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It is possible to create beautiful landscapes that not only provide natural beauty, but can also provide food and other useful items. There are many edible plants and vegetables that are also very attractive. Since fruits and vegetables are getting more and more expensive, smart people have decided to grow them themselves.

The majority of people who build edible landscapes utilize perennial vegetables, since they return every spring with no need to replant. After they’re planted, they’ll go on providing beauty and food for as long as you tend them.

Generally, just some water and fertilizer is all they require, plus some trimming, weeding, and pest control. There is an abundance of vegetable types that will continue to feed you for years to come. Perennial vegetables will die in the late fall, but in the springtime they’ll come back and undergo a new growth cycle.

Perhaps you are a little leery of this idea - after all, doesn’t a vegetable garden require a lot of care? This is certainly the case for traditional vegetable gardens; however, edible landscapes require only a little bit more work than other landscape plants!

This is all easier than you may think. You can simply replace some elements used in traditional landscaping with edible plants. For example, plant fruit trees rather than non-fruit bearing varieties. Wouldn’t you rather have say, plums than acorns? Many vegetables work well as ornamentals and can be planted in place of flowers and other landscape accents.

Beautiful mixes of edible and non-edible plants are also possible. Herbs are great edible plants to add to traditional flower garden beds. To achieve a different look, you can combine different kinds of plants together.

Curly parsley is striking in combination with a variety of other plants. Try mixing it with pansies, lobelia, strawberries, dusty miller, or dianthus. Sage and oregano are highly attractive plants, and make for a wonderful border. They are also attractive as edging around a large shrub.

Planting beds of leaf lettuces can easily create accent areas. Edge with a border grass and then fill the plant bed with your choice of multi colored varieties of leaf lettuce.

Plants with edible flowers come in many varieties. A lot of these plants may have more than one edible part. They can be very attractive pieces of a garden while in bloom. Sugar snap peas produce white, pink and purple flowers, plus they make really good peas.

Fava beans produce red and white blossoms. Chives have remarkable purple globe-shaped blooms. Dill has attractive yellow flowers. Nasturtiums are another beautiful edible flower, and bloom in shades of orange, yellow and red. Sage and salvia both have purple and blue flowers.

Perennial vegetables and herbs are perfect for ornamental, edible landscapes, because they involve so little care and tending. Look for perennial broccoli, dandelions, sweet potatoes, rhubarb, sorrel, artichokes and Jerusalem artichokes, chives, fennel, garlic chives, ginger, and asparagus.