Delicious Ground Cover Or Edging Plants For the Edible Garden Landscape

There's no reason to settle for the old standbys when it comes to ground covers and edging plants for your landscape. When you take the edible garden landscaping approach, a wide variety of delicious plants is available to fill your yard's need for a ground cover as well as edging plants. Use herbs, fruits and even vegetables to create a beautiful cover that you'll also enjoy in your kitchen. Here are just a few ideas that could work in your garden landscape.

Herbs

Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) is an aromatic evergreen ground cover that grows no more than six inches in height. Drooping white flowers are followed by edible red berries also know as tea berries. However, the leaves are used most often for flavoring. Varieties available for hardiness zones 3-8.

Garden Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) is a perennial herb that grows 4-8 inches tall. It should be planted in full sun. The leaves can be used fresh any time and leaves can be dried for later use. A number of varieties are available for hardiness zones 4-9.

Greek Oregano (Origanum heracleoticum) is the type of oregano most often associated with cooking. It is a perennial that grows 8-12 inches tall, if it is regularly harvested; but it could grow up to 30 inches tall, if not managed. Cutting stems all the way back to the ground will encourage more stems and a fuller plant. Oregano does best in well-drained soil in full sun and is hardy in Zones 5-9.

Fruits

Strawberries can grow 6-12 inches high and some varieties are hardy all the way to Zone 2 if they are covered over winter. Strawberries require direct, full sunlight and light, well-drained soil. They bloom early in the spring, so don't plant them in low-lying areas of your yard where cold air gets trapped.

Low growing or "half-high" blueberries grow a bit taller than strawberries - 18-24 inches - but they make a terrific landscape plant as well as fruit producer. The University of Minnesota has developed a couple of varieties in particular that are very cold hardy making it possible for edible gardeners to grow blueberries in cold hardiness zones 3-7. They do need acidic soil and 2 or more different varieties to propagate.

Lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea)grows only a few inches high and compare to the cranberry in use, although it is smaller and if picked at the peak of ripeness can be eaten right off the plant, unlike the cranberry. Lingonberry thrives in full sun or partial shade, but if summers are hot, they do best in partial shade. They prefer very acidic, moist soil. Cold hardiness zones 4-7. Also known as foxberry, mountain cranberry, lowbush cranberry, mountain bilberry, or partridgeberry.

Vegetables

Swiss Chard has a smoother and larger leaf with a more mild flavor than spinach with the added bonus of delicious stems. There are several new varieties such as Neon & Bright Lights that also have stunning stems. Chards prefer at least 6 hours of sun per day and well-drained non-acidic soil.

Kale is another plant that can really surprise with a variety of leaf sizes, shapes, colors and textures. They have sweet tender greens that get better in cooler weather. Redbor and Winterbor both have curly leaves - Redbor's are a deep purple and Winterbor's are greenish blue. When combined they make a stunning border. This plant grows to about 12 inches, prefers part- to full-sun and sandy soils; although it does OK in some clay. Grown in hardiness zones 2-10.

Lettuce blends that combine a wide variety of shapes, textures and colors make stunning cut and come again borders. Read seed packages and plant descriptions carefully to select varieties that are slow to bolt (when the plant flowers and produces seed). If you plant in partial shade you may be even to extend the growing season even longer, particularly where temperatures get hot in summer.

These are just a few of the options for using edibles for edging or ground cover plantings. Just about any low-growing edible plant would work, use your imagination and ask questions if you're unsure. Feel free to email me at info@ediblegardenlandscaping.com. Sources: Landscaping with Fruit by Lee Reich and garden catalogs from Miller Nurseries, Cook's Garden

About the author

Greene has been gardening for more than 25 years and has focused on edible garden landscapes for the last 12. Her website, ediblegardenlandscaping.com provides information and resources to people who want to use more of their available growing space for beautiful trees, shrubs and plants that also provide a delicious, nutritious and economical food supply to the home gardener. Be sure to sign up for the Weekly Tips E-Newsletter at [http://www.ediblegardenlandscaping.com] to be the first to know when the Edible Garden Landscaping book becomes available! For quick answers to your Edible Garden Landscaping questions, email Lisa at info@ediblegardenlandscaping.com.