Edible Landscaping at the University of Minnesota

A New Project

2011-08-09T08:25:00.000-05:00

Hello faithful readers. A little note to let you know what the U of M edible landscape is up to this year, and where I've been lately. The edible landscape garden at the University of Minnesota is back in it's original spot, just in front of the plant growth facilities on the St. Paul campus. Quite a few edibles have been planted in other parts of the demo gardens, so if you visit, be sure to take a walk through all the gardens.

I've been a bit quiet on the blog because another project has been taking up much of my writing time. I'm in the midst of writing a book about landscaping with edibles, which is due to hit the shelves by early 2013. It has been a very fun, challenging and enlightening endeavor. Last week, a crew of us (photographers, editor, art director and me) descended upon a few homes and gardens in the Twin Cities area to capture the work of some creative and dedicated gardeners. The shots are beautiful, and I'm excited to start putting the whole thing together. 2013 seems like a long way off, but there's a lot of work to be done on the book before then, so it'll likely go very quickly.

I'll do my best to keep you updated on the project and keep up a little better with my writing here. If there are any topics you'd like to discuss, or anything that's been going on in your edible landscape this year that you'd like to discuss, leave a comment below. It would be great to hear from you and find out what you've been doing in your gardens this season.

Happy landscaping!

An Interesting Season

2011-08-09T08:11:00.001-05:00

As many of you know, it's been a funny year for gardeners in Minnesota. Our long, cool spring really slowed things down, and the recent burst of rain and heat has caused things to flourish in an almost uncontrollable manner. It's been wild to watch how quickly plants have grown over the last several weeks. Some elements designed into the edible landscape have gone a little overboard, and not quite how I expected. We've had quite a few of the glorious chard plants bolt, which I have never seen before. A flower stalk on a chard plant is a rather impressive sight. Generally chard won't bolt in our northern region because of it's biennial nature. But with fluctuating temperatures and some dry spells, this robust plant can surprise us and send up that giant, fleshy flower stalk. The leaves are still edible after bolting, but may take on a different flavor. To keep them looking better, I plan to cut those stalks out, clean up any old, cracked or overgrown leaves, and see if I can keep them going. I'll keep harvesting from my un-bolted plants, which seems to help prevent bolting in the first place. (Just cut a few of the outer leaves without damaging the crown, and the plant will keep pushing out new leaves from the center). And maybe I'll even scatter a few seeds to get some lovely, tender new leaves before the end of the season.

If you're into seed saving and your chard has bolted you can give that a try too! This little factsheet from the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service has a list of seed-saving resources that might be helpful.

Edible Landscaping...It's Everywhere!

2011-04-21T08:08:00.001-05:00

Looking for a little inspiration to help plan your edible landscape this year? Think outside the rows and check out this slideshow from the San Francisco Chronicle. Here's one image that reminds me...if you need a fence to keep critters out of the garden, make the fence a feature!

Image borrowed from
http://sfgate.houzz.com/ideabooks/264239/w/Unexpected-Edible-Gardens/sid=7

What do you do with all that chard?

2011-04-04T13:10:00.003-05:00

For anyone who has heard me speak about edible landscaping lately, you've probably noticed I have a thing for Swiss chard. A big thing. A somewhat overly-enthusiastic thing. But I can explain. To me, it's just the perfect plant for the edible landscape. It's easy to grow - meaning it is easy to start from seed, grows quickly, is perfectly happy in cool or hot temps, will not send up a flower stalk like many other greens, and has virtually no issues with insect pests or diseases. The gardener can harvest the outer leaves all season long and it will just keep growing and growing...all the way through the first few frosts of fall. In fact, it responds best to regular harvests, since the outer leaves will become very large and likely crack in half if left on the plant all season. If all that weren't enough, the various colors are fabulous for designing into the landscape, and chard looks great paired with other colorful greens and backed by bright pastel zinnias (just to name a few).

But when I expound the virtues of chard to a group of gardeners, I'm often met with several crinkled brows. Inevitably the question arises, "But what do you do with all that chard?" And that is indeed a great question, because the point here really is to have food to eat, not only to grow it because it looks good in the garden. I didn't really know what to do with chard before I started growing it, but once I had baskets of chard coming out of the garden day after day I knew I had to figure it out. Google helped me find a wide range of recipes, from omeletes to stir frys and everything in between. Here are a few recipes I use regularly with chard from my garden, or from the market in the winter. If you have chard recipes you'd like to share, do so in a comment below. I'd love to hear how others use this fabulous vegetable in the kitchen.

This recipe for a Swiss Chard Tart: Pasticcio di Bietole al Forno, from Mario Batali on the Food Network has become a standby for me. It's easy to throw together, and I'll sometimes make it for a weekend breakfast treat only to eat the rest of it a few hours later at lunch. It's great hot, but also really good cold for lunch. If it's in fridge, I find myself cutting off wedge after tiny wedge as a little snack until, poof, somehow it's gone! The recipe says to cut off and discard the tough stems, then to boil the leaves for 15 mintues. No and double no! The leaves absolutely do not need to be cooked down so much. And please don't discard the stems! They add so much body and flavor. Cut them off, dice 'em up and sautee them in a little olive oil for 5-10 minutes. Then add the chopped up leaves, a little water and put a lid on it for about 5 minutes. That'll soften everything just enough, but not wilt it down to nothing. The rest of the recipe works well and the result is delicious.

Provencal Zucchini and Swiss Chard Tart. Photo borrowed
from Andrew Scrivani, The New York Times.

I also really like this recipe for a Provencal Zucchini and Swiss Chard Tart that appeared in the New York Times in 2009. This is similar to the above recipe, except this one has a crust. I made this for a summer progressive dinner with a French theme, and it garnered rave reviews. I highly recommend making your own crust. If you're not fond of whole wheat crust, use another savory crust recipe you like. It is absolutely worth the effort to make your own. I used to be scared of making my own crust, but with a pastry cutter or a couple of knives you can make a crust that is flaky, light and delicious (no food-processor required)! You just have to be good at following directions. But back to the chard...this recipe is a nice pairing of chard and zucchini, and the Gruyere gives it a wonderful richness. You could always use any cheese you have in the fridge, but the Gruyere is worth the trip to the market. The flavors balance really well. If you don't have a tart pan, just use a pie plate...it'll be just as tasty.

If you're short on time and need a quick dinner, this recipe for Penne with Swiss Chard from a 1997 issue of Gourmet magazine is for you. Again, sautee the stems first, then add the leaves. Now I know the nutmeg sounds a little strange, but don't skip it...trust me. It brings out the flavor of the chard, and along with the cream and red pepper...let me just say yum. It's quick, easy and super-delish!

Just as I was pulling these recipes from my browser bookmarks I came across this one, also from the Food Network. Haven't tried it yet, but it sounds wonderful. This'll be the next one I try.

Next time, I'll share a few of my own recipes for chard.

