Edible landscaping means designing a garden where food plants are part of the landscape, not hidden away in a vegetable patch at the back. Fruit trees become shade trees, herbs edge the paths, berries form hedges, and vegetables fill the flower beds — so the garden is beautiful to look at and useful to eat from at the same time.
It is an old idea — cottage gardens always mixed flowers and food — and it suits modern gardens well, especially small ones where there is no room for a separate vegetable plot. The key is to choose edible plants that are attractive as well as productive, and to design with colour, height and season in mind, just as you would with ornamentals. If you are unsure which fruit or herbs suit your soil and climate, check your local extension service for local recommendations.
What edible landscaping is — and is not
Edible landscaping is not a vegetable garden with a few flowers in it, and it is not an ornamental garden with a tomato plant hidden in a corner. It is a garden designed from the start so that edible and ornamental plants work together. A fruit tree is chosen for its blossom as well as its fruit. A hedge is made of currants or blueberries, which flower in spring and fruit in summer. A path is edged with thyme or chives, which smell good when brushed and can be picked for cooking. A flower bed holds rainbow chard, purple kale and nasturtiums, which are as colourful as any bedding plant and can be eaten. The garden still needs the basics — good soil, sun, water and care — but it is planned as a whole, not as two separate gardens. Our garden design basics and garden planning guides help with the planning, and vegetable garden layout covers the food side.
Fruit trees and shrubs as landscape plants
Fruit trees are the backbone of edible landscaping. An apple, pear, plum or cherry tree gives spring blossom, summer shade and autumn fruit, and a well-shaped tree is beautiful all year. See growing apples, growing peaches, growing plums and growing cherries. In a small garden, choose a dwarf or fan-trained tree against a sunny wall, which takes little space and looks elegant. Berry shrubs make excellent hedges and borders: blueberries have white spring flowers, red autumn leaves and summer fruit; currants and gooseberries are neat and productive; raspberries and blackberries can screen a boundary. See growing blueberries, growing raspberries and growing blackberries. Figs and grapes suit a warm wall and look Mediterranean. Choose varieties that suit your climate and soil, and check pollination needs — some fruit trees need a partner to fruit well.
Herbs, vegetables and flowers together
Herbs are the easiest edible landscaping plants, because most are attractive in their own right. Rosemary makes a fragrant hedge, lavender edges a path and feeds bees, thyme creeps between paving stones, and sage has soft grey leaves that suit any border — see growing rosemary, growing lavender and growing sage. Vegetables can be ornamental too: rainbow chard has bright red and yellow stems, purple kale is striking in winter, globe artichokes have silver leaves and purple flowers, and runner beans have scarlet flowers before they fruit. Flowers that are also edible — nasturtiums, calendula, violas and borage — bring colour and can be eaten in salads. Use the companion planting finder to check which combinations help each other, and plant flowers among vegetables to bring in pollinators and pest-eating insects.
Designing with colour, height and season
Design an edible landscape the way you would design any garden: think in layers and in seasons. Tall trees and large shrubs at the back or as focal points, medium shrubs and herbs in the middle, low herbs and salads at the front, and climbers up walls and fences. Think about colour through the year: spring blossom, summer fruit and flowers, autumn leaves and berries, winter structure from evergreen herbs and bare fruit trees. Think about texture too: the silver of artichokes, the feathery leaves of carrots and fennel, the bold leaves of squash. Leave room for paths, so you can reach plants to pick them, and put the herbs you use most near the kitchen door. Use mulch to keep beds tidy and moist — our mulch types guide compares the options — and use the soil volume calculator when filling new beds. A garden that is designed well will look good even when nothing is ready to pick.
Keeping an edible landscape productive
An edible landscape needs the same care as a vegetable garden, just spread across the whole garden. Feed fruit trees and shrubs with compost in spring, mulch around them to hold moisture, and prune them at the right time — our fruits pruning guide covers the basics. Water vegetables and herbs in dry weather, and harvest regularly, because picking encourages more growth. Watch for pests, and deal with them organically where you can: hand-pick, use netting, and encourage birds and ladybirds. Rotate annual vegetables, even in a mixed border, so the same family does not grow in the same spot year after year — see our crop rotation guide. Keep records of what worked and what did not, and replace plants that struggle with ones that thrive. An edible landscape is not a low-maintenance garden, but the work is spread out and pleasant, and the reward is a garden that feeds you as well as pleases you.
Edible landscaping in small and shady gardens
Edible landscaping works in small gardens, and even in part shade, if you choose the right plants. In a small garden, use dwarf fruit trees, berries in pots, herbs in troughs, and climbers such as beans and grapes up a wall. In shade, grow leafy herbs such as mint, parsley and chives, salads such as lettuce and spinach, and currants and gooseberries, which tolerate part shade better than most fruit. Use containers where the soil is poor, and vertical space where the ground is small — see our small space gardening and vertical gardening guides. Even a balcony can be an edible landscape on a small scale, with herbs, strawberries and tomatoes in pots — see balcony gardening. The principle is the same at any size: choose edible plants that look good, put them where they will grow well, and design the garden as a whole.
Common mistakes to avoid
The biggest mistake is planting edibles that look good but do not suit your soil or climate, so they struggle and look miserable. The second is planting fruit trees too close to the house or to each other, so they shade the garden and each other when they grow. The third is forgetting pollination — a single apple tree with no partner nearby may flower beautifully and fruit poorly. The fourth is planting invasive edibles such as mint directly in a border, where it will take over; always grow mint in a pot. The fifth is letting the garden become untidy, because an edible landscape that is not maintained looks neglected rather than natural. The sixth is using chemical sprays on plants you will eat — garden organically where you can, and always follow label instructions if you do spray. Finally, do not expect a new edible landscape to feed you in its first year: fruit trees take time to establish, so enjoy the blossom while you wait, and check your local extension service for varieties suited to your area.
Frequently asked questions
What is edible landscaping?
It is designing a garden so that edible plants — fruit trees, berries, herbs and vegetables — are part of the landscape, chosen for their looks as well as their produce. Fruit trees give blossom and shade, berries form hedges, herbs edge paths, and colourful vegetables fill flower beds.
Which fruit trees are best for a small garden?
Dwarf or fan-trained apples, pears, plums and cherries suit small gardens, especially against a sunny wall. Figs and grapes also suit warm walls. Choose varieties suited to your climate, check pollination needs, and give each tree room to grow.
Can I grow vegetables in a flower border?
Yes — many vegetables are attractive. Rainbow chard, purple kale, globe artichokes, runner beans and nasturtiums all look good in a border and can be eaten. Rotate them each year, feed the soil with compost, and plant flowers among them to bring in pollinators.
Is mint safe to plant in a border?
No — mint spreads aggressively by underground stems and will take over a border. Always grow mint in a pot, sunk into the ground if you like, so its roots are contained. The same applies to other vigorous spreaders such as lemon balm.
How do I keep an edible landscape looking tidy?
Mulch beds to suppress weeds and hold moisture, prune fruit trees and shrubs at the right time, harvest regularly, and replace plants that struggle. A little regular care — weeding, deadheading and tidying — keeps an edible landscape looking designed rather than neglected.