3 Edible Plants You Can Incorporate Into Your Landscape Design
If you're like most people, you love the idea of going out into your own yard and coming back with something delicious and nutritious for the family table. However, you may also feel that you don't really have the time and/or energy to cultivate, maintain, and harvest a traditional vegetable garden. In the past, most yards had two distinct areas — one for ornamental plants and another for food-producing plants. In recent years, however, the lines have become blurred as more and more homeowners wish to grow a few edible plants in their yard without having to tend a designated vegetable garden. Fortunately, there are many plants that produce edible food that won't distract from the aesthetic of your landscape design strategy. The following are three of the many edible items you can include in your outdoor living space that offer both form and function.
Cherry Tomatoes
Most people think of tomatoes as plants that need to be located near the back of the property where they can't interfere with curb appeal, but cherry tomatoes are winsome, appealing plants that fit in with any ornamental landscape. They're especially attractive when grown in hanging baskets. As an added bonus, you'll be able to enjoy them right off of the vine without having to worry that they've been damaged by slugs or other pests that live in the soil — when they're in hanging baskets, they're above all that.
Blueberries
Blueberries are medium-sized shrubs that are related to rhododendrons, and in the spring, they're completely covered with beautiful white flowers. Bright blue fruit appears during mid-to-late summer depending on the variety of blueberries you've planted and local climate conditions, and their leaves turn red in autumn. You'll also be rewarded with an abundance of fresh, ripe blueberries for several weeks, and you'll be able to freeze or can any that are left over. Keep in mind that you'll need to plant at least three blueberry plants because they aren't self-pollinating — they'll need other plants nearby to turn their flowers into fruit.
Rhubarb
With its huge leaves and red stalks, rhubarb is visually striking enough to be used as a specimen plant. It grows fairly large for non-woody perennial, especially in areas with mild winters where it can be planted early for a good head start. Perhaps best of all, rhubarb has a harvest period of about 10 weeks once the plants become fully established.
Contact a landscape design service for more information.