Fruit for the Edible Landscape, Part 2

2011-02-21T10:22:00.001-06:00

We've talked about fruit for the edible landscape here before, but I think it warrants another mention. So often fruits seem to be forgotten when it comes to gardening, perhaps because they seem a little more difficult to grow than annual vegetable plants like lettuce and tomatoes. But with a little planning and some basic tools in your gardening knowledge toolshed, you can have great success growing delicious fruits in addition to all those veggies, herbs and flowers. I wanted to remind you of a few links that will really help you plan and maintain fruit plantings in your edible landscape. They're produced by the University of Minnesota, but will apply to gardens in many areas around the country. Oh, and I also want to point out the new page tab up above that will be devoted to fruit info. That way you won't have to search and search through the blog for it. Enjoy!

Selected fruit varieties for Minnesota gardens
Strawberries for the home garden
Apples and pears in Minnesota home gardens
Currants and gooseberries in the home garden
Blueberries for home landscapes
Raspberries for the home garden
Hardy kiwifruit in Minnesota gardens
Container gardening with fruit

Seed Catalogs: The Promise of Spring

2011-01-07T09:05:00.003-06:00

At this time of year, it is common for those of us who live in the snowy north to start dreaming about sandy beaches, crystal blue water, flip flops and tiki bars. We sign up for email updates on airfares to warm places, to remind ourselves warm places do indeed exist, and that we might just hop on a plane for a long weekend if the price is right. We try to remember that someday soon, this frozen land will be alive again with sun and leaves and flowers and sweet smells. And though it seems impossible right now, we will once again be able to sit outside dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, pick fresh tomatoes from the garden, eat dinner on the patio…only go indoors to sleep. Ahh, I feel a little better just thinking about it.

But then again, winter isn’t really so bad if you just embrace it. Some days I feel bold and hearty, so I pull on my big boots and down parka, leave my car to rest, and go for long walks in the “muffling silence of the eternal snows” (Dylan Thomas). When I breathe in the crisp-cold air I feel refreshed, and not so afraid of the long winter. I realize I am proud to live in the north, where the people don’t let frigid temperatures keep them from enjoying outdoor fun – take for example ice fishing, pond hockey, the Holidazzle parade, the St. Paul Winter Carnival. (For those of you who do not live in the Twin Cities, you’re missing out on some true winter fun!) Ok, so maybe I do like winter. But not quite as much as I like summer. You see, when I’m on those long, brisk walks, as my eyelashes are just slightly starting to freeze together, I dream not of islands and palm trees, but of next year’s garden. I imagine how moist the soil will be after it drinks up the water from all this snow. I can almost smell the cool, wet earth…the fragrance of lavender and marigolds. I picture the faint shimmer of morning dew on leathery kale leaves. Hmmmm…is it spring yet?

No? Well....ok, but that doesn’t mean we can’t talk gardens, right?

Just today the seed catalogs began arriving. In fact three of them were stuffed in my mailbox. What timing! The perfect antidote to my far-too-early-in-the-season cabin fever. They do this on purpose, of course. To get us to buy far more seeds than we could ever use, they send us these gorgeous, colorful catalogs right after the holidays, when all the sparkle and magic is starting to fade, and we’re faced with the reality of 3 (at least) more months of winter. Perfect! Hide my credit card! But truly…it is perfect timing. These enticing pages inspire us to make grand plans for our gardens. We need this time to decide how many varieties of colorful lettuces we can squeeze in. To narrow down our choice of tomato varieties to 6, no more….okay, maybe 8. To determine if there’s a spot we can devote to asparagus, even though it’ll be a year or two before it really produces much of anything. To accept, once and for all, the challenge of growing artichokes - with their spikey, menacing foliage and their finicky nature in this northern clime.

All these things and more are spinning through my mind this cold, January day. The time is here to start planning. So join me as I delight in these myriad, vibrant images of gardening promises…and dream of warmer days ahead.

Fruit for the Edible Landscape

2010-08-27T16:20:00.006-05:00

When talking edible landscapes, vegetables are often at the front of our minds, while fruits take the back seat. Maybe it's because there are just so many vegetables we can grow here, or that they're relatively easy to grow, or that they're low commitment because they're generally only around for one season. Fruits are generally perennial, and many are in the form of trees, shrubs or vines, which makes them great to use in the landscape for structure and a sense of permanence. Fruit plants can also provide stunning color. Did you know the foliage on blueberry bushes turns a deep crimson in autumn?

Photo courtesy of University of Minnesota Extension.

You might be thinking that it's just too cold here in Minnesota to grow fruit, and for some varieties that is very true. We won't be growing bananas or peaches here any time soon. (Well, I'm keeping my hopes up on the peaches.) But...did you know we can grow grapes, plums, cherries, and even a type of kiwi? There's a great range of fruit we can grow in Minnesota, and thanks to the trusty and talented plant breeders here at the U of M, many varieties have been developed just for us. How great is that? Check out these links to learn about the best fruit varieties to grow in Minnesota. And while you're looking, click around on these sites to find tips and guidelines for growing fruit in the home landscape.

Apples
Grapes
Blueberries
Raspberries
Strawberries
Stone Fruits
Hardy Kiwifruit

Edible Landscaping at the Minnesota State Fair

2010-08-27T07:00:00.004-05:00

Coming to the State Fair this year? If so, stop by the Ag-Hort building to see the new stage called The Dirt. There are a lot of great presentations and demonstrations on the schedule. We'll be talking all about Edible Landscaping on

Friday 8/27 at 9am and noon
Tuesday 8/31 at 11am and 2pm
Thursday 9/2 at 10am and 1pm

Hope to see you at the Fair!

And Now...This Year's Plants

2010-08-05T16:34:00.012-05:00

This post has been hiding out in my drafts folder. It's about time I post it.

This year the edible landscape came together in a hurry. As some readers may know I was planning to move out of the state this summer. Well, those plans changed a bit and I discovered I would be in Minnesota for the entire summer at which moment I thought I must do another edible landscape demo garden. This was in early May, so I had to act quickly. There was no time to labor over designs and plant choices. I would not be starting flats and flats of seeds in the greenhouse. I would be designing by the seat of my pants with the plants I could find leftover from spring semester classes, herbs that survived the winter that could be transplanted, and so on. Oh, and I forgot to mention....considering the last-minute nature of this project there's also no budget. Perfect, I thought! This year will be a more real representation of what one can do with edibles in their home landscape on a budget, with little time and not a ton of space. Enter creativity...my favorite!

Armed with a few packs of seeds and a few flats of plants from the Hort. Department Floriculture Crop Production course (which also grows some edible plants) I began planting. Now that's not to say no forethought was put into this. I spent an hour or so one afternoon in the garden just walking, stopping, sitting, thinking, imagining what might go where. I stopped out at different times of the day to determine where the shade traveled from the ginkgo and Honeycrisp trees. I took a good hard look at what was already growing in certain areas, and thought what might look nice near those existing plants, what requirements they have and what edibles might share the same requirements for light, moisture, etc. All things one should ponder before sticking a trowel in the ground. By spending time with your garden before you plant, it will tell you where things should go. Well, that's a little bit of a stretch, but I think you know what I mean. The better you understand your yard, the space, the light it receives, the existing plants...the more you'll be inspired to choose plants that will work really well.

