Garden Planning

Tips and suggestions for creating a beautiful and functional edible landscape.

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Mid - January at Heritage Farm finds snow blanket our garden beds , Canoe Creek creep along its flash-frozen bank , Bur Oak branches shine with hoar frost , and the usual crowd hanging out at the feeder ( Cardinalis cardinalis , juncos , chickadees , goldfinches , red bellied woodpecker and blue jays ) .

gardener know that the near fashion to warm up in the winter is to ride by a fire with a new seed catalog and design for the produce time of year ahead . When the ground is fallow is a well time to ask yourself two simple questions , ‘ What varieties do I want to plant this spring ? ’ and ‘ How can I best use my garden space ? ’

eatable landscaping is a conception that many gardeners utilize to arrange their garden quad . This involves care for the landscape painting as a vacuous canvas in which vegetable plants mix with ornamental to create both H.M.S. Bounty and beauty .

fit in to Rosalind Creasy , source of The Complete Book of Edible Landscaping , an comestible landscape involves “ the practical integration of food for thought plants within a decorative mise en scene . ”

There is often a distinction between vegetables in the backyard and flowers in the front railway yard . Ros take issue with this , “ It ’s not the plant , its how you use it in a landscape and how well you grow it that makes a garden beautiful . ”

She should recognize . Every twelvemonth Ros , a panel member here at Seed Savers Exchange , turn her front grand into an super productive and beautiful eatable landscape .

Heirloom veg are complete for edible landscapes because they are known for their diversity — they come in all shapes , size , colors , texture , and flavors – an almost infinite palate of colour and taste outside your threshold .

We ’ve pick a few of our favored heirloom varieties you may institute to create beautiful combination for your edible landscape . For the next few weeks we will share some different landscapes you and your family can create at base . We‘ll also include some formula idea , as well as the cost delivery each compounding can generate . Combination 1 : Salsa - fy Your YardIf you wish eat : Salsa , tomato , red-hot peppers , basil , cilantroIf you want your landscape to have : Tons of hot , vibrant color that are great for attract hummingbird , different grain , and lots of unlike heights . If you trust to bring a little spice to your landscape this is the planting combination for you!Recipe and Meal Ideas

Salsa , of course , ( click here to see recipe from our 2010 salsa contest ) , pasta and pizza pie sauces , stuffed peppers and tomatoes , brisk caprese salads .

price / Savings : What you necessitate to raise for a kinfolk of 4Vegetable / # of Plants * / # of Seeds / Est . Yield * * / Cost / Est . Savings***Tomato 8 - 20 100 48 - 119 pound . $ 5.50 $ 114 - 291Pepper 20 - 24 100 10 - 13 lbs . $ 5.50 $ 10 - 15Onion 160 200 160 pound . $ 5.50 $ 144Cosmos 100 – $ 2.75 – Marigold 250 – $ 2.75 – Basil 250 2 lbs . $ 2.75 $ 5Cilantro 250 2 lbs . $ 2.75 $ 2

full Cost $ 27.50 / Total Savings $ 275 - 457

info from The Gardener ’s A – Z Guide to Growing Organic Food , Tanya Denckla**Estimated yield data is approximated consort to yield datum from Diggers Club in Australia.***Prices find in Decorah , IA , for mostly non - organic , conventionally arise food . These prices are much lower than what you would pay for the peculiarity produce you will be maturate in your garden . Savings does not take into circumstance time spent in garden .

Heirloom Varieties ( find out more by clicking on each variety )

tomato : FederleandPowersTomatoes and peppers are in the same botanical family , making them capital associate . Federle is great for salsa and Powers is undimmed yellow and appetizing on your dental plate and in the garden . Did we mention both are luscious ? !

Peppers : Ancho GiganteaandThai HotAncho Gigantea peppers ( rut scale 2 ) are called poblanos when fresh and green and anchos when violent and dry out . They are the standard Mexican variety for sauces and stuffing with a typical deep flavor . Thai Hot is a tiny and fertile capsicum that packs a lot of heat ( heat scale 4 ) .

Onions : Yellow of Parma&Red WethersfieldOnions ( very authoritative for salsa ) help deter many pests — call up of it as Allium cepa breath for your garden . Onions store well and have got yellow and ruddy variety will sum up color to your garden and plate .

Cosmos : DiabloCosmos are a beautiful companion flower whose delicate leave allow sunshine to penetrate to other plants and attract pollinators and butterflies .

Marigold : Red MariettaMarigolds discourage nematodes by release a chemical substance through their roots , and they tote up striking strokes of color !

Basil : GenoveseAromatic herbs such as cilantro / cilantro and basil go well with these veggie both in the kitchen and the garden . This is the miscellany of choice for pesto .

CilantroNo Mexican meal is complete without unused cilantro .

Salsa Garden BountyPhoto/Illustration: Rosalind Creasy

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