This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
DESIGNING A LANDSCAPE THAT PROVIDES I


n a memorandum regarding his years of service to his country, Thomas Jeff erson wrote, “the great- est service that can be rendered to


any country is to add a useful plant to its culture.” Combining the desire for getting back to the earth and reducing not only one’s waistlines but also their carbon foot- print, more and more new homebuyers are feeling their oats in purchasing homes with productive landscapes. Here in the Southeast, with warmer and sunnier win- ters, the edible landscaping trend provides more opportunities to grow useful and delicious fruits and vegetables year-round. In the Sixties, the organic vegetarian


lifestyle, living off the land with the help of the Foxfi re series and Mother Jones maga- zine, was all the rage. What was old is new again, with current trends in gastronomy featuring open-air fresh vegetable markets, heirloom vegetables and a kaleidoscope of new colorful peppers, beans and tomatoes. “Vegetables are the new meat,” cited New York Magazine’s Restaurants column last fall. Vegivores are setting the style, espe- cially among millennials (the next genera- tion of home buyers). They’re interested in expanding their culinary interests into the backyard.


Seeds of Success Sustainable landscapes are at the lead- ing edge of outdoor design. Why be left behind? If you do decide to include edible components in a plan, this needs to be discussed from the start of the overall design process. Site assessment before the home is started will determine if there are any species—especially natives—already on-site that can be incorporated into the de- sign, or moved properly and held off -site to be used in fi nal stages. Budgeting for land- scaping material, effi cient irrigation and installation costs should be determined up front, so that by the time the home is near- ing completion, there’s still adequate fund- ing for fruit trees and pond features. The initial landscape concept and de-


sign could still change during the construc- tion phases, of course, but in order to cre- ate a viable and sustainable landscape, the landscaper will need to start early, to iden- tify specifi c fruit and vegetable cultivars, especially if species are out of season or


There are many ways to incorporate edible plants into a landscape. Even if you’re rebuilding existing gardens, natives and non-native edible plants can be scattered randomly throughout the beds, as an exciting and useful alternative to traditional ho-hum plant selections.


EDGE FLOWERS


Flowers such as roses, daylilies, gingers, hibiscuses and violets—and annuals such as pansies, nasturtiums and sunflower are edible. They can be planted alongside seasonal vegetables such as beans, broccoli, cabbage and lettuce.


EXOTICS


In the South, conventionally-accepted tropical plants such as avocado (shown) are a good backyard option. Bananas, varieties of Barbados cherry, carambola, lychee, jackfruit, mulberry or moringa are also good prospects.


NATURAL HEDGES


To separate properties, typical hedge selections, such as viburnums, ligustrums and boxwoods can be exchanged for blueberries, thorn-less blackberries and raspberries.


Photo: ourhomeworks.com


Photo: pollsby.com Photo: buzzle.com


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68