So here's a list of plants in the edible landscape this year. Throughout the season, this list will be amended as certain plants will be removed after reaching their prime and others take their place - usually direct-seeded greens, beans, radishes, and so on.

Alyssum
Apple ‘Honeycrisp’
Basil
Bean 'Scarlet Runner'
Borage
Broccoli
Bronze fennel
Calendula
Celery
Chervil
Chinese pak choy
Chives
Cosmos
Creeping thyme
Cucumber
Currant
Eggplant ‘Calliope’, ‘Gretel’, 'Rosa Biaca', 'Hansel'
Garlic chive
Kale 'Red Russian'
Lavender ‘Munstead’
Lettuce ‘Freckled’, ‘Green Oak Leaf’’, ‘Lollo Rosa’, ‘Yugoslavian Red’, ‘Red Oak Leaf’
Marjoram
Mints: spearmint, pineapple, chocolate
Mizuna mustard
Monarda
Nasturtium
Oregano
Pattypan squash
Pepper ‘Ciliegia Piccante’, ‘Cuneo Giallo’, ‘Jumbo Sweet’, ‘Numex Sunrise’, ‘Sweet Chocolate’
Purple pak choy
Rainbow Chard ‘Neon Glow’
Rhubarb chard
Rudbeckia
Sage
Signet Marigold ‘Lemon Gem’ and ‘Orange Gem’
Snapdragon
Strawberry
Summer savory
Tomato ‘Cuora di Bue’, ‘Italian’, ‘Red Zebra’, ‘Stupice’, 'Red Currant'
Veronica
Viola
Yarrow
Zinnia
Zucchini 'Cocozelle'

Currants - The Gem of the Edible Landscape

2010-07-08T15:03:00.001-05:00

Your experience with currants may be those shriveled little black things in the scone you buy at your neighborhood coffee shop, or in preserves so laden with sugar that you can't even discern the flavor of the currant. But have you ever plucked a string of ruby-red berries off the bush and tasted the tangy-sweet juiciness of a perfectly ripe currant. Let me just tell you...it is like sunshine in your mouth!

A 'Red Lake' Currant was planted in the 2009 edible landscape, but since it was still too young, we didn't get any fruit last year. The plant was moved early this year to the new edible landscape, and though I wasn't sure of it's fate after the move, it proved to be resilient. The plant produced an abundance of these juicy gems.

The currant (and its cousin, the gooseberry) are great additions to the edible landscape. The currant especially, for two reasons I can think of right off the top of my head. One, the currant isn't quite as vigorous as the gooseberry, and while it requires regular pruning, will not become a scary thicket of prickly canes like it's more rugged relative. Second, come mid-June brilliant strands of glistening red berries will begin peeking out from within the dark green foliage. You'll have trouble resisting picking them too early - they're almost impossible to resist. But once you taste an unripe currant you'll understand the value of patience. Best to wait until they are deep red and look like they're about to burst. Then the sweet-tart, juicy explosion of each little berry will have you feverishly plucking the tiny gems from their stems. Oh, and I thought of a third! Currants are quite hardy in zones 4 and 3, and some cultivars are hardy to zone 2. Yay for Minnesotans! Another fruit we can successfully grow!

Three species of currant run the range of color from red-pink-yellow-white. These are Ribes rubrum, R. sativum and R. petraeum. The black currant (Ribes nigrum) has not been widely grown in the US due to it's susceptibility to White Pine Blister Rust. However, some cultivars have been bred with rust resistance. The red and white species tend to have more resistance.

There's some great info out there if you're interested in adding currants to your edible landscape. The U of M Fruit website has a nice fact sheet to get you started, and has a long list of available cultivars. When looking for plants, I always check locally first, then check online if there's a cultivar I can't find here. There are several nurseries that carry many interesting cultivars. Just do a search for the cultivar name and 'nursery' to find a source.

Tomato Cages are Ugly

2010-06-02T15:23:00.007-05:00

Stainless steel tomato spirals used in the
2009 edible landscape

Does anyone out there agree? I can think of few things that detract from the beauty of a garden more than tomato cages. And it really doesn't help much to buy ones that are painted green. Come on, you can't fool me with green paint. Last year I tried some nifty stainless steel tomato spirals, which I'll admit were very cool. But they only really worked for small-fruited and thin-stemmed varieties. Bulkier varieties just took the slender spirals down with them and required additional staking later in the season. This year I am determined to devise a sturdy, functional, and fabulous looking method of supporting tomatoes in the Edible Landscape. I'm not looking to buy the latest gadget. Rather, I want to construct something of natural materials or use found objects. So, faithful readers, I need your help. Post a comment with your suggestions, or if you have photos send them by email and I'll post them (since I can't figure out a way for you to post them right here). Just click on my profile pic to find my email address.

Please act fast and send your ideas, the tomatoes are growing quickly!

Edible Landscape Taking Shape

2010-06-01T17:27:00.007-05:00

View down the length of the
2010 edible landscape

The 2010 season is off to a good start. With the early warmth we've had, all the plants are doing well! But first, a look around the new edible landscape. This year's area is long and narrow with a windy path on the front edge. I know I promised small scale, but the space just kept growing as I worked on it. However, the space is divided up by stone paths, a patio, and rock walls, so walking through the garden you'll get a great sense of what you could do if you only had one of these little areas to work with. We also have a little shade in the edible landscape this year! Yes, I consider that a good thing because it more accurately resembles a real home landscape. Edible plants generally prefer lots of sun, but there are some great options for edibles in partial shade, and I've got those under a lovely ginkgo tree that shades the garden till about noon (I'd prefer if it shaded them in the afternoon, but we work with what we have). In this area you'll find a few different lettuces, chard, pak choy...are you sensing a theme here? Leafy greens...partial shade...ah hah!

Here's a look at this year's edible landscape just as it's getting started. The stone paths are new as is the patio. Soon you'll see photos of the completed patio with containers filled with beautiful and delicious edibles. Stop by soon!

One of the sunniest spots in the edible landscape.

A view of the Honeycrisp tree, bean/cuke trellises
and the ginkgo tree.

New Look for the New Season

2010-05-26T10:35:00.002-05:00

2010 edible landscape location
U of M St. Paul campus display and trial gardens

Yes, it's still the same blog from the University of Minnesota Edible Landscape, but I thought since we're entering a new season the blog should have a fresh, new look. As the season progresses I'll be updating the slideshow so it'll be clear which photos are from 2009 and which are from 2010.

The edible landscape demo garden will have a new look also, because it has moved to a new location in the gardens. The green area on this map is the edible landscape. When you visit, you'll notice edibles planted in other areas of the demonstration gardens as well. This idea of landscaping with food plants is really taking off, and the gardens are looking great filled with a rainbow of purple kale, chard and lettuces. Soon the warm season crops will really start producing, what with the warm temps we've had. Signage will be up soon to explain what's going on in all the different areas of the gardens. Look for the "What's Growing On?" signs.

