Edible Landscapesby Alex Barcia

Blog, Horticulture March 4, 2010 8:49 am

You can’t eat your lawn, but those hedges look delicious.

A new trend is rising.  Edible landscapes are becoming more popular, and many growers are taking advantage of the opportunity.  “New Trend” does not always indicate a new concept, however.  Considered by many a pioneer in the field of Edible Landscaping, Rosalind Creasy has been revolutionizing the way many of us think about gardening since 1970.  On her website, Rosalind shows how growing your own food can be easy, inexpensive, AND attractive.  A quick Google search for “edible landscape” reveals the rest of the story.  This trend has caught on.

The concept is simple.  Imagine a cozy cottage in the French countryside.  No doubt, beside it your mind’s eye painted a quaint potager garden just outside the kitchen window, likely a Garden overloaded with a bounty of herbs and vegetables.   The edible landscape movement takes a step outside the confines of the white picket garden fence and includes many edibles throughout the landscape.

In Feb, 2009 USA Today reported a boom in vegetable seed sales, a trend that moves inversely to the economy.  Recessions typically = gardens.    This trend, however, steps beyond the typical gardener’s battle with growing their own tomatoes and peppers.  This trend invites the shocking red ribs of a Swiss chard to share a prominent position beside the peppery bite of a nasturtium, and displays them prominently in the entryway flower bed intermingled with classic ornamentals.

The trend has led long term ornamental growers to propagate blueberry hedge rows, container citrus, and countless edible flowers and herbs to name a few.  Today, a tastefully decorated landscape can brighten your day and make your mouth water.

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