Pretty Seasonings
One of the easiest ways to start an edible garden is with culinary herbs. These can be started from seeds (the planting dates for your agricultural zone will appear on the back of each packet) or starter plants from your local nursery.
Annual herbs are a good choice, such as basil—available in sweet leaf, purple, lemon, Italian, cinnamon, licorice, Thai, and more varieties. They typically don’t tolerate cold temperatures well and will need to be planted every year. Unless you live in a warm-weather zone, you may want to plant them in pots that can be brought inside, to make the growing season last a little longer.
Perennial herbs are categorized as “plant once and enjoy.” Attractive options include rosemary, lavender, sage, thyme, oregano, marjoram, mint, lemon balm, and chives, as well as parsley, which is actually a biennial, growing for two years.
No matter which plants you choose, harvest your herbs frequently. Contrary to what you might think or have been told, this prompts the plant to produce more foliage that is also denser.
Fancy Fruit and Vibrant Vegetables
Few plants make a garden pop more than ornamental peppers with their eye-catching red, yellow, orange, and even purple displays. Rainbow chard is often used to add delicious yellow, white, pink, and red hues to both salads and the backyard display.
Red cabbage resembles a lush purple rose when it’s ready to be harvested and enjoyed, and flowering kale looks very much like a frilly carnation. Its cousin, red Russian kale, is famous for its purple oak-like leaves.
Sweet strawberries and cherry tomatoes make an excellent ground cover, while scarlet runner beans add height and drama to any display. Some tomatoes can be trained to grow up a trellis for attractive and easy picking.
Tall Trees and Sassy Shrubs
Trees offer long-term satisfaction while also providing valuable shade. Dwarf or semi-dwarf varieties are good choices for small yards, but keep in mind that you may need to plant one of each variety for proper pollination. Many varieties will put out a stunning flower display before the fruit sets.
Apple, peach, apricot, orange, avocado, mango, pecan, walnut, chestnut, and exotic treats such as Asian persimmon have been decorating elegant backyards for decades. While you’re shopping at the nursery, think about using blueberry, blackberry, hazelnut, chestnut, elderberry, pomegranate Nanking, cherry, quince, wild pear, or sea buckthorn for a privacy hedge.
Everyday ‘Ornamedibles’
Violets, nasturtiums, pansies, chrysanthemums, carnations, gladioli, tulips, daylilies (but not the poisonous look-alike tiger lily!), some roses, and even the weed chicory make a delicious addition to any salad. Rinse them gently, but don’t wash away the tasty pollen. Serve immediately, or you can dry them on a dish towel, turning daily, or in a dehydrator.
Dianthus flowers can be seeped for wine or used as a cake decoration. French marigolds are aptly named the “poor man’s saffron.” Even the uber popular ground cover hostas can be cooked like asparagus spears—in fact, they’re a member of the asparagus family. The opened leaves make a hearty spinach or lettuce substitute in recipes.
It’s time to make a list of your current plants and do some research—you may be looking at a bumper crop and not even know it.
It’s Not Too Late!
Halloween Decor
Traditionally, pumpkin seeds are planted from late May in the North to early July in the South. If you’re short on time, opt for varieties that need just 75 to 100 frost-free days, versus 120-day-plus heirlooms; or try small squashes that require just 90 days.
Tomato Trick
It’s not too late for tomatoes. The secret is to choose plants that take just 50 to 60 days to mature. If you’re in South Florida, you actually don’t want to plant them before August, as the temperatures before then are too hot; August to February is best.
Popeye Agrees
Add some lush green to your fading yard by planting some spinach this fall. The plants will love the shorter, cooler days and the reduction in garden pests. Plan so that you harvest just before the first frost. This may be your tastiest spinach ever.