Edible Additions

Bringing edible design into your home 
or garden takes a little know-how 
and a passion for living systems. 

There is something fundamentally satisfying about growing what you eat, whether it’s a handful of herbs to scatter on your salad, apples to bake into a pie or a whole self-sustaining vegetable patch full of tomatoes, carrots and potatoes. True, an edible garden requires work and a certain amount of know-how, but the payoff is huge. After all, nothing tastes as good as something that’s been freshly picked — and edible fruits, flowers, herbs and even veggies can be as pretty to look at as they are good to eat.

“When you have that big array of [plants], you’ll end up with a beautiful bouquet, and can harvest things when they’re ready,” says Bianca Bodley, the owner and principal designer of Victoria-based landscape design firm Biophilia Design Collective. 

Whether you live in a cozy apartment or a spacious house, with a small balcony or sun-filled backyard, there are myriad ways to grow your own edible plants.

Breaking From Tradition 

While the idea of edible gardens often brings to mind neat rows segregating vegetables, herbs and flowers, a more dynamic approach can add interest and help plants thrive. 

“I like to incorporate edibles into the actual garden, specifically things like flowering shrubs,” says Bodley. 

Some designers create “edible forests,” which hold the evergreen look of a winter shade garden, but happen to be brimming with superfoods, from herbs, berries and medicinal plants to fruits and nuts. 

Herbs also work well as an alternative for ground cover, adding reliable greenery to a seasonal garden — and many are deer proof. 

“[Herbs are] green almost year-round and have beautiful seed heads,” Bodley says. “It’s another way you can incorporate food without being too prescriptive.”

Playing With Shapes 

Planters can completely transform culinary curb appeal and are the basis for helping some edible systems thrive, especially indoors. 

Concrete planters can be formed in a variety of shapes, while raised boxes are the perfect solution for deterring creatures that lie in wait of a growing carrot. For an interior space, vertical gardens maximize usable light while hydroponic systems and balcony farms capitalize on creating an ecosystem that stimulates growth, even in a condo. 

When these fruits grow, their tendrils droop over the edge of the basket and reach toward the ground, creating a cascading effect.

“I like using attractive metal planters to add pops of colour and texture,” says Bodley of her landscaping projects.

If you’re gardening with pots — on a small balcony, or to add dynamic interest to a larger garden — Bodley recommends filling them with a variety of edible plants, like kale, arugula, green onions and flowers.

“Hanging baskets are great for things like strawberries and trailing raspberries,” says Bodley. 

Designing With Plants 

For the ultimate boost, indoors or out, vertical gardens create the effect of a bookshelf filled with plants. 

“By attaching planters to a wall … you can have layers upon layers of plants growing,” says Bodley. 

Done properly, the area or wall will look like it’s bursting with flora. Outdoors, these are best supported when placed near a hot, sunny wall. Inside, you’ll need to make sure the wall of choice gets lots of natural light. 

If garden maintenance isn’t your thing, plenty can be accomplished by a stone “garden” with just a couple of choice shrubs. For those ready for an outdoor experience, a pollinator garden is a choice that benefits the whole neighbourhood. 

Creativity is the key when setting your shovel in the ground, and the garden itself can reinforce the home’s dominant motifs. 

Bodley calls to mind one project she undertook for a homeowner in Fairfield with a red, cube-shaped house. Using planters and delineated spaces, they planted edible red and pink amaranths — all in the shape of squares. From the rooftop patio, the vista was a spectacle of vibrant cubes. 

The motivation for these efforts come from the same place Bodley developed the name for her company. 

“Biophilia is an innate love for the natural world,” she writes on her website, “the instinctive bond between all living systems; an attraction to all that is alive and vital.” 

Foodscapes

This dramatic before-and-after by Edible Landscapes Design shows the transformation of one property’s basic grass yard to a space that supports pollinators and produces a mix of fruit, nuts, berries, herbs, perennial vegetables, cut flowers and more.

Which Garden is Right for You?

Here are some of the most popular ways to grow fruit, veggies and herbs in the Capital Region.

• Shade-tolerant gardens > Low-light herbs and greenery are well matched with natural driftwood, rockery and stone. 

• Edible rain gardens > In this symbiotic environment, rainwater collects naturally to support the plants strategically positioned nearby. 

• Flower and berry gardens > For spots with plenty of sun and well-drained soil, these gardens welcome bees and reward growers with fresh fruit.

• Deer-proof edible landscapes > Deer-resistant edible perennials and herbs can deter ungulates, while a low-maintenance wildflower lawn offers little to entice. 

• Pollinator gardens > These sun-fuelled gardens host a stunning array of colour, scents and edibles, ensuring bees and people are drawn in for more. 

• Mushroom beds > Those versed in fungi will be thrilled at the edible array that doubles as an enchanting landscape.

• Rooftop gardens > Turn unproductive space into a play zone bursting with low-maintenance edibles, from beans to blueberries.