Look for these signs to discover what's
happening in different areas of the gardens.

Small Space Edible Landscaping in 2010

2010-05-05T15:01:00.008-05:00

The edible landscape project in 2009 was large...very large. Over 1500 square feet of vegetables, fruit, flowers, herbs were bursting from their beds throughout the season. But as I met more and more people who were thrilled by the idea of edible landscaping, I was reminded that most of us don't have such grandiose space to work with. So this year's theme is going to be all about what you can do in a small space. Minnesota Master Gardeners are going to be working on the Veggies by the Yard project in the beds of last year's edible landscape, and I will be transforming other areas of the display and trial gardens into tiny oases of beautiful edibles. Prepare to see fruit trees, vegetables, herbs, flowers and small fruits intermingling in the ground and in containers. You don't need a lot of space to have an edible landscape, so come by the U of M Demonstration Gardens this season to get inspired!

Let's Talk Greens

2010-03-06T19:17:00.009-06:00

Image borrowed from amazon.com.

Today I had the pleasure of speaking about edible landscaping to a delightful crowd of 100 or so at the University of Minnesota Southern Research and Outreach Center Horticulture Day in Waseca, MN. To all those in attendance, thank you for your warm welcome and your enthusiastic participation in what was for me a really fun hour of edible landscape conversation.

We talked a bit about a little-known leafy green named Mizuna mustard. This Japanese mustard green has deeply serrated leaves, with long, light green stems. It has a fringy, lacy appearance making it a great addition to the edible landscape. It's great for use in salads, where it adds a nice texture and a mild zing when used with sweet and tender baby lettuces or other leaf lettuces.

When I got home this afternoon I found that my latest issue of Organic Gardening magazine had arrived. On the front cover is a beautiful salad featuring...you guessed it...Mizuna mustard! The article tells of several other greens that would be really fun to use in the edible landscape. A few of them are:

'Flashy butter oak' lettuce (I'd get this one just for the name!!!)
'Mascara' red oak leaf lettuce
Purple pak choi
'Red Streaked' Mizuna
'Red Russian' kale
'Oriole' Swiss chard (yes, chard is great in salads too, especially when very young)
'Wrinkled Crinkled Crumpled' cress

All of these, and many more would bring a great splash of color, texture and of course flavor to your edible landscape! Bon appetit!

Edible Landscaping Presentation

2010-02-15T12:19:00.004-06:00

Here's a slideshow on edible landscaping that I've been presenting to garden clubs and Master Gardener groups.

Edible Landscaping

View more presentations from University of Minnesota-Horticulture:Fruit,High Tunnels,Edible Landscape.

New Book List

2010-02-09T11:40:00.008-06:00

This is the time of year when we gardeners start delving into books and seed catalogs, making plans and dreaming of spring. So I thought it would be the perfect time to add a book list to the edible landscape blog. You'll find it over on the right. I included books that have provided me inspiration and useful tips. Head down to your library or pop into the bookstore to pick up a few. I can't say they'll make spring come any sooner, but at least you'll have some good reading and great photos to peruse while you wait!

Do you have a book suggestion? Tell us about it by commenting on this post.

Thinking about Design at the End of the Season

2009-10-01T14:08:00.006-05:00

First and foremost I am not a landscape designer. Having admitted that I trust you will take the following suggestions with a grain of salt. I have a background in scenery and graphic design, so I have a pretty good sense of design concepts. Many of these apply to most areas of design, from theater to web design, landscapes to interiors (although looking around my office you'd never know it). I don't mean to step on the toes of any landscape designers with this post, so I will tread carefully.

I approached the design of the Edible Landscape from the position of a homeowner who has some sense of colors, forms and textures and how they work together. But of course it can't stop there when designing with plants. I also spent a lot of time in choosing my plants based on plants I like to eat; their size, color and habit; their required growing conditions; bloom time; and so on. Chances are, if you're planning to plant a few edibles here and there in your garden you're not going to hire a landscape designer. But you will want those plants to look as good as they can. Afterall, that's the whole point of this edible landscaping thing, right? Early on in this blog, I provided a few pointers, and recommended some books for guidelines and inspiration when planning and designing your edible landscape. These will help you if you are starting from scratch, or if you just want to add a few things here and there in your existing landscape. Click on the keywords "design" and "planning" on the right to find these posts.

Now that we're getting near the end of the season I've been mulling over the choices I made and spending time in the garden determining which choices worked and which didn't work so well. In the next few posts, I'm going to describe some of these along with photos and simple sketches of plant combinations.

To start out, here's a list of some things that worked well in the Edible Landscape this year:

Lavender interplanted with garlic chives: textures worked well together (spikes of lavender among the umbels of the garlic chive), great fragrances, nice colors, lots of bees!
Lavender on the edge or corner of a bed means that every time you brush past it the air is filled with wonderful fragrance!
Alyssum interplanted with thyme: alternating clumps of each made for a fragrant and attractive border.
Various basils planted in masses behind chives. This looked really neat, the spikey chives along the edge of the bed were backed by tall and sturdy basil. I liked the contrasting textures.
Mint in pots scattered through the garden worked great. Added a little structure and height, and kept the mint from becoming invasive. Pots placed strategically in the garden can add a really nice touch. Look for interesting shapes and colors.
Mizuna mustard was great as a border. It's fringy leaves arched over the edge of the bed, softening it with an exotic touch.
Peppers, sage, and small-flowered trailing petunias made a great combo. I liked the contrast of the cool silver sage in front of the dark green shiny leaves and fruits of the pepper. The petunias rambled among the sage and peppers, and the coral color I used really popped.
Parsley made a great, hearty border interplanted with dark blue petunias. The parsley gets really dense and the petunias pop their blossoms up through, which looks really striking.
Strawberries planted under eggplant. The strawberries will be done fruiting by the time the eggplant gets big and bushy. When it's eggplant's time to shine, the strawberry plants send their runners out and create a lush carpet underneath.

There's a lot more that I'll add over the next few days, but now for a few things that didn't work as I used them...

Nasturtium and peppers. Depending on what type of Nasturtium you plant, it may end up dwarfing the peppers and trying to knock them down. That's what it did here. The plants didn't look that great together either.
Borage. Ok, more specifically TONS of borage. I went a little crazy with the borage because it was new to me. I planted it in masses in the center of beds, and didn't thin very much. It was great early in the season. 1-2 foot tall mounds of the fuzzy stems put forth beautiful blue flowers which attracted bees like crazy. But by late-July the plants were so tall and heavy they flopped over all their neighbors. Borage is really nice, but use it in moderation and along with very sturdy plants.
Sunflowers should be kept in the back of a planting where they'll be appreciated for their height. I scattered them in masses among squash vines in a star-shaped bed with a giant sculpture in the middle of it. It didn't work so well. Keep 'em in the back where they can peek their showy heads over all the other garden residents.

