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What Fruits and Vegetables Should I Grow?
To maximize the enjoyment of your landscape, plant the things you enjoy eating. If you love a fresh salad, you might plant leafy greens, tomatoes, and carrots if you have a sweet tooth, plant berries, fruit trees, and melons. Or, if you love to cook, an herb garden can really open your eyes to new flavors growing in your front yard.
What's the Difference Between Perennial Flowers and Annuals?
Consider the time you’re willing to commit to gardening, as some plants require more attention than others. Perennial plants will grow back year after year, even in cold climates, while annual plants will need to be replanted each year. Fruit trees, berries, and many herbs will begin producing on their own again in the spring, while leafy greens, beans, and tomatoes only produce for a season.
Should I Start With Seeds or Plants?
There are two easy ways to start your new edible landscape: buy ready-to-go plants from the nursery or plant seeds and wait for them to pop up. If you’re on a budget and landscaping a large yard, seeds are considerably more affordable. You’ll also have access to a wider variety of unique plants when you buy from seed. If you’re working with a smaller yard or want immediate results, planting purchased plants will create instant beauty and produce food more quickly. Timing is also a factor, as seeds require more time in the ground before the growing season.
Mixing In Flowers
Any edible landscape is made more beautiful, delectably fragrant, and more productive with flowers interspersed with edible plants. Flowers will draw happy bees to your garden to pollinate your edible plants and increase their output. Marigolds are an excellent choice that is affordable, readily available, low maintenance, constantly bloom all summer, and provide stunning pops of orange, yellow, and red. As an added benefit, their scent helps deter unwanted pests and predators from vegetable gardens. If you do purchase marigolds (or any flowers that attract bees, for that matter), make sure you buy organic ones or labeled as not having been treated with insecticides, as these are harmful to the bees. (If you are searching for other pollinator-friendly plantings, these native plants for native bees posters by author Heather Holm are one of the best resources we have found.)
How Often Should You Water Your Plants?
Plants don’t require a whole lot, but they certainly can’t do without a bit of water. If you’re not up to regular watering by hand, consider installing a drip irrigation system that will keep your plants happy. Drip irrigation is also an excellent way to conserve water rather than using sprinklers or hoses. Rain barrels can also help you capture rainwater from your roof to have water readily available for plantings.
Make Use of Mulch
Adding mulch around your edible plants is an excellent way to reduce weeding requirements, protect the roots from the heat, help plants retain more moisture, and add more color to your landscape. Red or black bark can do wonders for adding rich color between leafy greens, and reflective mulch will bring more sunlight and warmth to plants in shady areas.
Don’t Forget to Decorate
Once you’ve got your edible plants in the ground, you can continue adding to your landscape's visual appeal with yard décor. This is truly the time to let your personality shine through. You might consider adding in lawn statues, birdbaths, feeders, wine bottles, wood barrels, galvanized tubs, cattle troughs, wind chimes, stone, brick, or even handmade crafts from children, friends, and local boutiques. The opportunities are endless!
What Vegetables and Fruits Grow Best in the Shade?
When choosing vegetables and fruits for your garden, it's essential to be mindful of the amount of sunlight your garden receives. It's important to be mindful that not all plants require constant daylight and thrive in the shade. Check the tags and plant descriptions for more information before you plant them. Below is a list of fruits and vegetables that prefer the shade:
Leafy Greens
- Lettuce
- Kale
- Spinach
- Arugula
- Fenugreek
- Pak choi
Herbs
- Mint
- Ginger
- Dill
- Cilantro
- Celery
- Parsley
- Chives
- Mustard
- Basil
Root Vegetables
- Potatoes
- Carrots
- Beets
What Vegetables and Fruits Grow in Dry Soil?
Many us live in drought conditions. If your town doesn’t get much rain, you might consider planting drought-tolerant edible plants that make a beautiful landscape and produce food with minimal watering requirements. These herbs, fruits and vegetables include:
Herbs
- Sage
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Oregano
- Tarragon
Fruit
- Pomegranate
- Grapes
- Limes
- Lemons
- Oranges
- Tangerines
- Grapefruit
- Kumquat
- Raspberries
Vegetables
- Corn
- Fennel
- Green beans
- Fava beans
- Tomatillos
- Peppers
- Artichokes
- Sugar Snap Peas
Grow Food, Not Lawns
A grassy lawn consumes a great deal of water and time in regular mowing. Instead, consider planting a beautiful edible landscape, represents your unique personality, and will provide you and your family baskets full of delicious, homegrown fruit, vegetables, and herbs. Tell us about your own edible landscapes and your favorite plants to grow below!
Laura Bourland
Laura grew up in the California suburbs, far removed from environmentalism, but nature always has a way. She uprooted her life in 2015, moving to the countryside of Washington to live a more sustainable and simple life on 12 acres. She and her fiancee are learning on the job as they attempt everything from gardening and natural pest control to eco-friendly building and home improvement.
