(HOST) With higher gas and food prices, everone is looking for ways to save money. Commentator Charlie Nardozzi is an all-around gardening expert who reminds us that one of the simplest economic strategies is to grow some of our own food. But, he says, instead of just tilling up a vegetable garden, why not grow edible trees, shrubs, vegetables and flowers that are beautiful too?
(NARDOZZI) There’s a quiet movement a foot across the country. Home owners are getting interested in growing vegetables and fruits around their yards. The number of vegetable gardeners, vegetable seed sales, and sale of fruit trees are all up. With higher gas prices, concerns over food safety and quality and the desire to try exotic foods spurring us on, we’re returning to our roots and becoming food gardeners again.
If you want to join the fun, instead of tilling up the backyard to grow a quarter-acre of vegetables, I’d suggest a more aesthetic approach: Edible landscaping. Edible landscaping is growing trees, shrubs, flowers and vegetables that are attractive to look at and produce food to eat. With the advent of more dwarf fruit trees, attractive fruiting shrubs and beautifully colorful and textured vegetables, edible landscaping couldn’t be easier.
A simple way to get started is to substitute edible trees and shrubs for ornamental ones. Here are some of my favorite substitutions. Instead of planting a flowering plum or cherry tree in the yard, why not grow a dwarf Northstar cherry? Dwarf Northstar is a sour cherry that really can be eaten fresh or made into pies and preserves. The tree stands only 8 feet tall at maturity and has bright yellow fall foliage color.
For shrubs, instead of growing a yew, burning bush or lilac around the house as a foundation plant, why not try a blueberry or hazelbert bush? Half high blueberries, such as ‘Northcountry,’ stand only 3 to 4 feet tall, produce delicious fruits and have fall color that rivals the burning bush. High bush varieties, such as ‘Jersey Blue,’ stand 6 feet tall and produce an abundance of berries for years. Hazelberts are a cross between a hazelnut and filbert. The bush grows 6 to 10 feet tall and wide and produces edible nuts. The fall foliage is a bright orange and yellow. It’s best to plant at least two blueberries or hazelberts to get optimum fruit production.
You don’t have to stick with traditional crops in your yard. You can get a little exotic too. This year I’m growing figs. Yes, figs in Vermont. Here’s how. I bought some ‘Brown Turkey’ fig trees. It’s one of the hardiest varieties. I’m going to grow them in large barrels outdoors in full sun. In fall I’ll roll the barrels into my garage, where it rarely gets below 20 degrees in winter. These figs can take temperatures down to 10 degrees F and still survive, so storing them in an unheated attached garage should work. Next spring I’ll roll the barrels out and enjoy a fig crop in summer. If you’ve never tasted fresh figs right off the tree, you don’t know what you’re missing.
So this year get out and grow some edibles, even if it’s only a tree or a shrub. Start small, substitute edibles for ornamentals, and don’t forget to grow some vegetables in amongst the flowers, too. It will make strolling in your yard a culinary feast.