Designing an edible garden and creating an edible landscape.
One of the first things I think about when I’m designing a garden is what I want to acheive.
Do you want a garden to look at pretty plants? Are you looking at edible plants for your garden?
Of course both would be an ideal situation.
And the edible plants don’t only have to be for yourself. They can be for the birds, the bees, insects.
How about those furry little creatures, like squirrels and chipmunks. They like to eat too.
What Trees Do I Grow.
My Top 5 edible plants to grow.
The hazelnut shrub. A small to medium sized shrub which can grow 15 – 20 feet tall and 10 feet wide.
It will make a good hedge when paired with other hazelnuts. Also makes a beautiful stand alone plant.
A suckering shrub, but doesn’t sucker too far away from planting site. 2 feet either way.
The hazelnut will attract all types of nut loving birds and furry creatures looking for a winter stash.
Get the best Hazelnuts in Canada.
The Black Walnut Tree is a stately tree. Grow this beautiful specimen in a prominent place.
Use this as your feature tree. With tropical like foilage the black walnut tree will grow to 70 feet in height.
But this will take several years. Edible nuts fall to the ground each autumn. You can collect them.
Dry them and eat them. If you don’t, the squirrels will.
The elderberry shrub wil also make a good hedge. And it’s the fastest growing shrub I know.
Commercial growers will prune their elderberry plants to the ground level each winter.
Then putting on a staggering growth of 6 – 9 feet the next summer.
The sweet smelling white clusters of flowers will attract all types of pollinating insects and bees to your yard.
Grow elderberry to bring in more fruit loving birds.
Black Currants are a delicious berry for man and animal. A 4 foot shrub which can grow in the dappled shade.
Taste great and there is enough berries off one bush to feed and army or hungry family with jams, jellies, pies and desserts.
Full of antioxidants and good nutrients. A children friendly shrub.
Kids can pick berries all summer long, straight from the bush.
The nanking cherry. A sour cherry which is delicious and the size of a blueberry.
A 15 foot high shrub with an 8 foot spread.
Beautiful pink cherry flowers appear in the spring followed by the early summer fruit.
Pick these cherries quickly for yourself or your bird friends will have them for breakfast.
All these plants are deciduous. Meaning they will lose their leaves each autumn and then grow new leaves in the spring.
They all have their grace and beauty about them. If you love growing trees and shrubs then choose one or more of these plants
to grow in your garden or property. Little Tree farm have all these tree available on their website. Click here to find them.