There'll be more ideas coming in the following days and weeks.

Native Plants in the Edible Landscape

2009-09-29T13:40:00.016-05:00

So you've been intrigued by the idea of using edibles in your home landscape. But you're conflicted because you are a savvy, modern gardener and know the benefits of using native plants in the home landscape. (Check out this UM Extension bulletin if you need a refresher.) Well, who's to say you can't do both? Native perennials intermixed with fruits, vegetables and annuals can add a lot to the Edible Landscape:

First, of course, they are well-suited to your particular location, if you've chosen plants properly.
They have few insect or disease problems.
They improve soil organic matter and soil structure.
They can help reduce/prevent runoff and erosion.
They generally require little maintenance.
They attract beneficial insects and provide food and shelter for birds and other small creatures.
They provide a reliable, permanent foundation for the garden.
They offer long-lasting color.
Lots of textures, heights and forms to choose from.

There are a few native plants in the edible landscape including Echinacea, Monarda and Rudbeckia, and I hope to incorporate more as the project progresses.

The Minnesota DNR is a great resource for Minnesota gardeners interested in working native plants into the landscape. There's also a nice book titled Landscaping with Native Plants of Minnesota by Lynn Steiner, in which you may find inspiration and information about many of the species native to the state. Here are a few other UM Extension sites that may be helpful:

Navigating the Sea of Gardening Information

2009-09-18T15:37:00.006-05:00

The web is a great resource for information on gardening. It can become overwhelming however when you start searching for planting guides, pest and disease information and so on. It is important to remember that just because you find it online doesn't make it true. It is best, when seeking such information online, to look for sites owned by universities and extension services. The information they provide is based on research and is the most reliable. It is also usually best to find information from a university in your region, because climate and zone can make a big difference when it comes to garden advice. A great resource is www.extension.org. It is a cooperative extension system, bringing together extension information from land grant universities across the country. One of the great features is that the system will automatically determine which is your closest extension service, and connect you to information relevant to your region. Be sure to check it out.

The Numbers Are In

2009-09-15T10:17:00.003-05:00

After entering all the harvest data from the last month, here's the grand total to date with a few totals from individual crops.

Total harvest from the Edible Landscape: 485 pounds
Chard: 88 pounds
Zucchini (1 plant): 38 pounds
Lettuces: 33 pounds
Eggplant (7 plants): 64 pounds
Tomato (5 plants): 43 pounds
Cucumber (2 plants): 30 pounds
Carrots: 25 pounds
Peppers (8 plants): 30 pounds

We're still harvesting lots of eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, chard, zucchini, yellow squash and herbs. And as the days grow cooler we'll be harvesting winter squash, kale, radishes, beets and more lettuces.

Raspberries!

2009-09-08T10:56:00.010-05:00

Last week I harvested the first of the raspberries...15 to be exact. They were beautiful and delicious! From the looks of the plants there will be a lot more to harvest in the coming days. There are two varieties of raspberries in the Edible Landscape this year, Autumn Britten and Caroline, both primocane bearing raspberries. More about that in a minute. According to U of M variety trials, Autumn Britten is a fairly hardy, early season variety with good productivity. It produces large, attractive, firm fruit with excellent flavor that freezes well. Caroline is a later variety which is also fairly hardy. It is a good producer of large, attractive, relatively firm fruit with very good flavor that freezes well. There are many other varieties that can be grown in Minnesota, and the U of M conducts variety trials on these and many other fruits. The results of these trials, and a wealth of other information can be found on the U of M Commercial Fruit website.

Now, Raspberries 101. There are two main types of raspberry plants: "floricane-bearing" (aka. "summer-bearing") and "primocane-bearing" (aka. "ever-bearing" or "fall-bearing"). Floricane-bearing raspberries have fruit only on the second-year canes. This means the canes grow only vegetatively for the first year. In the second year, these canes produce flowers which then become fruit in the summer. These canes then die. Primocane-bearing raspberries can produce fruit on the first-year canes as well as on second year canes. Fruit on the first year canes will be ready in the fall, after the second-year canes have finished up their summer crop...hence "ever-bearing". Make sense? If not, keep reading and you'll be directed to some helpful links.

You have to be a little careful when growing fall-bearing raspberries in Minnesota because our occasional early frosts can wipe out an entire crop. However, if you prune them correctly, you can get a nice harvest in summer and another in fall, hopefully before the frost hits. Pruning is essential to maintaining a controlled raspberry patch, especially in an edible landscape. Trellising will also help keep raspberries under control. Be creative with trellising and it will even add an ornamental aspect to your landscape. However, if the natural, rambling, thickety raspberry patch is your thing, by no means let me dissuade you. Except for this one thing...you might be inclined to pick a lot more if they're easy to access and relatively tidy. With that said, raspberries are a wonderful treat in the edible landscape, offering height, texture and color to your design in addition to all that delicious fruit! Click here to learn How to Grow Raspberries in the Home Garden.

Other helpful tips on growing raspberries and using them in the landscape can be found at the following links:
Raspberries in the Home Garden (Cornell Univ.)
Raspberry Diseases (U of M Extension)
Raspberry Insect Pests (U of M Extension)
Small Fruits for the Home Landscape (Colo. State Univ.)

Books:
Landscaping with Fruit by Lee Reich
The Complete Book of Edible Landscaping by Rosalind Creasy
All in One Garden by Graham Rice

Harvest Time

2009-08-31T15:38:00.006-05:00

This week we will be harvesting lots of good stuff from the Edible Landscape. Here's a list:

Eggplant (4 varieties)
Zucchini
Yellow crookneck squash
Peppers (5 varieties)
Tomatoes (4 varieties)
Chard (tons!)
Mizuna mustard greens
Raspberries
Cucumbers
Okra
Onions
Basil (3 varieties)
Mint
Chives and garlic chives
Sage
Thyme
Oregano
Rosemary

Plus many colorful and fragrant flowers to liven up the kitchen table.

Videos from the Edible Landscape

2009-08-28T15:13:00.006-05:00

Here's a short video of a very hungry grasshopper.

Powdery Mildew Arrives

2009-08-27T13:33:00.010-05:00

Powdery mildew on zucchini.

It has happened. Powdery Mildew (PM) has come to the Edible Landscape. Thankfully we have many resistant varieties in the edible landscape, so plants such as petunias and zinnias (which are commonly susceptible) have gone unharmed. The trouble is primarily with the squash. The winter squash and melons have it the worst. Zucchini is next. I also noticed it on the Red Lake currant. The cucumbers look ok so far, as do the yellow summer squash.

Good cultural practices can help prevent an outbreak. These include:

planting resistant varieties (not too helpful if you like to grow heirlooms)
locating plants in a sunny area (minimizing shade)
maintaining good air circulation around the plants to keep humidity low
avoiding excess fertilizing (too much and you'll have so much foliage that air circulation will be reduced)
removing infected material to reduce spread (although once powdery mildew is out there, it seems impossible to stop it)
using drip irrigation, and avoiding excessive irrigation

Many extension bulletins go on to say that regular applications of fungicide may be necessary, starting at the first sign of infection and every 10 days thereafter. This is rarely necessary in the home garden, and should be avoided. PM generally doesn't arrive until late in the season when plants are declining anyway. It is also very season-dependent, so just because you had it this year, doesn't mean you will next year.

