Tired of wasting water on your lawn? Now is a great time to plan an edible landscape. Take the time in the next month to plan how to use your landscape in order to have the best outcome possible.
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Edible landscapes can be a lot of work in the beginning, but they are great fun and highly fulfilling. As more people are wanting to connect with their food edible landscapes are becoming quite popular. They combine beauty and functionality. Here are some tips for planning an edible landscape that you will treasure and benefit from for years to come.
Collect Landscape Ideas
Social media is exploding with a wide variety of ideas. Are you looking to create an actual landscape or maybe spruce up a patio? The first thing you will want to do in regard to planning your edible landscape is to collect all these ideas. Create a folder on your computer or phone to start collecting photos or webpages. Also, start noting the various vegetables, fruits and herbs you purchase the most in the store so you can determine if these will work in your design.
Decide on a Visual Goal
Which part of your landscape are you planning to update? Think about what you love to look at. What are your favorite colors? What plants make you feel happy and relaxed when you see them?
Make a list of all the plants you wish to have in your plan. Start comparing your wish list with your list of foods you eat. Now you can decide upon your must-haves and your future wish list.
Decide on Edibles Desired
Do you have certain ideas about what fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowers and other edibles you want to harvest in the end? This is where you can use your grocery list to start planning. If you love berries, be sure to add some berry bushes into the plans. If you like to use fresh herbs in your cooking, be sure to grow a variety of them. Never forget that one of the best things about an edible landscape is its harvest.
Consult Local Landscapers/Garden Shops
You may wish to have a cherry tree, but is it feasible in your geographic area? When you make your lists of desired plants, do some research and find out what is likely to grow in your area. It is easy to walk into a big box store and purchase a variety of plants, but when it comes to successful landscapes it is important to shop local. Take a little time to understand your microclimate so that you know what your zone is.
Don’t set yourself up for failure and risk losing time and energy on something that is doomed from the start. For every location, there are many plants that will thrive there, so consult friends and garden center staff to find out which plants are likely to do well where you live. Also consider visiting your local county extensions website.
Make a Design
Now that you have put together your wish list, set your goals and done your research, it is time to make a design out of your final ideas. You will want to get the exact dimensions of your yard and draw up a simple outline of where you will plant everything. Need assistance with an actual layout, visit my shop for a garden journal to help you plan.
If you need a more visual aid, you can cut small pieces of each photo you have collected and paste them onto the design page in the appropriate section.
Now that you have created an actual design, you are ready to take the steps for planting your edible landscape. Remember the notes you have made about your microclimate and start adding your plants at the right time.
Just a little planning goes a long way, soon you will be enjoying the fruits of your labor.
