Getting The Edible Garden of Your Dreams

You know the scene in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, where the children are walking around and scooping up flowers, grass mud and more? They all look like beautiful flowers, yet they are edible and various flavours of candy.

Isn’t that amazing.

While you probably can’t grow candy canes and a chocolate river, you can make a garden that is almost entirely edible.

Before you get started, you should think about the space you have available. And not every type of soil will work for every plant. Making sure that your garden is free from weeds, and with some proper maintenance in place will help. Professionals like Lawn Care Newnan will make sure you are free to tend to your ever-growing delicious delights, while they deal with the rest.

But, here are some tips to turn your backyard into a productive paradise.

Image Source

Greens

You don’t need too much space to plant plenty of leafy greens. They grow pretty well in most soils, and you can pick up seeds from most shops – even dollar stores. These are so great because you never have to pull up the whole thing. You can trim off what you want to eat per meal. Making it really pay for its space. If you are struggling for space, you can even have these growing in window boxes or larger pots.

Try and mix it up, and have a few different types of lettuce.

Berries

They cost a fair amount in the grocery stores; however when you grow a single plant, you can get a few pounds of the crop over the space of the summer. Your best to pick up some stalks that have been trimmed or just the root and initial trunk. They make a great barrier and act like hedges.

You can pick these and freeze them.

Try to plant a few variations and see what grows best.

• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Gooseberries
• Blueberries

These are all great options and grow really lovely.

Herbs

These serve two great purposes. Firstly they are great to eat and secondly they are great for bumble bees. Well, come to think of it, the third purpose is they look fantastic, and the fourth one is the scent that will waft around your garden.

Much like the greens, herbs work well in window boxes as well as planted in the garden.

Think about the meals that you cook the most and where you spend the most money on herbs. Plant those first, as you’ll get the most use from them.

Herbs work well when placed into flower bouquets too.

Try planting some of these:

• Basil
• Rosemary (almost like a shrub when matured over a little period)
• Mint – great for teas and with lamb and on salads in the summer
• Chives – work well with cheeses with a mild oniony flavour

You can cut what you need as you need it, or cut some down to dry. A top tip is to leave half to flower so that it can grow a little more wildly and foster the wildlife in your garden.

image Source

Tomatoes

This is a very popular choice with people who are just starting out in growing their own produce. They are very easy going and can work with many types of soil and garden size. Most people either have a few dishes that they love that involve tomatoes, or just tomatoes on their own.

The vine smells phenomenal in the heat in the evening too.

If you aren’t sure that a big cage and wire combination is for you, then you should know that they grow, and look stunning on rose towers and obelisks too.

Beans

The look stunning all poled up in a row. They don’t take up a lot of space because they are vertical. Much like the tomato, they look great on rose towers, obelisks and trellis.  

Teepee structures look lovely too.

For beans, you are wise to plant them where they’re going to stay permanently as they don’t transplant as well as things like fruit bushes.

Peppers

Many types of peppers work really well in pots, so they are the perfect choice if you only have a small space to be working with. You can eat them directly from the bush too.

They do need a fair bit of taking care of, so you should watch to make sure they look plump and juicy and the soil slightly damp at all times.

Trees

Did you know that if you have 5 fruiting trees, you can say you have an orchard? If you are growing berries, then apple trees are great for creating things like pies and crumbles. Because they are produced in the same soil, they will compliment each other.

• Apple
• Pear
• Plum
• Cherry

Are all great tree options. You should try and remember that you are looking between 2-7 years for a good crop is produced, and in the meantime, you’ll need to make sure they are trimmed well and protected when necessary.

Root Vegetables

You can get brilliant sacks now with potatoes, onions and other root vegetables that have been started off and you are likely to get a crop out of a few months after you take them home.

With proper care, you can keep these sacks going continuously.

• Carrots
• Parsnips

These are also great options for producing tasty treats – but don’t expect them to look like the supermarket ones. They will grow freely and therefore you might find they are a little wonky, or really small. They will, however, be packed with flavour.

Great Extras

Fennel looks beautiful when it is planted, lends itself to an ornamental garden feel and the feathery stalks are gorgeous in the sunlight.

Chard looks stunning, and although not to everyone’s tastes cooks beautifully and looks quite spectacular.

Sweetpeas are also a fabulous option.

When you work out how much space you have, and compare that with the food that you enjoy cooking, and the vegetables or fruit that cost the most money you will have a clearer idea how to turn your average back garden in a Willy Wonka-esque wonderland.