We are finally starting to see the beginnings of spring in Middle TN! That means dreaming of summer gardens lush with flowers, veggies, and intoxicating scents. What could be better than combining all three into one type of plant? An edimental is both edible and ornamental and every gardener is going to want to add these multifunctional crops into their space in 2024. Found as both perennials and annuals, edimentals can be in the form of plants, shrubs, and even trees. Edimentals offer growers beauty and food while saving on space, conserving water, and adding to your curb appeal. When sustainability and current landscaping style can go hand in hand it will be hard to resist filling your space with edimentals. Learn about the benefits of gardening with edimentals this growing season and which edimental plants I bet you
already have growing in your backyard.
Why Use Edimentals?
Amongst trends in 2024, edimentals are sustainable beauties with major benefits for home gardens and communal properties alike. Many edimentals are perennials which have deep root systems making them naturally more drought tolerant and less labor intensive. Water conservation is becoming increasingly important and perennials that establish well and can easily live through a drought help keep our water usage down. Schools, libraries, and city centers looking to educate the community on gardening techniques can incorporate edimentals to provide a variety of hands-on learning opportunities while allowing those responsible for taking care of the garden less maintenance.
As land becomes less available and urban housing continues to rise, space is a major factor for people hoping to reap the benefits of gardening within a smaller footprint. Edimentals allow for a beautiful aesthetic while providing foraging opportunities outside your front door or even in a container garden on a balcony. Perennial edimentals are low maintenance and hardy but crops considered annual for our area shouldn’t be overlooked. They are a great compact option for urban gardeners. Calendula, pansies, marigolds, and nasturtium can easily be added to a container garden amongst herbs or other veggies.
If you have the extra space, adding in edimental trees like peach, apple, and plum can allow you to become more food independent, support pollinators, and bring rich, flowering foliage to your landscape. Blueberry and elderberry bushes can provide a food source rich in health benefits and bulk up your front landscape as well.
Start Gardening with Edimentals in Middle TN
In Middle TN our edimental options are abundant; herbs, kale, and dahlias are a few that most home gardeners can easily incorporate into their landscape and may already be growing. Herbs like oregano, sage, and mint are hardy for zone 7b. They offer differing heights and textures to include amongst an established landscape. While kale and bok choy are not perennials, they are compact, crops that provide leafy greens continuously throughout the growing season.
Alliums such as garlic, onions, and chives offer bright flowers with delicious and aromatic bulbs for use in the kitchen. Dahlias are known for their gorgeous blooms in late summer, but their tubers are also entirely edible. They can be enjoyed raw after the skin has been peeled or boiled and mashed.
After looking around your garden I’m sure you will find a few edible crops that often get overlooked as just flowers but actually serve a dual purpose. In 2024 we all should have a goal to be more sustainable! Growing plants that have multifunctionally helps us accomplish this without sacrificing on beauty and curb appeal.
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