The Foodscape Revolution. Brie Arthur
Creating New Planting Beds in Zones 2 and 3
Since Zone 1 landscapes will have already been established by the developer, the rest of the available land will likely just be lawn, if there is anything at all. Rarely will a new house have garden beds in Zones 2 or 3. You, as the homeowner, will have to decide if you want to install those for property screens and privacy.
When establishing new foodscape beds where there is existing lawn, you must remove the sod, otherwise known as lawn (if you’re planning to extend the landscape beds in Zone 1 out into Zone 2, you’ll also want to remove the sod). Don’t be fooled by the technique of laying cardboard on top of the sod and hoping to smother everything underneath. This does not work! For those of us living in warm climates with spreading turfs like centipedegrass and Bermuda grass, it is critical to completely remove the sod, or you will be fighting it for the rest of your life.
Use the right tool to make the task efficient. Rent a sod cutter or hire a landscape professional; it’s worth it. I also recommend consulting a designer for guidance on bed expansion so that your foodscape is proportional, attractive, meets the legal requirements of your HOA covenants and, most importantly, so that you don’t bite off more than you can chew and end up getting discouraged before you even start on the edibles.
Once the sod has been removed, layer compost on top of the bare earth, also considered the natural grade of the land. Spread compost to a depth of 6"-8". Then, rake the compost around to come up to the grade of the trees and shrubs, again taking care not to create a bathtub depression where water will stand. You can layer this compost on top of the soil and not till it in, as the earthworms will do the work of incorporating the new soil into the old, over time. Soil preparation is the single most important step of building a foodscape. Every bit of time and money you put into building great soil will come back to you in a bountiful harvest and reduced work to get it.
Finish beds using the mulch of your choice – but never use anything made of rubber. I love triple-shredded hardwood mulch and ground leaves because they help retain moisture, suppress weeds, break down quickly and add organic matter to the soil.
Now that you understand the zones of a foodscape, you’re ready to plant or enhance an existing framework of ornamentals.
Two
CREATING A FOODSCAPE FRAMEWORK: The Ornamentals
TO HAVE A FOODSCAPE, you have to have an ornamental plant framework. The area closely surrounding your home is known as the foundation landscape. You probably already have a good balance of ornamental plantings and open space. So why even talk about adding ornamental (mostly non-edible) plants since I keep telling you that this is simple and that you don’t have to start over? In case you’re apprehensive, I promise this isn’t a bait-and-switch.
It’s possible that the foundation landscape around your house is thin or that you think the plants are ugly. Maybe they’re old and overgrown and you want to start fresh, or maybe they’re young and boring. Perhaps you’d just like to add more evergreens for year-round interest or to provide a better backdrop for your edibles. Your rainbow chard will look better growing in front of a boxwood than in front of nothing at all.
The important thing is to find a balance between ornamentals and edibles. Ornamentals, oddly enough, are the most critical part of the foodscape, as they are the permanent features that add color, texture and biodiversity. If your entire landscape were all food, you wouldn’t know where to begin and you would be overwhelmed by having to replace everything seasonally.
Peanuts growing in a formal landscape.
Design Styles
No matter the style of garden you prefer – from English cottage garden to minimalist – there are beautiful ways to integrate food into it. In new developments particularly, you will primarily be dealing with a young and underdeveloped formal design. Almost every house will have a base layer of permanent evergreen shrubs that will eventually grow together (that’s how people in older houses ended up with monster yew hedges out front that require a backhoe to remove). A newer landscape is one of the easiest to start with in terms of adding food because there’s still plenty of open space and sunshine.
Assessing and Improving the Ornamental Landscape
If you inherited a landscape full of plants you don’t like, creating a foodscape gives you the opportunity to start anew. If, on the other hand, you’re fine with the ornamentals already in place but want to make the landscape more functional, simply start by improving on what you inherited.
The first thing I do as a designer is to add biodiversity through the ornamental plant collection. The developer-planted landscapes I see where I live include a lot of plants in the holly family, so I start by adding in different families of plants. By increasing biodiversity, you’re encouraging the arrival of more beneficial insects and pollinators, which, in the long run, benefits the edibles. Some of my go-to plants for a Southern foodscape include Encore® azaleas, Knock Out® roses, butterfly bushes, hydrangeas, quince and fall and spring blooming camellias. I also like to incorporate native plants such as Fothergilla and Itea which have beautiful fall foliage and flowers that provide nectar seasonally. The most important part of being a designer is to understand and meet the needs of my client. I want to know what the goals of each unique the foodscape are – what colors, textures and seasons do my clients want to experience? It’s important to me to ask what they like – if they’re happier with pink flowers, or blue, or if they want landscape interest during a particular season.
If you’re confused about the plants in your foundation landscape, find a reputable landscape designer in your area and get some feedback about how large they’re likely to grow, when they’ll bloom (or not), whether they’re evergreen, and if they have any special soil requirements. For example, azaleas grow best in slightly acidic soil, which is not necessarily optimal for cabbage family plants. Also, if you know the name of a plant, there are many online sites where you can find advice.
Emphasis on Trees and Shrubs
Foodscaping focuses on two main plant groups because they are relatively easy to grow: 1) ornamental trees and shrubs, and 2) seasonal annuals (a mix of flowers and edibles). Trees and shrubs go in the ground and go to town. A bit of pruning for structure every now and then and a seasonal hit of organic fertilizer and they’re good to go. You plant annuals each season, reap the benefits, and then yank them out. If you’ve grown a petunia, you can grow lettuce; they’re both seasonal annuals.
‘Limelight’ hydrangea makes a good backdrop for a basil edge.
A third plant group, perennials, can be more challenging to deal with because you find yourself struggling with these common questions: When should I cut back? When should I divide them? How do I plant perennials to make sure there’s something pretty and colorful blooming all of the time?
In my experience as a home gardener I find it easier to start a design with woody ornamentals, such as trees and shrubs, that don’t disappear underground in winter and will retain a year-round structure in the garden – and then think about incorporating flowering plants that add color and texture. I have become very selective about the perennial plants that I grow as some varieties can spread vigorously or reseed, taking up space that I’d rather devote to growing food.
It