Edible Landscaping

Edible landscaping stretches the boundaries of the potager garden. It is a fairly new concept that began around 20 years ago. However, it is a revival of traditional agriculture.

The potager garden was secluded; it was located where the family could access it. In edible landscaping, it is encouraged to locate them adjacent to the kitchen so that it does get used, but all edibles are not limited to this particular area. Edible elements can be planted among ornamental plants along walks, for example. Edible landscaping can be located in heretofore areas that were rarely given any star attention like street borders.

The potager garden was located a distance from the formal gardens and lawn and included flowers, herbs, vegetables and fruits. You could cut fresh flowers for the breakfast table. You could pick fresh herbs to flavor your eggs, or fruit for your crepes or waffles. Edible flowers could be added to your afternoon salad or protein sandwich spread.

The feeling I sensed of the potager garden and its location near the kitchen was that it could serve as an extension of this interior providing an informal outdoor work and dining space that was personal in that it was not shared with the public. Only the family and close guests were aware of this serene and glorious treasure.

When humans started agrarian settlements, farming supported families and sometimes businesses. Farmers bartered or sold some of the goods from their efforts. There is the art of long term planning with stocking up, clever and timeless methods of preserving foods for use during the non-growth or cold months of the year.

Pantries and root cellars or spaces are becoming design considerations again as more people appreciate the power they have over how some of their consumables are grown and that they are grown organically.

The potager garden was a little laboratory in itself depending on how the garden was developed. Garden development could be a combination of direct plantings in the ground, raised beds, and pots. Select unique pots, arranging them to make interesting statements using any combination of the following:

You can create your own combinations from established literature or by planting herbs and flowers in individual pots and moving them around the garden next to various plants, observing the outcome. If the location suits both plants, leave it there. If it does not, move the potted element to another plant bed. Companion planting integrated produce according to how well they “get along” with each other. A solution of the juices of a couple of plants is combined and the resultant crystal pattern is examined. If the crystal looks symmetrical, it is a good pairing. If the crystal is not symmetrical, it is best not to pair the two because it is not the highest and best combination.

If the space is available, planting beds can be dedicated to specific foods. If a greater variety is desired, use maturation dates to increase yield. Companion planting must be taken into consideration as well. Depending on the size of the plot, later maturation plants are placed among the earlier maturation plants. The later maturation plants grow into the space of the already harvested earlier ones.

Similarly, high speed photography of crystals reflected Dr. Masaro Emoto’s work of how water can reflect our words and, I add, feelings spoken in the words. Water charged with love and gratitude used for the plants and to attract helpers would be a wonderful addition to any garden.