Harvesting these tasty cultivars as they ripen accentuates your enjoyment of each passing season. There’s nothing quite like watching an apple tree bloom with glorious abandon in the late spring and anticipating the first taste of crisp, fresh fruit in the fall. You can also share your bounty with local wildlife - adding to the natural charm of your property. As you plan your edible landscape, bear in mind that you will need to keep chemical sprays far away from anything you plan to eat.

 

Multi-Purpose Landscaping

Unlike a dedicated vegetable garden, the edible plants blended into your Dallas landscape design should serve more than one purpose. Grow them for their display of flowers, foliage, or other appealing characteristics. The fact that you can gather food from your backyard should be viewed as a bonus.

 

For example, chives make a lovely dark green border for a flower bed and produce their own blossoms to add to the mix. They can be harvested lightly from spring through fall to meet your culinary needs for baked potatoes or salads. Strawberries can be planted as a lush groundcover alongside a wall, fence, or pathway. Hunting for the berries hidden beneath the leaves is an activity that will keep kids (and grownups) entertained in the summer.

Is a vine covered gazebo part of your ideal landscape? Plant grapes and let them provide the twining vegetation and a sweet snack for warm August and September nights. Cultivate a pecan or hickory tree for shade and enjoy gathering nuts in the autumn.

 

Not all edible plants are high maintenance. Some actually thrive best when neglected. The fig tree is a perfect example. Start these on the far edge or back lot of your property far from your house and let them grow wild. The fruit can be chopped and boiled down with some sugar to make scrumptious preserves. 

 

Know What You Eat

Taking the time to learn the history and practical uses for some native plant species can pay off. Did you know that early spring cattail roots can be boiled and eaten? You can also shake off the heavy heads of pollen into paper bags and use it as high-protein flour. Cattails are the perfect choice to line the edges around a fish pond in your Dallas landscape design. They add to the charm of your water feature and provide shade/protection for your fish.

 

Sometimes, the specific species you choose can make a big difference as far as safety is concerned. Camassia scilloides is a native Texas species of wild hyacinth with bulbs that can be prepared and eaten like potatoes. However, the Wild Hyacinth (Brodiaea douglasii) most people grow in their flower gardens is highly toxic. Always double check with a reliable source to make sure any wild plant you are cultivating is safe to eat. That way, you will be around to enjoy your garden next year instead of being planted six feet under!