Four Tips on Edible Landscaping
For years homeowners kept their vegetable and flower gardens separate, but now many people are rethinking that rule, and adding herbs, fruits and vegetables to the landscape is a hot new trend. Get four tips on edible landscaping in this Lowe’s video:
If you want a garden that is as delicious as it is decorative, edible landscaping is the way to go. Here are four tips for turning your yard into a farmers market:
1. By-the-door herb garden: Nothing says summer like the fresh taste of herbs. Planting herbs by the door allows you to quickly run out snip a few leaves to add flavor and seasoning to your dishes. Homegrown herbs are easy to grow and are cheaper than purchasing them at the grocery store. It’s great way to add basil, thyme and oregano to your summer salads and fresh pizza.
2. Think small: Plant dwarf varieties of fruits and vegetables. Patio tomatoes fit into any landscape. Plant them in a sunny location and support them with a bright colorful cage, and they will bloom for you all summer, producing tomatoes for salads and BLTs. Fig and kumquat are beautiful tress that fit well into any landscape. They’re covered with flowers in the spring and draped with fruit in the summer and work well in containers. Some trees like apples need to be planted in pairs so they will cross-pollinate.
3. Edge walkways and garden beds with fruit: Strawberries are hardy and delicious and make great edging plants along landscape beds, and you’ll have tasty red berries to pick during the summer. Strawberries are small enough to fit into containers and window boxes, and since they are perennials they will come back year after year.
4. Plant tall herbs and vegetables in your flower gardens: Swiss chard has colorful stems and lush green leaves and are delicious when chopped up and sauteed with olive oil. Chives is anoher good plant to add as they have nice foliage and beautiful edible flowers with a peppery taste in the spring. Because they are in the onion family, they are not bothered by rabbits or deer.