Many of us are lucky to have some space where we can grow food, whether it be a few pots, a small garden bed, or a large yard.
For me, this growing space started out as a plot where my family grew sunflowers, squash, peas and beans.
This year it started to fall apart, so this seemed the perfect opportunity to make another upgrade, getting a greenhouse and four new raised beds (with cedar walls).
Being part of the Reynolds Flexible Studies program, I helped out with the school garden and this was where I first learned about edible landscapes. As the issue of food sustainability becomes increasingly important, and the desire to know where our food comes from is growing, edible landscaping might intrigue you.
Edible landscaping provides you with access to fresh home grown, local food while creating a beautiful garden. However, while you may have access to growing space, you may not be sure where to start.
Edible landscaping is the practice of integrating ornamental plants with edible ones, marrying both beauty and utility. The same principles apply to edible landscaping as they do with ornamental landscaping, such as pairing natural forms with firm straight lines and structure. This way you can eat what you produce without waste and enjoy the ease of the perennial while still making use of your fruits, herbs and vegetables.
If you are just starting edible landscaping you will want to keep it small. Bear in mind edible plants may require more maintenance than ornamental plants with some edible species needing more pruning, feeding, weeding, and watering.
Additional effort comes in the form of harvesting fruit and vegetables.
Gardeners with all shapes and sizes of gardens can benefit from edible landscaping such as a cascading squash plant or a row of fragrant herbs.
The only unsuitable places for plants are where the area gets little to no sun or has very soggy soil. The spots with most sun and rich soil should be reserved for fruit trees and annual vegetables whereas some culinary herbs are hardier such as thyme, rosemary and lavender and will survive dry, sandy soil.
Theoretically any edible can be used with ornamentals in landscaping but some work better than others. Indeterminate tomatoes, with their sprawling nature, work well when they are crawling up right on a rigid trellis. Blueberry and currant bushes work well as decorative shrubs.
Mix in colourful vegetables with flowers like Swiss chard, which comes in many different colours and pairs well when combined with flowers. Humble lettuce works well as edging. Try the variety mixed leafy lettuce for a more interesting colour palette. Kale is also popular for its growth through fall and it makes nice borders, while strawberries and oregano make good ground cover. These are but a few ways to incorporate edibles into your landscape for a beautiful and functional garden.
Hopefully this will help you take advantage of your growing space while contributing to a sustainable ecosystem and better understanding of your food and where it comes from.
– Claire Jorgensen is a Grade 9 student in the Flexible Studies Program at Reynolds secondary.
