• Rosalind Creasy - Edible Landscaping

    Gardening can be easy, healthy, inexpensive, and best of all, in can be done just about anywhere. As far back as 1970, Rosalind Creasy was a pioneer in the field of Edible Landscaping.Her work has since revolutionized the way that many of us think about gardening. Cooking from the garden, eating organic, and eating fresh are all possible and not as hard as you might think.

    In this website, you can see some of Rosalind's best tips on making the most of your home garden, along with various recipes and advice.

    Rosalind's new book, Edible Landscaping, was published in November of 2010 and is now in its third printing.

Edible Landscaping Receives AHS Book Award

Sunday, June 19, 2011

by Jean Ann Van Krevelen

Recently, Rosalind attended the American Horticultural Society’s Annual Award Ceremony, where she received an award for Edible Landscaping (Sierra Club). You can see just how excited she is to be given this honor!

She was in great company with the three other winners: Armitage’s Vines and Climbers by Allan Armitage (Timber Press), From Art to Landscape by W. Gary Smith, Timber Press, and Gardening for a Lifetime by Sydney Eddison, Timber Press.

If you’d like to learn more about the AHS Book Awards, they offer a downloadable PDF, complete with reviews of each book. And, if you’d like to learn more about the American Horticultural Society, head over to their website to learn more. Here’s a quick look at their mission:

For nearly a century, the American Horticultural Society has been a major force for good in America. Our mission – blending education, social responsibility, and environmental stewardship with the art and science of horticulture – makes us a unique national organization.

Posted in Travels

by Rosalind Creasy

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Basils for Your Edible Landscape

Thursday, May 19, 2011

In most parts of the country it is now time to plant basil. Yippee! Like many cooks, basil is my favorite herb in the kitchen, and as luck would have it, it’s completely versatile in the garden too. There are dozens of different varieties-ones with red foliage, ruffled ones, columnar types, and even miniature plants with tiny leaves. A few even have different flavors including the lemon, mint, and anise basils.

On the left in back is Holy basil, the chartruese ruffled plant is basil 'Green Ruffles', the red basil is 'Red Ruben' and the basil with small leaves on the right side is 'Mrs. Burns Lemon' basil

Basil plants grow well in containers, can be used among annuals in a flower border, and the miniature varieties can line an herb garden path or be used in decorative patterns. Whether your garden is formal or informal, it can always benefit from a few basil plants. Purchase plants at local nurseries now or order them on line. If you have a long summer season you still have time to start your basil from seeds.

Below are a few ideas to get you started on your basil adventure.

'Red Ruben' and 'Mrs. Burns Lemon' basil alternate with dwarf species zinnias in a garden border at the Kendall-Jackson winery

Mamma chicken sits surrounded by her "hens and chicks" framed by a diamond of lemon and lime thymes. For a culinary bonus, there is an outer border of the dwarf basil, 'Spicy Globe'

Basils in beautiful containers, such as these variegated 'Pesto Perpetuo' are perfect for a formal entry and give off a gentle perfume as visitors brush by

Posted in Edible Gardening

by Rosalind Creasy

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May 20, 2011 - 4:09 am

diana - Rosalind, the basil looks amazing! I am starting up a children’s garden at my daughter’s school and you have been one of my biggest inspirations! We are including a sensory garden and the herbs are going to be a wonderful addition.

Thank you for all of your beautiful work!

May 24, 2011 - 8:04 pm

Tandy Arnold - Thanks for a great article with beautiful and inspiring pictures. I planted some Red Ruben two years ago, and it has graciously reseeded itself each year. Last year I read that basil is especially good for depression and so we harvested and froze some for “winter blues.”

Just this past weekend, I thinned out the basil so that I can later transplant them around the house amongst gold, orange and red annuals. I think the colors are going to be stunning!

I put the thinned basil plants (4-6 inches plus roots) in the fridge to make a basil pesto and was wondering if you have used the roots in cooking? I know the stems, leaves and flowers are edible, but couldn’t find any direct information about the roots. Have you read whether or not basil roots are safe to eat—or perhaps you’ve tried them?

May 25, 2011 - 5:25 pm

Joyce @friendsdriftinn - Thanks for sharing! Love basil! I have several varieties of basil to plant; but started our favorite “Genovese” under the lights. Hardening off outside on the covered porch…thank goodness didn’t put them out…we had hard rains this weekend. Hoping for dry weather over holiday.

Edible Landscaping Sold Out - More Coming Soon!

Friday, December 24, 2010

My updated book Edible Landscaping took off like a rocket this past November, selling out of current stock in less than a month. We are expecting a new shipment the first week of February. There are a few copies still available at Barnes and Noble and seedsavers.org and burpee.com. You can also place an order on Amazon by clicking on the photo below and it will ship out once the stock arrives.

Posted in Edible Gardening

by Rosalind Creasy

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December 28, 2010 - 4:10 pm

Rebecca Henkins - Love it - giving me lots of good ideas for turning my yard into an eating paradise - wish I had your energy and time - I could spend full time in the garden - growing my herbs, vegetables and dye plants - but for now - wait for the freeze to end and plan out the new berry beds for blackberries and grapes - thanks for a great book - I happen to have your older versions from way back too
Back to recovering from a nasty cold and dreaming

February 9, 2011 - 12:51 pm

Theresa Letkiewicz - Anticipating your arrival in Crawford County to speak at Allegheny college for the Penn Stater master gardener spring workshop. Beautiful website! Quite a tease, hope your book shipment arrived on time. Peace and safe journeys.
Erie County master gardener.