Edible Landscaping with Rosalind Creasy

Winter Squashes and Pumpkins come in a carnival of shapes and colors.

Large winter squash and pumpkins with their long sprawling vines are not usually considered general landscaping material. They are notorious for running rampantly over neighboring plants and they tend to get ratty looking by the end of the season. However, these large plants, with their dramatic leaves, huge yellow flowers, and colorful fruits can in fact be a wonderful addition to your landscape and are among the most exciting ways to draw children into the garden. To include winter squash in your landscape you have options. You can either control the vines in an orderly and attractive way, or grow the new compact bush varieties and include them in your flower border or in containers.
You’ll soon see that when grown well winter squash and pumpkins are handsome plants and add whimsy to a routinely serious landscape. See the photos below for some creative ways to add them to your garden.

To grow your winter squash or pumpkins, in winter peruse the offerings from the many mail-order seed companies and choose the size plant you want, the type you like to cook, and the right variety for your climate. (Even though they are called winter squash, they are actually planted in the spring after the soil has warmed up and they tolerate no frost. They are called “winter” squash because they can be stored over the winter, as compared to summer squash which are consumed in the summer. ) The important thing is to keep your plants healthy. Struggling squash plants are not a thing of beauty; the leaves can turn yellow from too little nitrogen and the leaves get mildew from lack of lots of sun and good air circulation.

To get them off to a great start, choose a garden area in full sun, dig up the soil well and mound the bed if the drainage is poor, and because they are heavy feeders add lots of rich compost and manure to the bed. Plant the seeds according to the directions on the seed package. Water them in well and protect the seed bed with bird netting or spun bond fabric. Provide drip irrigation or water well between rain storms as squash plants need to be kept fairly moist. Mulch the young seedlings with a few inches of compost to suppress weeds and keep the soil moist. The bush varieties need only a supplemental feeding after 6 weeks, the vining squash however need not only the supplemental feeding, they also need an occasional coaxing to get them to climb up a trellis-maybe you need to direct a vine to its support or tie it to the trellis to control them. If you are growing large squash or pumpkins over 5 or 6 pounds on an arbor, you may need to support them with a macrame or other such creative sling. If the leaves start to get mildewed in late summer, spray them with a fungicide spray of either baking soda, compost tea, neem oil, or the bacterial fungicide Serenade. Harvest your squash or pumpkin a few weeks after they have fully colored up, or before the first frost. Store them in a cool dark place and enjoy them over the winter.

My book Edible Landscaping has finally gone off to the printer! After countless revisions and checks, this is a book that we are all really excited about. Books should land in the store by October, with an official publication date of November 1, 2010.

I thought my days as a temptress were long gone not realizing that when I filled the front border of my streetside raised boxes with strawberries I would be back in business. Years ago I attracted the boys at the school dance, today it’s just about everybody. I know because I watch my delivery folks and joggers from behind my front curtain as they debate, “Should I or shouldn’t I snag a berry?”

I want you to know I had pure motives when I chose this perfect spot; as strawberries grow best in full sun, in fast draining soil, and the cascading berries would be safe from slugs and various rots.

Twenty years ago before I created edible landscapes I grew them discreetly in a backyard vegetable garden. Early one spring I had chosen a sunny patch about 10’ by 10,’ enough for our family of four, and added lots of aged manure and compost, plus soil sulfur to create a slightly acidic soil. (Gardeners with very acidic soils add limestone instead.) I added stepping stones to make weeding and harvesting easier. As I live in an arid climate I also installed a drip irrigation system. Two strawberry varieties were perfect for our area: ‘Sequoia,’ a June bearing variety and ‘Quinalt,’ an everbearing one. I placed bare-root plants a foot apart and spread out their roots. To prevent rot I placed the crown at soil level and covered the roots lightly with soil, tamped them down, and watered them well. When the soil warmed up I added two inches of clean straw to prevent weeds. To boost productivity, I pinched off all the June flowers and the constant crop of summer runners and kept the slugs at bay by hand picking. That fall the ‘Quinalt’ plants gave a small harvest, the next spring both varieties were spectacular. With only a spring fertilizing, mulching, and runner trimming the next summer crop was great too. At the end of the season I allowed runners to develop, and used them when I planted a brand new patch. I harvested from the old bed until the new one was producing and then turned under the old one. For eight years I had great harvests of berries for the kids to pick, pies, and extra for freezing and jam.

As the years went by I needed fewer strawberries and had less time. Fortunately, I then discovered Alpine strawberries. These perennials produce all summer, have no runners, produce fruits on top of the plant out of reach of slugs, take light shade, and reseed themselves. With little maintenance we could harvest great berries for cereal, or even a smoothie, from June through October. Ten years later I still have small patches of Alpine strawberries but lately I had a longing for a bigger harvest and that’s when I discovered the new day neutral strawberries-and thus became such a garden temptress. I found the plants produce mostly berries, not runners, so are easier to control in containers and garden beds and for six months at that, so only a few dozen plants were needed. I had room in the front of my planter boxes and last spring, with only some added compost, planted the day neutral ‘Tristar’ berries. They didn’t need the flowers and runners removed and they started producing in late May-then ooh la la. Those perfect lipstick-red perfumed berries were tempting all but the most steely individuals. The neighborhood children help themselves on the way to school, I offered them to visitors who couldn’t get over how much better they taste than the ones from the store. I still have plenty for myself. Lots of berries to savor, and lots more to share, what fun!

Strawberries in Your Edible Landscape