Most of us live a grocery store dependent life-style. Our ability to feed ourselves and our families is dependent on what we can find at our local grocery stores from the types of foods offered to the quality, quantity, and varieties of foods available. Chafing at these restrictions, some of us have chosen to reclaim some dimension of food production with Edible Landscaping – the idea of growing an abundance of organic fruit trees, berry bushes, vegetables, herbs, flowers, medicine, even livestock in our home and backyard landscape settings.  

Few of us can be totally self-sufficient in our food production. Who among us produces all our meat, fish, dairy, grain, legumes, fruits, vegetables and herbs? But some of us are beginning to ask what CAN I produce for myself? Perhaps it’s a beautiful cedar raised bed in the yard with a few tomato plants. Or how about fruit trees that not only grace the yard with blossoms in the spring but are laden with fruit in the fall. Or BERRIES. The slightly acidic soil of our region is perfect for blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries, and most fruit and nut trees. 

The barrier to entry is low if you have the right guidance, knowledge, and mindset. The key to success is knowing which types of fruits and nuts can grow on your land, where they should be planted, and what varieties will best suit your needs and disease pressures. Having the right know-how has many advantages. You can manage your harvest windows, for instance, so you don’t get all of your fruit at one time. By choosing different varieties of strawberries, for example, you can stretch the strawberry harvest from June through September. And I don’t mean the mild-mannered berries we find in our grocery stores, but big, fat, juicy, flavorful berries, harvested at peak ripeness, that you can only find grazing in your own garden.  

When you grow your own fruits and vegetables you can produce food that is fresher, safer, nutritious, and more delicious than anything available in the grocery store. And it’s FUN,

good for your soul, mind, body, and spirit.  

Bear Creek Organics is here to help. They have sought out the plant varieties that flourish best in our area and have many varieties from which to choose at their Edible Landscaping Nursery. They also provide full spectrum edible landscaping services: consultation, design, installation, maintenance, and education. 

You may think…We’re heading into WINTER!  I’ll think about this later.  But why wait.  Now is the time to plan for Spring. Just imagine picking the freshest, most perfect berries in your own backyard.  Forget the grocery cart; grab your harvest basket. YUM!