Perfect Edible Landscaping Ideas for Every Space

Fruits and vegetables don’t get any fresher than when they grow right on your property. And they can create quite beautiful scenery as well. When you have your own edible landscape, you can enjoy its artistic aesthetic while simultaneously indulging in the freshest produce imaginable! Edible garden landscaping may seem like a huge undertaking, but with guidance from The Grounds Guys®, you may find it much easier than expected. Explore our edible landscaping ideas, and you’re sure to find the inspiration to get started!

What Is Edible Landscaping?

So, what is edible landscaping? In short, it's a sustainable garden filled with vegetables, fruits, edible flowers, and culinary herbs. Your design can include a mix of ornamental plants and tasty edibles. Are you just beginning to get dirt underneath your fingernails? Don't worry. You can start small by growing one or two edible landscape plants.

Why Landscape with Edibles?

In addition to being beautiful to look at and providing you with the freshest ingredients for cooking up delectable dishes, there are many benefits of an edible landscape.

When you grow edibles in your garden, you know the exact source of your food. That means you get to take control of a part of your food supply. You can ensure that chemicals aren’t sprayed on your favorite edibles and know what you are putting into your body.

Landscaping with edibles can also be an educational experience for you and your family. Getting together with your children to discuss edible landscaping ideas will spark their creativity—it’s an excellent way to connect your family with the food they eat. Kids can learn how some foods are grown and how to harvest, prepare, and preserve homegrown edibles. It’s a win-win for all.

Great Plants to Consider for Your Edible Landscape

One of the first things you need to consider when thinking about edible landscaping ideas is what to grow in your garden. Keep in mind that there are cool-season and warm-season crops. Want to grow vegetables? Most vegetables you can grow are annuals and will start from seed. If you’re a newbie to gardening, you’ll be glad to know that seed packets usually provide the valuable information you’ll need, such as timing, how deep to plant, growing conditions, and which days to harvest.

We’ve put together a list of edible landscape plants below. Do keep in mind that what you can grow depends on your region’s plant hardiness zone. It’s also a smart idea to select plants for edible landscaping that aren’t too appealing to wildlife. With that said, here are just some of the fantastic plants that you can grow and eat:

Fruits

• Blueberries
• Apples
• Peaches
• Pears
• Plums
• Cherry
• Kiwi
• Grapes
• Raspberries
• Blackberries
• Strawberries

Vegetables

• Beans
• Eggplant
• Kale
• Tomatoes
• Carrots
• Asparagus
• Lettuce
• Eggplant
• Chard

Edible Flowers

• Garlic flowers
• Basil
• Chives
• Dill
• Lavender
• Rosemary
• Blooming onion

Additional Tips for Creating an Edible Landscape

Now that you know which plants to consider, you can move on to learning how to go about planting them for the most desirable results. The following tips will help ensure your edible landscaping success.

Group Plants with Similar Needs Together

You want to make growing edibles easier, not harder. So, when designing your landscape with edibles, it’s always a good move to group edible landscape plants with similar needs. Some plants need more water than others, and grouping similar ones together makes watering them much easier. It can lighten your workload and give your plants the correct amount of moisture for survival.

Use Companion Planting

Edible garden landscaping is fun and rewarding. However, if your goal is to have a high yield of edibles, practice companion planting! It’s one of the best ways to enhance the production of edibles. Other benefits include the following:

• Weed control
• Space saving
• Improved soil health
• Increased pollination
• Attracting beneficial insects
• Pest control

You can try these companion plants for edible landscaping:

• Asparagus with tomatoes, basil, and parsley
• Eggplant with beans and marigolds
• Lettuce with carrots, radishes, strawberries, cucumbers, and onions
• Spinach with strawberries
• Tomatoes with dill, basil, and parsley

Mulch Your Plantings

Using mulch is an excellent way to keep soil healthy. Mulch helps keep weeds at bay, reduces soil water loss, and protects your edible landscape plants against extreme temperatures.

Related Topic: What Does Mulch Do?

Harvest Regularly

Plants love to reproduce, so be sure to harvest regularly. Get to picking, and start enjoying the freshest food on the block. You can always share your harvest and take home the title of neighbor of the year!

Get Creative!

Edible landscaping ideas don’t have to be bland. Use your imagination and make your garden pop with color and an abundance of healthy edibles!

You can add color to a flower border with strawberry plants or rainbow chard. If your garden has lots of yellow and orange plants, growing salad greens is a great way to add contrast and fill in ground space. Consider placing short-blooming plants with tasty blueberry bushes or aromatic rosemary plants. Growing vining fruits on a small arbor or fence can create a beautiful feature!

Let The Grounds Guys Help Your Yard Go Gourmet

Fresh really is best. If you’re excited to create a gorgeous edible landscape on your property, there’s no time like the present to get started. If you’d like professional assistance with making your vision a reality, find your local The Grounds Guys. We’re happy to help.

Our pros can answer your questions, prepare your soil, and design and install a landscape with your favorite edible plants. All of our work is backed by the Neighborly Done Right Promise™, which guarantees your satisfaction.

Tomorrow’s garden starts today. Contact us for a free estimate!