The Advantages of Edible Landscaping
There are many advantages to participating in the practice of edible
landscaping.
As one might imagine, edible landscape elements are those that can
be used for food, as well as for ornamental beauty.
Vegetables, herbs, and
fruits can add variety and color to the landscape, and if well maintained, they
can also look very attractive and even elegant in many cases.
Most people prefer to keep the edible elements of their landscape to the
back portions of their property.
While this may be reasonable for a more
conventional garden plot,
a well placed squash patch in the front yard or
beautiful raspberry bushes against a fence
can look very attractive anywhere on
a piece of property, and fruit trees are always welcome.
Strawberries and herbs
make excellent ground cover,
and peppers and tomato plants make excellent
accents in flower gardens.
Here are some of the advantages of incorporating
edible landscape elements into your environment.
Less effort on the lawn.
If trying to keep a manicured lawn is a daunting task,
you can reduce the amount of lawn that you do have by adding more edible
elements.
If you pay someone to keep your lawn for you, it can become quite
expensive.
Edible elements are excellent ways to reduce the area of your
lawn, making the upkeep easier,
without having to spend a great deal of money.
Increased quality of life.
You can experience a better quality of life as
taking care of these edible elements
in your landscape leads you to more
exercise and more time in the fresh air.
Inside of offices and homes the air
does not circulate as well.
Sick building syndrome is an actual condition that
results in respiratory problems associated with being indoors too much.
Sometimes, with all of the dust, and other small particles constantly floating
through the house,
the air inside a home can be more polluted than the air
outside the home.
Being outside can help alleviate much of the problems of this
nature.
Experts agree that exercise is important, and tending your edibles can be an
enjoyable way to get some physical activity.
You feel better when you exercise,
and your body is healthier.
Increased physical wellness also results from the
fact that you can choose not to use pesticides and thus grow food that is
better for you.
There are also mental health benefits associated with tending
plants.
Additionally, the satisfaction one feels from growing something for
one’s consumption adds to feelings of self worth.
Quality family time.
Taking care of an edible landscape makes a great family
activity.
A family can spend time together, and children can learn the value of
hard work as well as learning to respect and enjoy nature.
These days, with so
many distractions tempting the family in all different directions
(or even to
just sit in separate rooms watching TV or playing on the computer),
working
together for a common goal can really help family members discover each other.
Environmental benefits.
You can help the environment by growing edible elements
in your landscape.
When you eat what you grow,
you decrease demand for factory
farming and processed foods, which in turn helps the environment.
Additionally,
if you choose to shun harmful chemicals like pesticides, you are decreasing
dependence upon harmful products.
Additionally, you are also helping reduce the
demand
for transporting produce to stores, thus affecting truck emissions.
Financial benefits.
And one cannot forget the pocketbook.
Edible landscaping
provides food for your family,
allowing you to save money at the grocery store.
If you have enough room,
it is even possible to grow enough food to freeze or
can some of your food for winter.
This can result in great savings.
With
berries, apples, and crabapples,
it is also possible for you to rather
inexpensively make your own jellies and jams.
During summer months,
it is
possible to purchase almost none of your produce at the store if you have
properly planned your edible elements.
Although items like citrus fruits and
melons may not grow in your climate,
most vegetables and berries grow almost
anywhere.
This means that you can buy a very few items of desire, and grow most
of the rest of your produce.
The great thing about edible landscaping is that you do not need everything in
the same area.
There is no reason to put all of your vegetables in the same
place, like a traditional block garden.
You can spread a great many of them
throughout the landscape for more dramatic and aesthetic effect.
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