramble fruits will benefit from a fence; it’ll keep them tidier and easier to reach. Choose cultivars that are excellent producers, such as ‘Misty’ and ‘Darrow’ blueberries; ‘Ouachita’ and ‘Prime-Ark’ blackberries; ‘Killarney Red’ and ‘Prelude’ raspberries; and ‘Adams,’ ‘Johns,’ and ‘Nova’ elderberries. Make sure your soil will benefit all of your plants, or grow them in levels if one has different soil requirements than the others.
Herbs and Flowers
Then come flowers and herbs. Try mullein, coneflowers, lavender, rosemary, mints, lemon balm, bee balm, and sage. These plants are hardy, do well with limited watering, and can be used in teas, tinctures, or soaps and lotions. In winter, mulch around the plants to help them get through the colder months.
Layer with Protective Plants
The next layer can be made up of strawberries, horseradish, or even garlic bulbs. While you’ll harvest the bulbs on garlic and the roots on horseradish each year, you can also just plant some back in as you dig so they regenerate. Strawberries can form a lovely, thick mat if planted in front of all of your other border plants. These will naturally spread each year. I like delicious ‘Ozark Beauty,’ ‘Honeoye,’ ‘Earliglow,’ and ‘Eversweet.’ Horseradish produces roots that can be dug in fall and processed into pungent condiments. My favorite types include common and bohemian. Garlic is a beloved plant for both culinary and medicinal uses. Try ‘Elephant,’ ‘German Extra Hardy,’ and ‘California White.’
Add Trees and Arbors
You could also add arbors with grapes, climbing roses, and nut trees. The nut trees will need a larger growing area and will create more shade, though you can go with smaller ones. Be leery of planting invasives or plants that’ll overtake your area. (For example, you might need to plant mints or bee balm in a tub buried in the ground to contain them.)
Take your property lines to the next level and make your edible borders work for you!
Originally published as “Grow Edible Borders” in the December 2024/January 2025 issue of MOTHER EARTH NEWS magazine and regularly vetted for accuracy.
