Edible Landscape, Creating Visual Interest

One of the great things about the concept of edible landscape is the great variations in visual interest that you can create in your yard ( or on your your porch, deck or patio for that matter). I think that is why I originally started planting edible landscape. I moved into our family farmhouse about thirty years ago and it came with a large, pretty yard that would take most of my time to maintain. It was loaded with Rhodadendrons, azaleas, begonias and a very large annual bed the length of the driveway that had been planted to exactly the same annuals every year since I could remember.

I knew several things right away about that yard. 1. I didn't have the time to take care of it or the money to hire people to do it. 2. It looked a lot like every yard in the area. Everyone planted the rhodies and azeleas and it reminded me of a lot of new subdivisions today. All of the front yards look the same because the same subcontractor designed all of them. 3. Rhodies and azaleas bloom once a year, we get our first hot weather the same week, then they are exceedingly ugly when the blooms fizzle. 4. I never have liked begonias. I used to be the poor fool who got to take care of them when I was growing up and they just don't appeal to me that much. 5. I was bored with that annual bed and I didn't like the colors in it anyway. Pink and yellow (or that much of it anyway) just didn't inspire me to work in my yard.

The begonias, being on the top of the hated list went first. That is what I'd like to write about today. I have some kind of ingrained need for visual diversity. I didn't really want plants that were all the same and in straight rows like the begonias had been. I decided to try to put in an herb garden in that spot. I really knew nothing about herb growing or cooking with them, but it sounded so much more fun than those life sucking begonias. I started slowly, but over the years I have learned that growing something both visually interesting and useful in your landscape can be a lot of fun. It has also led to some great eating.

On my quest to learn more about the herbs I discovered many other great ways to use edible landscape for fun and food. One of the first things I found that gave the yard great visual interest was artichokes. Here was a very unusual looking plant that also yielded an intersting edible flower. I have never really gotten into eating them, but the rest of my family did so I pretty much grow them all the time. They do grow and produce pretty well here if you give them enough water. I have never been much to cover them in the fall (we tend to be real busy with hazelnut harvest then and I just forget) so I have to replant them every 3 or 4 years, but that has given me the opportunity to move them to a different place each time to add interest to a different part of the yard. Wait until my family sees where I'm going to put them this year!

I do recommend trying unusual plants like artichokes. They can be a great addition to your edible landscape.

Grow What you Eat!

One of the great things about the concept of edible landscape is the great variations in visual interest that you can create in your yard ( or on your your porch, deck or patio for that matter). I think that is why I originally started planting edible landscape. I moved into our family farmhouse about thirty years ago and it came with a large, pretty yard that would take most of my time to maintain. It was loaded with Rhodadendrons, azaleas, begonias and a very large annual bed the length of the driveway that had been planted to exactly the same annuals every year since I could remember.

I knew several things right away about that yard. 1. I didn't have the time to take care of it or the money to hire people to do it. 2. It looked a lot like every yard in the area. Everyone planted the rhodies and azeleas and it reminded me of a lot of new subdivisions today. All of the front yards look the same because the same subcontractor designed all of them. 3. Rhodies and azaleas bloom once a year, we get our first hot weather the same week, then they are exceedingly ugly when the blooms fizzle. 4. I never have liked begonias. I used to be the poor fool who got to take care of them when I was growing up and they just don't appeal to me that much. 5. I was bored with that annual bed and I didn't like the colors in it anyway. Pink and yellow (or that much of it anyway) just didn't inspire me to work in my yard.

The begonias, being on the top of the hated list went first. That is what I'd like to write about today. I have some kind of ingrained need for visual diversity. I didn't really want plants that were all the same and in straight rows like the begonias had been. I decided to try to put in an herb garden in that spot. I really knew nothing about herb growing or cooking with them, but it sounded so much more fun than those life sucking begonias. I started slowly, but over the years I have learned that growing something both visually interesting and useful in your landscape can be a lot of fun. It has also led to some great eating.

