It's beautiful, it's edible, it's in your own backyard ... it's edible landscaping!

The words "edible landscaping" are fairly self-explanatory and might bring to mind annual gardens, apple orchards, or family farms. However, the aesthetic and practice of "edible landscaping" is a bit different from these traditional approaches to food production. Edible landscaping makes use of small spaces while valuing the beauty and uniqueness of each individual plant in addition to the productivity. Fruit-bearing plants might stand alone as a specimen tree or be clustered in patches depending on their habit and your space. Edibles might be interspersed with ornamentals. What's more, edible landscaping doesn't require a move to the country or a phototropic sleep pattern. It only requires a sense of aesthetic, an appreciation for eating fresh fruit outside in your bath-robe, a once or twice a year prune-job, and a bit of strategic planning. In fact, the strategizing part is the most time-intensive aspect, but if that part is done well then the rest is easy!

The many options of what we can grow in Southern Appalachia and north Georgia make this endeavor all the more appealing. There are all sizes, shapes, colors, and species of wild native plants, traditional homestead plants, and exotic delicacies to choose from. Regardless of the look and feel of your yard, there are food-bearing plants and trees to go with it.

The first step is picking a location and deciding what can grow there. Do you have enough space for a single tree with a spreading canopy, or do you need one that grows more erect or compact? Do you have room for a little cluster of three to six dwarf trees? Are you on the edge of a forested plot that could be fronted with native fruit and nut trees or under-storied with herbs and shrubs? Do you need a hedgerow to create a defining barrier? Do you have a tall picket or lattice fence surrounding your yard that could trellis some sort of vine? Maybe you only have a little patch of five feet to each side of your pathway. Whether your yard is only 25 square feet or an acre or more, you have room for something wonderful and delicious to grow there.

Having figured out the site and dimensions of your growing space, begin to tune in to the elements in relation to your chosen spot. What is the sun's path and how many hours of sun and shade fall there? What casts its shadow on that spot and where will the shadow of your prospective plant or tree fall on other things? How much protection from wind is there at that site? Is it near a wall of the house that might radiate heat; or, conversely, is the spot a sink for frosts? Does the water table seem particularly high or low there? Begin a list of these observations. They will help you hone in on the perfect plants for your site.

Also consider these factors: how far is your prime site from your house's foundation, your watering source, and your daily path of travel? These three points are very important when deciding how big and how care-intensive a plant to select. If your life is full and busy, as most people's are, you will want to make the maintenance aspect of your edible landscaping endeavor as efficient as possible, meaning you can reach your plants with a hose and you will see them everyday so you don't forget about them. However, with consideration to your house's foundation, a general rule of thumb among plants is that the roots will usually tend to spread as far as the canopy. Tree roots are adapted to the practice of breaking down stone and will have no problem puncturing your cement block foundation, so leave a wide berth for the trees' maximum growth!

The last point of consideration in this phase of the process is harvesting and mess. When it comes time for harvest, be ready to can up or give away lots and lots of fruit! Some plants are so heartily productive that they leave a feeding ground for vermin and other pests (like wasps) if you cannot keep up with the harvest. Plants of this order should obviously be grown with a bit more distance from your house.

You may want your yard to produce food for wildlife and select plants accordingly, but just consider what kinds of critters you are inviting and how close you want them to be to your house. How much space do you need for your project? The size of your growing space will dictate which types of plants you can choose amongst because some trees are sexed and require others of their kind for pollination. If you only have enough room for one plant, be sure to ask the nursery grower whether your cultivar is self-fertilizing or not. Knowing all this-and that we live in Hardiness Zones 6 and 7-you should be able to navigate through just about any edible plant catalog and make an educated decision!

Once you have selected what to grow, you must prepare the soil. The first step to soil preparation for anything is getting a soil test. You can do this through private companies, university labs, or the state agricultural extension service. It's a simple process. They will provide you with appropriate boxes to put your samples in and clear, easy instructions to follow. The test results will tell you what sort of mineral amendments your soil Knight need. They should also tell you whether or not there are dangerous toxicity levels in the soil, which is very important if you will be growing anything for food purposes.

