1. EDIBLE LANDSCAPING
Turn Your Landscape into an
Edible Ecosystem!
Jana Vanderhaar
Verdant Connections LA
www.verdantconnections.com

2. Overview
What is
Edible Landscaping?
Why Choose Edible?
A New Vision
How does it Work?
Edible Landscape
Examples
Get Inspired!
Resources

3. WHAT IS
EDIBLE LANDSCAPING?
A convenient way to
grow vegetables,
berries, fruits, herbs,
nuts and ornamental
plants together, in
attractive ways to
maximize aesthetics
and minimize pests.
Basically, you’re
treating edibles as
ornamentals!

4. WHY EDIBLES?
• Best of Both Worlds –
mixing food producing plants
with ornamentals in your
existing landscape: no need to
tear out what you have or
create a farm to grow food
• Saving water resources for food
that you eat
• Using herbs, vegetables and
flowers to reduce pests
• Great way to have fun and enjoy
your garden to the fullest!

5. Edible Landscaping – A New Vision
Attract
Respect the Soil Reuse & Recycle Materials
Beneficial Insects
Conserve Save
Water Energy
Economical Lawn Alternatives Living, Growing and Being Local

6. Respect the Soil
Soil Food Web
Diagram from http://www.soilfoodweb.com/
Visit this website for microscope images of soil bacteria, fungi, nematodes, mycorrhizae, etc.

7. Respect the Soil
Build It!
Soil Building Ingredients:
wood chips, worm castings, coffee grounds, pine needles,
leaves, weeds (without mature seeds), aged animal manures,
kitchen scraps, nut shells, juicing pulp, compost, straw,
newspaper shreds, grass clippings, animal bedding, etc.
Basically, anything decomposable!

8. Attract
Beneficial Insects
To Reduce Pests
One Example:
Aphid Infestation

9. Praying Mantis
Attract
Beneficial Insects
To Reduce Pests
Ladybug Larva
Lacewing
Soldier Bug
Ladybug Beetle
Syrphid Fly

10. How do You Attract
Beneficial Insects?
Create Habitat
Insectary Plants:
Parsley, fennel, dill, cilantro,
lovage, red clover, chervil,
mint, sunflowers, and more!

11. Helpful List of Plants that
Attract Beneficial Insects,
Create Beauty in Your Garden,
and You can Eat, too!
From “The Book of
Outdoor
Gardening” by
Smith & Hawken

12. Helpful List of Plants that
Attract Beneficial Insects,
Create Beauty in Your Garden,
and You can Eat, too!
From “The Book of
Outdoor
Gardening” by
Smith & Hawken

13. Reuse & Recycled
Materials
Old becomes the New

15. Conserve Water
Drip Irrigation in the Edible Landscape
Drip Layout
Drip irrigation for shrubs and trees

16. Conserve Energy
Use Trees, Structures &
Vines to Shade

17. How Does It Work?
Garden Design Tips
• Select Edibles for their Color, Texture & Form
• Create Balance & Repetition
• Think Pathways & Seating Areas
• Choose Focal Points that Please You
• Add Vertical Structures such as Arbors, Trellises and A-Frames

18. Integrating Edibles in Your Plan
Mint, Oregano, Chives
As Ground Cover
Semi-Dwarf
Fruit Trees
near Patio
Planter with Fruit Trees to
Herbs near Thyme Shade Driveway
Perennial Edibles Kitchen Ground
such as Cover
asparagus,
strawberries &
Rhubarb
Compost Area
Production Garden &
Chicken Coop

19. Chard
Some Easy Edibles to Try
Asparagus
Culinary Sage
Leafy Greens
Compost Area
Fruit Trees
Berry Shrub
Cabbage

20. Edibles in
Containers

22. The Edible
Landscape at the
Great Basin
Community Food
Coop in Reno is a
work in progress.
Here you can see
the proposed
planting plans for
the existing
planters, mixing
fruiting trees and
shrubs with herbal
perennials with
production gardens
for summer and
winter crops.

23. The medicinal
garden will
have a
collection of
plants that can
be used for
salves, teas,
and tinctures.
These plants
are also very
drought
tolerant and
thrive in our
high desert
climate.

24. Edible Landscape –
Hug High in Reno

28. GET INSPIRED!
Remember to build soil, look
at plant requirements, and
incorporate its habit
Plan now for years to come –
don’t do it all in one season
Be creative… Think outside
the beds!
Talk with others and get the
best tips by sharing!

29. What Edibles will You Grow this Year?
Share your ideas at
www.growyourownnevada.com/

30. Resources
WEB
• Edible Landscaping by Rosalind Creasy - http://www.rosalindcreasy.com/edible-landscaping-basics/
• Mother Earth News – Organic Gardening and Guide to Wise Living http://www.motherearthnews.com/
• Grow Your Own Nevada – Web for Nevada growers put on by UNR
http://www.growyourownnevada.com/
• Urban Homestead – Ideas for Self-Sufficiency in Urban Areas http://urbanhomestead.org/urban-
homestead-definition
• National Gardening Association: Great website for tips on what to do in the garden or what to buy
from local farmers. Make sure you look at the zone you live in for planting tips.
http://www.garden.org/ediblelandscaping/
• Robert Kourik Garden Roots Blog – He’s the author of Designing & Maintaining your Edible Landscape
Naturally (see books below) http://robertkouriksgardenroots.blogspot.com/
BOOKS
• Edible Landscaping: Now you can have your gorgeous garden and eat it too! 2010. Rosalind Creasy,
Sierra Club Books, San Francisco, 407 pp.
• The Complete Book of Edible Landscaping: Home landscaping with food-bearing plants and resource-
saving techniques. 1982. Rosalind Creasy, Sierra Club Books, San Francisco, 379 pp.
• Designing & Maintaining your Edible Landscape Naturally. 1986. Robert Kourik, Metamorphic Press,
370 pp.
• The Book of Outdoor Gardening. 1996. Smith & Hasken, Workman Publishing, New York, 513 pp.
• Sunset Western Garden Book of Edibles. 2010. Sunset Publishing Co, 304 pp.
Jana Vanderhaar, RLA, Verdant Connections Landscape Architecture
jana@verdantconnections.com
www.verdantconnections.com