There are some organic home remedies and a couple of commercial products out there that I have not personally tried, but may offer prevention and in some cases control of a powdery mildew infection. As one reader found, a mixture of milk and water is often recommended on various gardening websites. One of the few commercial products for organic control of PM is Green Cure, a product developed by a plant pathologist at Cornell University. It is a potassium bicarbonate-based substance, and the manufacturers claim it can be used as a preventative and also will control existing infections. Be sure to do your homework before applying any type of treatment to your plants.

The Late-Season Shuffle

2009-08-27T09:41:00.008-05:00

It's getting to that time of year when the edible landscape starts to look a little....tired. The former sea of golden calendula is now a sea of developing seed-heads (keeping up with dead-heading seems futile). The cosmos are leaning and looking a little spindly. The dill has completely gone to seed and is beginning to flop over due to its magnificent height. And while I should perhaps have pulled it out weeks ago and put something else in, I love its height and the copper color it has attained. Besides, the void would be tough to fill. So with the help of Erin (my diligent garden assistant) I stake up the thick, woody stalks to allow the dill to enjoy the rest of the season as the garden's loftiest inhabitant.

Some of the annuals, so vigorous throughout the season, have overgrown their allotted space or simply overgrown their ability to hold themselves up any longer. Take for example the borage. Having grown to about 4 feet, with stems almost 2 inches in diameter, these fleshy plants are so heavy that staking has proved useless...they simply take the stakes down with them. So I've been pulling some, mainly to keep them from smothering some of their neighbors like the yellow squash and various peppers. To fill the voids left behind, I moved a few containers with blueberry and mint from their original spots (which were so filled with kale you could barely see the containers anymore), added a little mulch around them and, voila! This tired, overgrown bed now looks fresh again.

The Edible Landscape is getting a makeover in other areas too! Mustard greens that have bolted were removed, a few woody and dry summer savory plants were pulled, the chervil and cilantro which both have flowered and become ragged were removed...all to make way for the planting of some autumn vegetables. Stop panicking...yes, I said "autumn". But don't be afraid. Late summer is the perfect time to plant some new crops for fall. And it is strangely satisfying to pull out a few of those tired summer plants to make way for something fresh and new. Adding a little compost and preparing a bed for late-season beets, radishes, lettuces, chard and kale has a rejuvenating effect. And it is heartening to know that when the last of the glorious tomatoes have been harvested, there will be something new to look forward to as the days grow cooler. All these plants appreciate the cooler days to come, and their flavors will be sweetened by the crispness of autumn. And since this is an edible landscape, we can be cheered by the thought that these new additions will offer stunning color and texture long after many flowers have begun to fade. Wouldn't you know it, the University of Minnesota Extension Service has a handy guide for planting vegetables for fall harvest. It's not too late to add something new to your edible landscape! If you're having trouble finding seeds locally, here are a few online sources I've had success with.

http://www.cooksgarden.com/
http://www.seedsofchange.com/
http://www.seedsavers.org/

Okra...in Minnesota?

2009-08-12T14:10:00.007-05:00

Burgundy okra growing near zinnias.

We often think of okra as a southern staple, and rightly so: this plant thrives in hot weather. But it is possible to successfully grow okra up here in the north, because okra a fairly fast grower (60 days for 'Burgundy'). So it works even in our short growing season. Yields may not be as high as in the steamy south, but the plant alone is worth the effort. We have 'Burgundy' okra in the Edible Landscape, and the plant's deep maroon color is a beautiful contrast against the bright green stems and pastel blooms of the adjacent zinnias. Not only that, the okra flower is a sight to behold. A member of the Malvaceae (mallow) family, its relatives are hibiscus and hollyhock. The five-petaled flowers unfurl to reveal a creamy yellow (or pink) blossom, with a purple center. These flowers are replaced by deep burgundy pods within a few days, which should be picked young (4" long, unlike the one in the photo) for best flavor and texture.

The closest information I could find for growing okra in the Midwest was from Iowa State University.

Master Gardeners Visit Edible Lanscape

2009-08-12T11:55:00.014-05:00

On Saturday August 8, 2009 a group of about 40 Master Gardeners attended a conference session at the Edible Landscape. We talked about the whats and whys of edible landscaping, and (despite the rain) spent some time in the garden exploring a few of the plants one might not often think about using in the landscape, such as kale and chard, as well as others that are more common. Participant groups searched the garden for information cards about their assigned plant which included plant species and family, cultural information, and culinary qualities of the plant. Participants then summarized this information to the rest of the group and offered their ideas on how their assigned plant might be utilized in the landscape. Some of the great ideas included:

strawberries as a ground cover
kale used to add height to the garden and interplanted with a colorful, low, trailing ground cover
chard in mass plantings or as border plants to show off their colorful stems
calendula to add structure and color to the garden

One of the questions that arose during the session is where to find information on good uses for things like kale or mizuna mustard in the kitchen. One easy way to find information is to do a Google search. As an example, try typing in "kale recipes". You'll be amazed at what you find. I always try to find a site with recipes that are rated by users, because it saves me time deciding if the recipe is worth trying. A few of my favorites are Epicurious, MyRecipes, RecipeZaar, Food Network and Eating Well. There are countless others that are either online magazines or collections of recipes posted by users. It's fun to search and try new things. And don't be afraid to substitute new ingredients in recipes you know and love. For example, if a recipe calls for spinach, try chard or kale from your edible landscape. You may be surprised to find you like it even better than the original! Here's an example that I've adapted from a recipe I found on Epicurious. It's a little out of season for right now (the thought of eating soup today, when it is 89 degrees, isn't so appealing), but you'll get the idea.

Fast White Bean Stew (and it is really fast!)
adapted from Epicurious
My adaptations are noted in italics.
Ingredients

2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup plus 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 (14- to 15-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1 3/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 (19-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (3 cups)
1 (1/2-pound) piece baked ham (1/2 to 3/4 inch thick), cut into 1/2-inch cubes (or cooked bacon broken into pieces, thinly sliced prosciutto, or other flavorful meat)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
10 cups loosely packed chopped kale or swiss chard
8 (3/4-inch-thick) slices baguette

Preparation
Cook garlic in 1/4 cup oil in a 3 1/2- to 4 1/2-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat, stirring, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Coarsely cut up tomatoes in can with kitchen shears, then add (with juice) to garlic in oil. Stir in broth, beans, ham, and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Stir in greens and cook until wilted, about 3 minutes.
While stew is simmering, preheat broiler. Put bread on a baking sheet and drizzle with remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil. Broil 3 to 4 inches from heat until golden, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.
Serve stew with toasts or with crusty bread torn into pieces.

