Spice up your Garden with Fresh Edibles!

Hey there garden friends! 
Are you looking to spice up your garden and enjoy some fresh produce at the same time?  Then why not try planting some edible plants?  Not only will they add a unique touch to your outdoor space, but they'll also give you tasty and healthy food to enjoy throughout the season.

Fresh and Flavorful

Herbs are a great choice for edible plants as they're simple to grow and add delicious flavor to your meals.  Some popular herbs to consider are basil, mint, rosemary, and thyme.  I love adding herbs into almost everything from dishes to marinades to delicious drinks!
 
Kale is another edible plant that's easy to grow and perfect for the cooler seasons.  You can harvest it all year long if it survives the winter months.  Kale is also versatile and can be used in everything from soups to salads. 

If you're feeling adventurous, try planting fruit trees or berry bushes.  Not only will they look beautiful in your garden, but they'll also produce sweet and juicy fruit for you to enjoy.  A few fruit trees to consider are apple, pear, and Asian pear, while for berry bushes, you could try planting blueberries, raspberries, black current, or honeyberry.  ​

Just remember, it's important to research each plant's needs and make sure you're giving them enough care, water, sunlight, and nutrients.  But once you get the hang of it, growing edible plants is a fun and rewarding way to add some flavor and variety to your garden.  So why not give it a go?  Your taste buds will thank you!

Black Currant - Jostaberry variety

​​Easy to Grow Edibles for Pacific Northwest Gardens

Herbs

• Basil – 6-8 hours of full sun; light shade okay in the late afternoon.
• Mint – Full sun. Best to grow in a container to keep from spreading. 
• Rosemary – Full sun. Semi-evergreen.
• Thyme – Full sun, loves warm spaces.

 
Fast Growing Vegetables

• Kale – Full sun to light shade. Plant 2’ apart.
• Green Onion – 6-8 hours of full sun. Grows best in a raised planting bed.
• Turnip – Full sun to light shade. Space 6” apart.
• Cherry tomato – Full sun. (Indeterminate grow up to 8’ tall. Determinate grow 2-3’ tall.)

 
Fruit Trees

• Apple – Honey Crisp and Pink Lady are good producers and delicious!
• Pear – Conference and Bosc varieties. Harvest in mid to late September. Very juicy.
• Asian Pear – Shinseiki variety. Thin skin! Harvest in late August. No pollinator is needed.

                      
Berries

• Blueberry – Bluecrop variety. Large, sweet berries. Up to 5’ tall. Pink Icing variety. Great for containers. Grows 3 to 4’ tall. 
• Raspberry – Killarney, dark red berry; and Brandywine, purple berry.  Excellent flavor.
• Black Current –Jostaberry (cross of black currant and gooseberry). 3 to 4’ tall.  
• Honeyberry – Blue Pagota variety, up to 5’ tall. Needs cross-pollination. Excellent flavor.  Blue Velvet variety, up to 5’ tall. Needs cross-pollination. Sweet with a hint of tartness. 

 
Next Steps
Are you ready to maximize your outdoor spaces and incorporate a sustainable landscape for your property?  Contact BauerCombs today; we would love to discuss your project!  

About BauerCombs & Associates, Inc.  
BauerCombs is an award-winning landscape architecture firm specializing in large estates and sensory design for the greater Puget Sound, Bellevue, and Eastside areas. Our signature sensory design methods create captivating landscapes that bring life to outdoor spaces through the artistic balance of color and patterns, scent, touch, taste, and sound. Our work has been published in several magazines and continues to grow in reputation for creating healthy outdoor environments for people and communities.  Contact us today!
 
Author: Susan Combs Bauer, Landscape Architect, Copyright © 2023 BauerCombs & Associates, Inc. www.bauercombs.com