A Partridge in a Pear Tree

Repost from Dec. 14, 2014: Landscape Trend Foretold in Song Lyric

By Michael Leach

Partridges have gone the way of powdered wigs, but producing fruit is uber trendy. From potted herbs on windowsills to towering nut trees in the backyard, edible landscaping is in.

Fruit-bearing plants do double duty. They produce some food, while filling some landscape roles of strictly ornamental plants. Think of strawberries for ground covers, espaliered fruit trees for screens and fences, berries for informal hedges and dwarf fruit trees for accent plants. Almost all can adapt to container growing.

Reduce labor — Because picture-perfect produce takes much work, shorten your to-do list by selecting plants that are resistant or immune to common diseases and pests.

Learn more — Visit:  your state’s extension website, Missouri Botanical Garden ; Chicago Botanical Garden ; Purdue University Consumer Horticulture ; Nebraska Statewide Arboretum ; Morton Arboretum .