-------------------------------------

The internet is a great resource for recipes, so don't be afraid to plant things like broccoli raab, mizuna mustard, pak choy, true siberian kale, okra and tomatillos. Not only will they bring delicious new flavors to your table, they look absolutely stunning in the garden! Of course, if you have any recipe ideas, please feel free to share them here by clicking on the "comment" link at the bottom of this post.

Thanks to all the Master Gardeners who attended the Edible Landscape session at the 2009 MN State Master Gardeners Conference. It was a great morning of sharing ideas!

Let's Communicate!

2009-08-04T14:02:00.004-05:00

Just a reminder...as you read, please feel free to make comments, add your own ideas, tell a story. Just click on the "comments" link at the bottom of the post you'd like to respond to.

The Almightly Chard

2009-07-23T13:09:00.022-05:00

And now a little plug for Swiss chard. I'm a little biased because it is one of my very favorite vegetables. It is so much more flavorful than spinach, has a little more body than spinach (keeps its nice texture when cooked), is incredibly versatile in the kitchen (just Google "chard recipes" and you'll see), and if that weren't enough, it looks great in the landscape with its dark glossy leaves and colorful stems. And what's more, you can cut outer leaves all summer long to sautee, steam, stir fry, or bake into delicious tarts, frittatas or lasagnas. The plants will continue to grow and look fabulous all season. Be sure to add this attractive, delicious, nutritious and easy-to-grow variety to your garden next season. Better yet, you could still get it in the ground this year for a late-season crop.
Swiss chard and many other leafy greens are tolerant of cold temperatures. Find an open spot in the garden and sow some seeds. You'll have harvestable leaves in as little as 40 days. Yum! Be sure to rinse it well before cooking as the dimpled leaves really seem to hang onto dust and soil particles. None of us like to eat gritty greens! Here are links to a couple of my favorite recipes for chard from epicurious.com and the Food Network.


Swiss chard tart. Image borrowed from ThisTinyHouse.com.

The University of Minnesota Extension Service has some great resources on their website for growing all kinds of vegetables. Click on the underlined links above to find valuable information related to this post.

Next time, we'll take a look at the Japanese Beetles that have invaded the edible landscape.

Bees Love Borage

2009-07-23T12:10:00.024-05:00

The edible landscape is going strong! Harvests this week include zucchini, yellow summer squash, more and more chard, lettuces, carrots, and a few pole beans. The tomatoes are getting close! The various flowers around the garden are keeping the bees and other pollinators coming. The borage has been especially attractive to bumblebees, honeybees, and various native bees and other pollinators. Stop by the garden to see them in action. It is quite amazing. Just look at the number of bees in these photos!

Borage grows to about 2-4 feet in height. Planted in masses it creates a dense clump of fuzzy foliage topped with dusky blue nodding flowers. The flowers and leaves are edible. Find out more about edible flowers in this U of M Yard and Garden Brief . Borage is also known to repel squash bugs, so it is planted near the zucchini, summer squash, winter squash and melons in the edible landscape.

In other Edible Landscape news, the cucumbers (which were transplanted in the broccoli raab's location after it was finished) are starting to fruit.

A Little Break

2009-07-21T11:25:00.017-05:00

As you may have noticed, the Edible Landscape blog has been quiet for the past week. I've been in Eastern Idaho doing a little....research on native plants of the Inter-mountain West. Ok, truthfully I was on vacation, but did see a lot of amazing specimens. The hillsides and woods were covered with brilliant colors. So let's take a little break from the Edible Landscape and take a look at a few western wildflowers.

Now that I'm back in Minnesota, the Edible Landscape blog will pick up again. I haven't seen the garden since I've gotten back, but I'm sure a lot has changed in the last week, and there will be a lot to write about and a lot to show you.

The Edible Landscape was featured in the U of M Extension Service Mid-July Yard & Garden Newsletter.
While you're doing that, I'll be thinking about all the 'research' I was doing last week.

2009-07-07T15:02:00.004-05:00

After a big harvest this morning, the total yield of chard so far this season is over 33 pounds!

Garden of Plenty

2009-07-06T11:37:00.005-05:00

The harvests from the Edible Landscape are increasing and becoming more diverse. We've been picking lettuces and other salad greens for over a month and they just keep growing! The two varieties of kale have been harvested at least once a week since mid-June. And the chard is growing so quickly it's hard to keep up. Yesterday I harvested the first young, tender zucchini and pulled the first carrots. Summer squash is not far off, peppers are beginning to peek out from under their glossy leaves, the eggplant are blooming, the beans are climbing and the tomato plants are in full flower with a few green tomatoes here and there. Here's a look at some of the numbers so far.

Salad mix (incl. Red Oak and Emerald Oak Leaf lettuce, Little Gem lettuce, Arugula and Mizuna and Osaka Purple mustards) : over 29 pounds.
Dinosaur Kale: 4 pounds
True Siberian Kale: 12 pounds
Broccoli Raab: 6 pounds
Chard: 12 pounds
Zucchini: 1 pound
Carrots: 2 pounds

Along with various herbs the total harvest from the Edible Landscape since June 3 is just about 75 pounds. Part of my interest in this project is to demonstrate just how much food can be produced in a relatively small space. Granted, the Edible Landscape beds add up to about 1500 square feet, but much of that is covered with beneficial flowers. I am working on calculating the square footage of each crop, which will then help to show just how much you can get from a square foot of good soil. Stay tuned.

Oh, Those Beautiful Tomato Plants

2009-06-26T14:21:00.010-05:00

When the Edible Landscape was first being planned, someone coyly remarked one day, "Good luck making tomato plants look beautiful". It got me thinking, why is a tomato plant not beautiful? Because of its gnarled stem? Its tangled foliage? Its proliferation of bulging fruits cracking their stressed branches? Ok, I guess I can see that. But...what about the grand height to which that gnarled stem reaches? The striking texture of the tangled foliage? And the brilliant hues of the ripe fruits peeking through all that green? If you think about it a little differently, that scraggly tomato plant could actually be a wonderful addition to your garden...not to mention the promise of all those fresh tomatoes! Of course, it helps to have an interesting or unusual trellis to keep your plants under control and looking their best. We have some cool stainless steel tomato spirals that are quite a conversation piece!

Worried about how those lower browning leaves will look in your landscape as summer progresses? Clever planting around the base can hide those, and provide nice contrasts in texture, height and color. Here's an idea that is working well in the Edible Landscape: Instead of planting the common French or African marigolds, which are a mainstay in the garden, try Signet Marigolds, Tagetes tenuifolia. These marigolds have a mounded form with feathery foliage covered with small blooms. They look great planted with basil and parsley around tomatoes.

It's time to rethink how edibles are used in the landscape. They don't have to be banished to a corner at the back of the yard. They can be a part of your ornamental garden, because, depending on how you think about it they're just as beautiful as all those flowers.

Some Photos...Just 'cause they're pretty.

