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Down the Garden Path: Edible landscapes · Kendall County News - Shaw Local

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  Speaker 1: Down the Garden Path, Edible Landscapes, written by Susan Summers,
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  Speaker 1: University of Illinois Extension. This article is being read by
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  Speaker 1: an automated voice brought to you by Everlit. For many,
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  Speaker 1: the outdoor spaces of our childhood homes had separate areas
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  Speaker 1: for ornamental and vegetable plants. Consider the victory gardens of
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  Speaker 1: the 1940s and the manicured lawns with formal shrubs in
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  Speaker 1: front yards of the 1950s. As the decades pass... These
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  Speaker 1: one-size-fits-all concepts are being challenged and amended by new modes
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  Speaker 1: of thinking. For example, some gardeners are embracing edible landscapes.
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  Speaker 1: Here we'll discuss this newer approach to at-home food production.
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  Speaker 1: Edible landscapes are planned so that food-producing plants are sited
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  Speaker 1: throughout the property. The food-producing plants can be fruit trees,
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  Speaker 1: berry bushes, vegetables, or herbs. These are planted alongside ornamentals
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  Speaker 1: such as annual flowers, herbaceous perennials, shrubs, and trees. Why
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  Speaker 1: do it? The benefits of edible landscapes include 1. Increased
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  Speaker 1: yields when flowering ornamentals attract pollinators to nearby food producing plants. 2.
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  Speaker 1: Expanded possibilities on where food can be grown in the yard.
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  Speaker 1: An edible landscape removes the constraint of needing to find
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  Speaker 1: one large spot in the yard dedicated to food production.
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  Speaker 1: The main consideration instead becomes, where in my yard can
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  Speaker 1: I site this plant or small grouping of plants? This
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  Speaker 1: is especially helpful when tree growth has shaded an existing
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  Speaker 1: vegetable plot. Three, the ability to start small. A few
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  Speaker 1: herbs or vegetable plants can be sited within existing ornamental beds,
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  Speaker 1: eliminating the potentially daunting task of clearing out a much
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  Speaker 1: larger vegetable patch. If space is limited, one can grow
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  Speaker 1: food crops in containers, paying attention to the ultimate plant size,
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  Speaker 1: and looking for words like compact or ideal for containers
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  Speaker 1: on seed packets. Remember supports for vining plants. or place
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  Speaker 1: the container on a ledge and let the plant trail down.
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  Speaker 1: Set yourself up for success? Here are some things to
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  Speaker 1: consider as you get started. One, focus on putting the
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  Speaker 1: right plant in the right place. Give plants the proper soil, sunlight, water,
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  Speaker 1: and room to grow. Also, rotation of annual food crops
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  Speaker 1: still applies, but it may include placing an annual ornamental
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  Speaker 1: or herb where a vegetable was grown the year prior,
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  Speaker 1: or vice versa. Two, rabbits remain a concern. Protection can
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  Speaker 1: entail fencing off entire beds, providing smaller wire barriers around
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  Speaker 1: single plants, or small groups of plants, or edging the
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  Speaker 1: bed with less rabbit-palatable plants like basil, garlic, or onions. Additionally,
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  Speaker 1: plants near a public right-of-way need to be protected from
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  Speaker 1: human grazing and dog urine. 3. Care should be taken
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  Speaker 1: when pests need to be managed. If an ornamental is
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  Speaker 1: prone to needing chemical pest control, food crops should not
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  Speaker 1: be placed nearby. Another option would be to use non-chemical
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  Speaker 1: pest control, such as hand-picking weeds or insects, or select
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  Speaker 1: a pesticide that can be applied near the food crop.
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  Speaker 1: Always read and follow label and safety instructions. 4. Balance
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  Speaker 1: the priorities of aesthetics and food production. Of course, beauty
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  Speaker 1: is in the eye of the beholder, and many food-producing
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  Speaker 1: plants are attractive, e.g. leafy greens, rhubarb, and peppers. Be
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  Speaker 1: aware of homeowner association or community guidelines. Five, label plants
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  Speaker 1: so that you remember what you planted. Final thoughts. It's
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  Speaker 1: not too late to give edible landscaping a try this season.
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  Speaker 1: Late summer is a great time for fall seedings of peas, carrots, radish, lettuce,
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  Speaker 1: and spinach. For more information on edible landscapes, check out
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  Speaker 1: the following University of Illinois Extension resources. Creating an Edible Landscape.
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  Speaker 1: Ken Johnson, February 2020. Small Space Containers Big with New Gardeners.
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  Speaker 1: Kelly Alsup, April 2021. Good Growing podcast on edible landscapes
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  Speaker 1: with a focus on herbaceous perennials, shrubs, and native plants,
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  Speaker 1: June 2026. Susan Summers is a certified Master Gardener volunteer
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  Speaker 1: with University of Illinois Extension serving DuPage, Kane, and Kendall Counties.