NORTH COAST GARDENING: Edible landscapes

These waning days of winter make it a wonderful time to begin planting an edible landscape. Consider the existing trees, shrubs and ground covers in your yard and make note. Perhaps some of them can be replaced with plants that will provide food. As a bonus, many landscape edibles not only provide food for humans, but also provide nectar and pollen for important pollinators like bees, hover flies and butterflies. Here are a few ideas:

REMOVE THE LAWN -- The easiest way to get rid of lawn is to rent a sod cutter to remove the grass. A sod cutter is like a large, gas-powered lawn mower except it slices horizontally into the sod. It is quick and efficient. The 1-foot-wide strips, about 1/2 to 1-inch thick, can be rolled up like carpet and taken to the compost pile. Once strips are removed you can till in compost, manures and other soil building materials.

SHEET COMPOST -- No time or energy to cut sod? Try sheet composting. This involves mowing a grassy area as low as possible. Then add a thick layer of newspaper or cardboard as mulch. Next layer on the goodies: first rice straw, then composted manures, compost, shredded leaves, used potting soil. Keep layering on until bed is 18 inches high. Let it rest for six months to a year, then plant.

EDIBLE SHRUBS -- Blueberry bushes cannot be rivaled when it comes to landscaping with edible shrubs. They provide tasty fruit and have visual interest all year long. Huckleberries, bush-type rosemary, such as 'Tuscan Blue,' and artichokes also make good shrub material.

GROUND COVER -- Strawberries make the best ground cover. Traditional large-fruiting varieties, as well as alpine and wild strawberries, are available at local nurseries. There are many types of ground cover rosemary available, also.

FRUIT TREES -- Fruit trees are plentiful at the nurseries now, as bare-root time is here. Apple, cherry, plum and pear all will provide flowers, fruit and plenty of shade. Since most are dwarf and semi-dwarf, these trees will not overpower the yard.

DON'T FORGET COLOR -- There are so many colorful leaf lettuces available these days. A colorful mixture can make a wonderful border or fill a container. Bright yellow, red and orange chards are stunning in containers. A large container full of 'Bright Lights' chard is eye catching and tasty, too.

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Terry Kramer is a trained horticulturist and journalist. She has been writing a garden column for the Times-Standard since 1982. To get in touch with Terry, send an e-mail to style@times-standard.com and put For Terry Kramer in the subject line, or write to Terry Kramer, c/o Times-Standard, P.O. Box 3580, Eureka, CA, 95502.

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NORTH COAST GARDENING: Edible landscapes