Money Can Grow On Trees With Edible Landscaping

Edible landscaping

Money might not grow on trees, but that doesn’t mean your trees and yard can’t save you money! Incorporating edible landscaping into all or part of your yard can give you the best of both worlds – a beautiful yard that also produces vegges or herbs for your kitchen.

Edible landscaping with vegetables

Using vegetables to create edible landscaping in your yard can be as beautiful as it is practical. Don’t believe me? Take a look at some pictures of historic European gardens. There is no denying they know what they are doing when it comes to efficiently using space while still creating an elegant yard.

Vegetables are a great way to add an unexpected pop of color and unusual texture to your flower beds and yard. Pole beans have lovely heart shaped leaves and will climb just about anything. Hot peppers ripen into bold, rich colors that complement many annual flowers.

Leafy greens and all the many colored plants that are perfect for salads are easy to slip in with the rest of your landscaping. Lettuces, for example, come in so many different colors and do well in window boxes. They can also be added to flower beds as edging plants. Some mustard greens and kale have beautiful colors in the fall and are a great way to add color late in the year.

If you’re still not sure about adding veggies to your flower beds, why not add edible flowers? Nasturtiums and violas are both edible and are a pretty addition to salads.

Edible landscaping with fruit trees and shrubs

With so many delicious fruits that are easy to grow, why not add a few to your yard?

Blueberries, currant bushes and raspberries are all fairly easy to grow and are pretty enough to be used decoratively.

Strawberries make excellent edging plants and provide good ground cover. They can be planted in long rows along the edges of flower beds or in a sunny area where you need ground cover. In the spring, they are covered in white flowers and in the fall, their leaves turn a rich russet color.

If you don’t have room for a full sized fruit tree in your yard, check out the new miniature and dwarf varieties that are now available. Some grow to be only four to five feet tall and can easily be grown in a large pot or barrel.

Edible landscaping with herbs

There is nothing like having fresh herbs on hand to add a little something extra to your cooking. It’s even better when those herbs are just out your front door.

Many herbs are versatile and can be grown successfully in pots or among other plants. Rosemary is one of the most decorative herbs. It can be shaped into clever topiaries and can be grown in pots or directly in the ground. Basil, tarragon, sage, chives and many other can all be mixed together in indoor or outdoor plantings.

Herbs like mint, oregano, and prostrate rosemary and chamomile all make excellent ground cover. Keep an eye on them though so they don’t get out of hand and take over the rest of your yard. Thyme is also an excellent groundcover for hot, sunny, dry areas. It forms a dense mat of foliage and does well among pavers or flagstones.

Summer Lawn Care Tips

Summer lawn care doesn’t have to be a big chore. While you might not have much luck growing new grass in the middle of the summer, but you can take some simple steps to care for the lawn that you have. Here are some tips for keeping your lawn looking it’s best through the summer months without relying on harmful chemicals or abundant watering.

Smart grass selection

The first step in summer lawn care is choosing the right grass for your lawn. If you’re replacing or reseeding your lawn, first do a little research to make sure the grass you plant will do well in your yard. Consider your area’s natural average rainfall and the amount of sunlight your yard receives. You’ll also want to choose a type of grass that will thrive in your soil.

Wise watering

No matter where you are or how much rain you’re receiving, it’s always wise to water as little as possible. The amount of water lawns need varies by the type of grass you have and how hot it is. To keep track of how much water your lawn has been receiving, keep a rain gauge out to measure water received from rainfalls.

If your lawn needs to be water, water deeply and less frequently to encourage drought-tolerant roots. Early and late in the day are ideal times to water because you’ll lose less to evaporation.

Also, consider adding a rain barrel to your yard. Rain barrels capture roof rainwater that can be used for watering lawns and flowers.

Proper mowing

It seems people either love or hate mowing the lawn. No matter how you feel about it, when you mow, you should be doing it in the way that is healthiest for your grass. Raise your mower blades to keep your grass drought-tolerant. Longer grass also develops deeper roots and provides shade to prevent weed seeds from germinating.

Instead of bagging your lawn clippings, leaving them on the lawn to keep moisture levels steady.

Keep your blades sharp so that they cut the grass instead of tearing it, and mow regularly to prevent cutting more than a 1/3 of the grass at one time.

Control those weeds!

Summer is the time that weeds love to start blooming. Keep them under control and do you future-self a favor by removing them before they have a chance to disperse next year’s seeds. As tempting as it is to use chemicals on weeds, in the hotter months, chemicals can be damaging to already stressed lawns, and it’s better to pull any weeds that pop up.

Monthly Archives: August 2015