On my quest to learn more about the herbs I discovered many other great ways to use edible landscape for fun and food. One of the first things I found that gave the yard great visual interest was artichokes. Here was a very unusual looking plant that also yielded an intersting edible flower. I have never really gotten into eating them, but the rest of my family did so I pretty much grow them all the time. They do grow and produce pretty well here if you give them enough water. I have never been much to cover them in the fall (we tend to be real busy with hazelnut harvest then and I just forget) so I have to replant them every 3 or 4 years, but that has given me the opportunity to move them to a different place each time to add interest to a different part of the yard. Wait until my family sees where I'm going to put them this year!

I do recommend trying unusual plants like artichokes. They can be a great addition to your edible landscape.

Grow What you Eat!

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are one of the most rewarding parts of your edible landscape. Fresh tomatoes of any variety taste better than something picked green, shipped for miles then gassed to turn red. Most gardeners have their favorites, small, hybrid or heirloom that they swear by. We offer 36 different kinds of plants so you should be able to find something you'll love to grow.

Tomatoes are either hybrids or open pollinated. Many open pollinated varieties are older and are considered to be heirlooms. Hybrids have had various traits bred into them, from earliness to resistance, to various diseases. Heirlooms are often a little more challenging to grow, but the reward is a full flavored, often colorful, interestingly shaped tomato. We recommend trying some of each to see what you like and what will grow best for you.

We haven't had too much problem with pests on tomatoes except slugs, deer and our Springer Spaniel with a serious tomato addiction. Keeping ripening tomatoes off the ground with good tomato cages or supports discourages slugs. For us, it takes a good fence for the other two pests.

Natural plant resistance and a good sanitation program (removing all dead vines and a 3 year crop rotation) will prevent most fungal diseases. One problem that we have encountered with some varieties is nutritional blossom end rot. If you have our typically acidic Oregon soil, you will need to use bone meal or some other supplement to adjust your soil pH and increase the available calcium. Consult your local garden store for pH test kits and calcium options. I usually use 1/2 c or so of bone meal in the planting hole.

When you take your plants home you should acclimate them in a sheltered area outside for a week or so. Bring them in at night or cover them to project them from frost. After the danger of frost has passed, space each plant 18-30 inches apart depending on the variety. I usually remove the bottom 2-4 leaves and place the plant to cover up to within an inch or two of the next set of leaves. I know that it hard to do, but if your plants have blossoms or tomatoes on them you should remove them. Water them to prevent stress, but try not to get the foliage wet. A drip irrigation system is great because it's an efficient use of the water because you are only watering the plant itself. Also it is a great way to prevent disease because the foliage will not get wet. You can use mushroom compost before planting or a mild fertilizer. A fish fertilizer is a good option for this.

Indeterminate tomatoes definitely need support, but I support all my tomatoes, regardless of their type, with cages to keep their tomatoes off the ground. Keeping the tomatoes off the ground will decrease the likelihood that slugs will eat the fruit. I have my little beer filled "Slug Bars" out where our dog, who is also a lush, can't get to them. Companion planting tomatoes with basil is good, but remember the tomatoes will grow tall so plant the basil on the south side.
Now just remember to keep your tomatoes watered and the deer out of them and you are well on your way to a great crop of fresh tomatoes!

Grow what you eat!!

Tomatoes are one of the most rewarding parts of your edible landscape. Fresh tomatoes of any variety taste better than something picked green, shipped for miles then gassed to turn red. Most gardeners have their favorites, small, hybrid or heirloom that they swear by. We offer 36 different kinds of plants so you should be able to find something you'll love to grow.

Tomatoes are either hybrids or open pollinated. Many open pollinated varieties are older and are considered to be heirlooms. Hybrids have had various traits bred into them, from earliness to resistance, to various diseases. Heirlooms are often a little more challenging to grow, but the reward is a full flavored, often colorful, interestingly shaped tomato. We recommend trying some of each to see what you like and what will grow best for you.

We haven't had too much problem with pests on tomatoes except slugs, deer and our Springer Spaniel with a serious tomato addiction. Keeping ripening tomatoes off the ground with good tomato cages or supports discourages slugs. For us, it takes a good fence for the other two pests.