Having chosen a perfect site, prepped the soil, and planted the perfect tree, bush, or vine; you might consider companion plants. These can be plants that nourish your primary plant, repel pests, or attract beneficial insects and pollinators. You might also consider ornamentals with blooms of a complimenting color or that bloom at a different point in the season than your central specimen. Remember when you first plant anything, especially trees, that for the first two weeks to a month you should water diligently. Usually after that point, the roots are well enough established to get by on rainfall and moderate watering.

The only other point of consideration is pruning. Most nurseries can give you a printed plant-care pamphlet specific to your selection that lets you know how much to prune and where to cut. Pruning can be done either in early spring or in the fall, again depending on the plant in question and if you are trying to train it to a specific habit.

Although edible landscaping is not typically undertaken as a market-garden endeavor, the amount of food that a single fruit tree can yield is likely to be beyond your capacity for personal consumption, leaving you with plenty of free and delicious food to share or barter with friends and neighbors or to preserve for the winter. Organize a block party in which everyone in your neighborhood picks a different fruit to grow, and turn your block into an urban oasis! Oh, and try to convince someone to keep a beehive for pollination! With some good neighborly relations and just one tree in each yard, the potential for feasting on fresh fruit while saving on grocery bills could be astounding. Undoubtedly, the beauty and the bounty will be appreciated by all.... happy growing!

These plants are all suitable for growing in our region, but always check the hardiness of any specific cultivar before purchasing:

WILD NATIVE FOOD PLANTS. For the Low-maintenance landscape: Fruit/Nut Trees: Pawpaws American Persimmons, Hazelnuts, Beechnuts, Redbud 

Bushes/Shrubs/Hedges: Wineberries, Raspberries, Gooseberries, Chinquapin, Juneberries

Vines: Passionflower, Muscadines, Sweet Potato Vine, American Groundnut 

Perennial/Biennial Plants: Daylilies, Ramps, Yarrow

Annual Plants: Lamb's Quarters

Groundcovers: Strawberries, Violets, Purslane, Watercress, Wood-sorrel, Chickweed (my favorite!)

TRADITIONAL FOOD PLANTS. For the cottage garden aesthetic:

Fruit/Nut Trees: Elderberries, Mulberries, Apples, Cherries, European Plums, Pears, Peaches

Bushes/Shrubs/Hedges: Blueberries, Viburnum, Thornless Blackberries, Currants, Vines: Scarlet Runner Beans, Snap Peas, Black Grapes

Perennial/Biennial Plants: Rosemary, Rhubarb, Creeping Thyme, Sage, Asparagus, Sun-chokes, Chives 

Annual Plants: Basil, Peppers, Okra, Peas, Sunflowers, Nasturtiums,

Groundcovers: Alpine Strawberries, Mint, Buckwheat, Lingonberries

EXOTIC EDIBLE PLANTS. For the highly stylized aesthetic:

Fruit/Nut Trees: Figs, Quinces, Apricots, Asian Persimmons, Jujube, Siberian Seaberry, Heartnut, Gingko 

Bushes/Shrubs/Hedges: Russian Pomegranate, Jostaberry, Che Fruit, Flying Dragon Trifoliate Orange, Rugosa Roses

Vines: Hardy Kiwi, Schisandra, Cherry Tomatoes, Hops Perennial/Biennial Plants: Egyptian Walking Onion, Ostrich Fern

Annual Plants and Groundcovers: Mesclun Mixes, Radicchio, Borage, Teaberries

HELPFUL SOURCES

For Edible Plantstock: Useful Plants Nursery, Black Mountain, NC 828-669-1759 [e-mail]

Niche Gardens, Chapel Hill, NC 919-967-0078 www.nichegardens.com

Edible Landscaping, Afton, VA 800-524-4156 www.ediblelandscaping.com

For Soil Testing:

North Carolina Cooperative Extension: www.ces.ncsu.edu

North Carolina Dept. of Agriculture, Raleigh, NC: www.agr.state.nc.us/agronomi/sthome.htm

Froehling & Robertson, Inc., Asheville, NC [phone]

Soil, Plant, and Water Analysis Laboratory University of Georgia, Athens GA: www.peachcounty.net/soil.cfm

Soil & Environmental Testing Service Atlanta, GA: www.setsinternational.com

Brandi Hubiak has managed several organic C.S.A's (community supported agriculture) in the past and lived/farmed in several eco-village communities. She currently resides in Asheville and runs a small organic landscape/garden design business called Garden Graces. Contact her at 828-712-2609.