A Perennial Edible Garden

[Michael Grove]

Foodscaping; A New Way To Create A Garden

The herbaceous edible plants (perennial and annual vegetables, herbs, edible flowers and medicinal plants) can be arranged very creatively at the base of shrubs and trees. It is possible to associate edible plants the same way one creates an ornamental border, according to their height, shape, texture and colour.

To facilitate the maintenance of edible landscaping, it is advisable to plant herbs and perennial vegetables. Among the most easy to grow perennial edibles are the Egyptian onion (Allium cepa var. proliferum), a perennial plant that is a good substitute for the common onion; skirret (Sium sisarum), which has a sweet and long white root that looks like parsnip; sea kale (Crambe maritima), whose fleshy leaves have a concentrated taste of cabbage, and Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosum), whose artichoke-flavoured root is very rich in fructans – considered as prebiotics that participate in the balance of the intestinal flora – and is a wonderful substitute for potato. However, this plant is particularly aggressive, so it is necessary to install it in a large pot buried in the ground or to surround it with a thick metal border.

The principle of foodscaping is simple because it involves designing gardens in which edible plants are grown. By making your own edible landscaping, you will be able to create a functional and ecological living environment that will allow you to produce organic, fresh, tasty and inexpensive food!

Nut trees, fruit trees and shrubs, perennial or tropical vegetables, herbs, edible flowers and medicinal plants; any of these has its place in edible landscaping. They have the ability to produce vegetables and fruits in abundance, year after year, with little maintenance. As it is the case for permaculture, edible landscaping is also a sustainable ecosystem that respects living creatures in which interventions are minimal.

 

                                        Albert Mondor - Garden Culture Magazine 

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[Michael Grove]

Container Foodscaping

Since more than 75% of North American and European populations now live in urban settings, many of them do not have a lot of space to create a garden. They must grow edible plants in pots on balconies, terraces, roofs or even walls. Several small edible plant varieties have been developed in recent years to be grown in containers. Furthermore, various shrubs such as raspberries, honeyberries and sea buckthorns, as well as some herbaceous plants such as chives (Allium schoenoprasum), marjoram (Origanum majorana) and several species of rambling stonecrops (Sedum) easily survive harsh winters in northern America and Europe, especially if they are grown in textile pots (like Smart pot) promoting excellent drainage and some insulation.