2009-06-25T16:24:00.002-05:00

Enjoy a few photos from a sunny day in the Edible Landscape. Click on the photo to see it full size. And remember, you can always see all the photos of the garden if you click on the slideshow over to the right. Enjoy!

Things are A'Buzz

2009-06-24T14:10:00.003-05:00

Do you ever look closely...really closely at your garden? Do you stop and listen? If so you have seen and heard the wealth of activity that occurs in a garden on a sunny summer day. The Edible Landscape has been very busy with insect activity lately. A wide array of pollinators have been seen on the dill flowers, broccoli raab flowers, many of the ornamentals and especially the baby pak choy that flowered last week. Not only have the pollinators been hanging around the Edible Landscape, a myriad of other beneficial insects have taken up residence among the lettuces and calendula...just to name a few.

It is important to distinguish the good guys from the bad guys when it comes to insects in the garden. If you see a mass of insect eggs on the underside of a leaf, don't immediately smash them assuming you're saving your plants from imminent danger. They may be eggs of a lady beetle, for example, which is a voracious predator of aphids. There are numerous online resources for identifying insects in the garden. The U of MN Extension Service has a few links to lists of beneficial insects. Once you learn to recognize the beneficial insects from the pests, you'll be able to more effectively control the pests...most likely with the help of some little insect allies! Check out the Gardening Information page on the Extension Service website to find lots of great gardening information, advice and tips, including lots of information on garden insects.

Broccoli Raab

2009-06-19T13:20:00.011-05:00

Photo courtesy of hgplants.com

The fine, tender shoots of broccoli raab are delicious steamed, sauteed or stir fried. However, over the last week or so the broccoli raab in the edible landscape has been flowering like crazy, and the shoots have become very long, slender and tough. When sauteed they ended up tough and stringy with the not-so-tantalizing flavor of slightly bitter broccoli. So what to do with the huge bin we've harvested? Broccoli raab pesto! Basil or spinach could be added to the following recipe to sweeten the flavor, but made with only the broccoli raab, it turned out very tasty, and was great on pasta!

Broccoli Raab Pesto
Quantities are up to you, since they're totally dependent on taste.

Lots of broccoli raab shoots (with flowers is ok)
Good quality olive oil
Grated Parmesan cheese
Pine nuts or almonds
Salt

Coarsely chop broccoli raab shoots. Blanch in boiling water just until tender. Remove from heat and plunge into cold water. Drain and squeeze all excess water from shoots. In a food processor, pulse shoots with nuts until finely ground. Begin adding olive oil in a stream until mixture is smooth. Add Parmesan cheese to taste and pulse until incorporated. Add salt to taste. Serve on pasta or any way you would use basil pesto.

Compost and Fertilizing

2009-06-17T11:27:00.018-05:00

A fresh load of compost was delivered last week, which was used to finish up mulching the remaining beds in the Edible Landscape. The compost was pretty "hot" and burned many of the plants in those beds. In most cases the plants were large enough that only the lowest leaves were affected. A few smaller transplants are still struggling, but for the most part new growth is appearing, and things look a-ok. The compost will slowly add organic material and nutrients throughout the season, and the thick layer (about 3-5 inches) will act as a mulch to help inhibit weeds and hold moisture in the soil. The U of M Extension Service offers a lot of helpful information on composting and mulching in the home landscape.

Soil samples were sent in this morning for analysis to start determining a fertilizing plan for the Edible Landscape. A soil test is an important step in fertilizing because it tells you exactly what nutrients are needed, thereby saving money and reducing excessive fertilizing. The U of M Soil Testing Laboratory explains the process and makes it simple to have your soil tested.

A soil test and leaf tissue analysis will be performed for our container-grown blueberries. Marginal and interveinal reddening has been present on two of the three plants. The blueberries are potted in a mixture of peat and perlite. An organic acid fertilizer was mixed in at planting. With the results from both analyses, we'll know exactly what steps to take to improve growing conditions for the blueberries. The U of M Research Analytical Lab offers plant tissue testing (only available to University researchers and government agencies at this time), and provides detailed explanations on how to interpret results.

New Signs Are Up!

2009-06-17T11:08:00.005-05:00

Stop by the Edible Landscape to see the new signs! And while you're there take a walk through the rest of the demonstration and teaching gardens to find more signs detailing the interesting things going on. The Edible Landscape is located in front of the Plant Growth Facility, and the rest of the gardens are across Gortner Ave. Click here for a map.

Warming up

2009-06-12T10:15:00.026-05:00

The cool temperatures this June have been a little tough on the warm-season vegetables like tomatoes, peppers and eggplant. These plants haven't done much in the past week or so, but with a few warm days things should get going again. On the other hand the lettuces, kales, mustards, pak choy and broccoli raab have been loving the cool weather. The only problem with those are the pesky flea beetles which have selected their favorites: broccoli raab, baby pak choy, Osaka purple mustard, arugula, Mizuna mustard and the True Siberian kale. Damage however has been tolerable, and is really only cosmetic at this scale.

Check out the following links for suggestions on planting dates and information on flea beetles.
Planting the Vegetable Garden: http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticult ure/DG1422.html
Flea Beetles in the Home Garden: http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/M1210.html

Plant List

2009-06-04T15:38:00.008-05:00

Certain fruit and vegetable plants were selected for several reasons:

Easy to grow (chard, kale, lettuces, pole beans, snap peas, herbs, strawberries, tomatoes...)
Popular (tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, herbs, zucchini, snap peas, baby lettuces...)
Interesting colors and textures (chard, kales, mustards, baby lettuces, summer squash, pak choy, broccoli raab, various sages...)
Useful (everything!)

Flowering plants were also selected for various reasons:

Long flowering period or overlapping flowering periods
Various heights, textures and colors
Regarded as good companion plants for many edibles (marigolds, nasturtium, borage, oregano, monarda...)
Regarded as good for attracting beneficial insects (monarda, alyssum, bachelor buttons, lavender, echinacea, rudbeckia)

Here's a list of the plants used in the U of M edible landscape (click to enlarge).

Plans

2009-06-04T15:22:00.006-05:00

The final version of the Edible Landscape plan. A few things changed as we planted, but for the most part, the garden is planted as drawn! (Click on the image to see it full-size.)

Visualizing the Edible Landscape

2009-06-04T15:00:00.005-05:00

In addition to drawing garden plans, sketches of groups of plants based on average plant shapes and heights can help to visualize how the garden will look when mature.

Getting Started

2009-06-04T14:44:00.002-05:00

It was mid-January when discussions began about designing an edible landscape for the garden beds outside the University of Minnesota Plant Growth Facility in St. Paul. The beds were buried by a few inches of snow, but talk was swirling about a garden that would include vegetables, flowers, fruit, herbs...all planted together in a design that would demonstrate how edibles can be incorporated into the landscape rather than being confined to the traditional garden rows. There were ideas on companion planting, flowers to attract beneficial insects throughout the season, various mulches for weed control and moisture retention, and which edibles might be easiest for a home gardener to add to their landscape. So as the snow was flying, plans were made, designs were drawn and seeds were ordered.