Edible Landscaping - Gear up for the season
It's the first really nice weekend in a long time! We are supposed to get highs in the 60's and lows just above freezing. Spring fever is kicking in at Linwell Farms!
This is the time of year to get some plantings in. For anything that is cold sensitive it's still too early, but for shrubs, trees, bulbs and some plants it's just the time to get them in.
While we have our area that is just garden where we plant our edibles, we also mix edible plants into the rest of the landscape. We love to have the yard look great and lush throughout the year, and many of these plants are just as beautiful as their ornamental counterparts. We also set up our raised bed gardens in a formal fashion, with a cooking and socializing areas in the middle - just because it is intended for food productions doesn't mean it can serve a second function: a place to relax and enjoy great weather...and maybe reach out and grab a bite to eat while we are there! We do a good many cookouts and dinners in the garden during the warmer seasons.
Back to edible landscaping...
Our side yard has a small blueberry hedge, two Asian persimmons, a grape vine growing a long a fence we share with our neighbor (he gets what grows on his side!), a pear tree, pomegrate and mint.
Our front yard has three fig trees, oregano and mint a long borders for a couple beds, a patch of cilantro and a few basil plants.
Our porch as planters and pots - we fill those with a mix of flowers, but also herbs including sage, basil, thyme and strawberries.
Our backyard (outside the formal garden) has fruit trees including figs, pears, peaches, plums, apples, nectarines as well as berries: blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries.
The fruit trees not only produce fruit, but the flower in the early spring just like ornamental fruit trees. They also attract butterflies and other pollinators. The berries flower as well - and all of them are quite fragrent.
In the front the mint and oregano create hearty borders and are very draught resistent. The basils we let grow and flower (typicallly you'd pinch the flower tops off all season). We plant Thai and Purple basils, they are absolutely beautiful and will grow during the summer to the size of a small shrub. The sage will do the same, and Pineapple Sage will produce vibrant crimson flowers late summer through earlly fall.
So when you head to the garden center or nursery to gear up for your spring plantings, consider adding some spice and flavor to your landscape! It'll be every bit as beautiful as if you hadn't and had gone with the typical garden options that we all love so much, plus you'll have some dining options while cooking!