Natural plant resistance and a good sanitation program (removing all dead vines and a 3 year crop rotation) will prevent most fungal diseases. One problem that we have encountered with some varieties is nutritional blossom end rot. If you have our typically acidic Oregon soil, you will need to use bone meal or some other supplement to adjust your soil pH and increase the available calcium. Consult your local garden store for pH test kits and calcium options. I usually use 1/2 c or so of bone meal in the planting hole.

When you take your plants home you should acclimate them in a sheltered area outside for a week or so. Bring them in at night or cover them to project them from frost. After the danger of frost has passed, space each plant 18-30 inches apart depending on the variety. I usually remove the bottom 2-4 leaves and place the plant to cover up to within an inch or two of the next set of leaves. I know that it hard to do, but if your plants have blossoms or tomatoes on them you should remove them. Water them to prevent stress, but try not to get the foliage wet. A drip irrigation system is great because it's an efficient use of the water because you are only watering the plant itself. Also it is a great way to prevent disease because the foliage will not get wet. You can use mushroom compost before planting or a mild fertilizer. A fish fertilizer is a good option for this.

Indeterminate tomatoes definitely need support, but I support all my tomatoes, regardless of their type, with cages to keep their tomatoes off the ground. Keeping the tomatoes off the ground will decrease the likelihood that slugs will eat the fruit. I have my little beer filled "Slug Bars" out where our dog, who is also a lush, can't get to them. Companion planting tomatoes with basil is good, but remember the tomatoes will grow tall so plant the basil on the south side.
Now just remember to keep your tomatoes watered and the deer out of them and you are well on your way to a great crop of fresh tomatoes!

Grow what you eat!!

This is going to be short...

This is going to be short today because I've got to go get plants ready to take to the markets at Hillsboro and Sherwood this weekend. Last weekend was pretty lousy weather, but we still had lots of people getting a start on their gardens ( and doing a little repair of winter damage too).

Hardy perennials like Chives, lavender, rosemary, winter savory, thyme, etc can be planted now. They need to get established a little before you really start to use them so the time to plant is now. Also some hardier annuals like parsley ( actually a biennial) can be [planted,. We had lots of people who have made plans to protect other plants like tomatoes from frost and they eagerly got started last week. We will have quite a few tomatoes this week. For a complete list visit our website. The link is to the right of this article. Get there early or call 503 709 6947 to order plants for the best selection.

Remember you will need to harden off your plants for a week or so before planting. I would also check the weather report for frost before I put them in the ground next week.

It is still too early for peppers, cucumbers, squash, and especially basil and eggplant. They need warmer minimum night temps or higher soil temps than we have now.

I better go get some plants ready. Hope to see you at Hillsboro on Sat or Tigard on Sunday. Peter will also be at Sherwood on Sat and Orenco on Sunday. Happy Mothers Day.

Grow What You Eat!!

This is going to be short today because I've got to go get plants ready to take to the markets at Hillsboro and Sherwood this weekend. Last weekend was pretty lousy weather, but we still had lots of people getting a start on their gardens ( and doing a little repair of winter damage too).

Hardy perennials like Chives, lavender, rosemary, winter savory, thyme, etc can be planted now. They need to get established a little before you really start to use them so the time to plant is now. Also some hardier annuals like parsley ( actually a biennial) can be [planted,. We had lots of people who have made plans to protect other plants like tomatoes from frost and they eagerly got started last week. We will have quite a few tomatoes this week. For a complete list visit our website. The link is to the right of this article. Get there early or call 503 709 6947 to order plants for the best selection.

Remember you will need to harden off your plants for a week or so before planting. I would also check the weather report for frost before I put them in the ground next week.

It is still too early for peppers, cucumbers, squash, and especially basil and eggplant. They need warmer minimum night temps or higher soil temps than we have now.

I better go get some plants ready. Hope to see you at Hillsboro on Sat or Tigard on Sunday. Peter will also be at Sherwood on Sat and Orenco on Sunday. Happy Mothers Day.

Grow What You Eat!!