Hello from the HillTop!

As spring continues, our family is ramping up our garden prep for the upcoming growing season. We are up-potting our seedlings, moving them into the greenhouse, and keeping up with all necessary check lists list items (7 Pre-Gardening Activities) before we get into the full swing. There is a lot of work that goes into the garden before one bit of food is ever harvested.

Gardens can be a large commitment, especially the larger you decide to make your garden. What if that does not fit your current lifestyle or the time you have available? Gardening offers many opportunities to provide your family with fresh food, however it does not need to be the only fresh food source you have. There are many other options for you to consider to allow for food to grow around your property, providing you an edible landscape, to help supplement your food costs.

Berry Bushes

Berries are by far my favorite edible landscape item! At the farm I grew up on, our woods had numerous wild black raspberries growing. It was a glorious harvest come the 4th of July each year. My sisters and I have so many memories picking berries and eating them over ice cream. It was a normal part of our summers, and even some of the oldest grandchildren got to enjoy it before the farm sold. Taking a look at the edge of the woods (on your property or people who have given you permission) can give you such a joy when you find any variety of raspberries, black berries, currents or elderberries growing naturally. Make sure you take the time to identify the berries properly!

Do it yourself: No berries already growing wild on your property? No worries! Add a few bushes, there are so many varieties that are easily accessible. Depending on the variety, it takes a couple years to begin producing, but you can have a yearly supply of fresh berries at your fingertips to eat fresh or freeze!

Herbs

Herbs are insanely expensive if you buy them from a grocery store. You may need to pick up a foraging book to help or even take a class that identifies local wild herbs, but your list of possibilities is endless! You can pick items at a variety of local, public access lands that allow you to make teas, immune boosters or ever simply flavor your food.

Our neighbor grew mint one year and it took off! I have never had to grow it myself because she has such an abundance each year. There are many herbs that are perennials and will reemerge each spring. I have catnip and dill that come back annually. I no longer need to purchase started seedlings or grow these items. Herbs tend to produce for a longer amount of time when being planted directly into the grown versus in a pot.

Do it yourself: Consider adding in a few herbs around your house in your flower beds. You can use them for cooking as needed throughout the season. By adding perennial herbs to your beds you will be able to dehydrate extras for your winter season cooking or teas.

Fruit/Nut Trees

There were remnants of an orchard on the farm where I grew up. Manly just a few apple trees near the tree-lined field. The deer ate the bulk of the apples, but during family walks we got to find one or two apples that was good, occasionally.

There are a whole variety of trees you can add around your property. We have a small orchard of pear and apple trees at our home currently. Other options one could add in most regions are plum, peach and cherry; if you are in southern zones your options are endless! There are some more common trees, like crab apples, that most people do not eat. From those sour crab apples you can make a delicious jelly with them, adding just sugar and lemon juice. It is that simple!

Nut trees are another option. We have a neighbor that has a chestnut tree, and my children love picking them up from the ground in early fall. There are many nuts you can forage for, but you can simply add them to your property as well. You will have your very own nut grove.

Do it Yourself: While, like berry bushes, adding fruit or nut trees will take time to yield food. For a quicker return, consider looking to public areas or foraging areas you have access to. If you are doing this, be sure to get permission! I cannot stress this enough. Just because know of a wooded area, if do not have permission, you cannot take items off it.

Mushrooms

When I think of foraging, I most commonly think of people in the woods looking for mushrooms. There are a handful of mushrooms that grow wild that are edible. You need to know which ones will not make you sick, but once you do, you are able to find a wide variety of mushrooms to eat: Morels, Chicken of the Woods, and Hen of the Woods.

Do it Yourself: Find public lands you can forage from! Or consider growing your own. Mushrooms are an easy option to grow yourself as well. You can either add spawn to a substrate (like wood chips or straw) or inoculate a log with spawn plugs. This year we are growing Blue Oyster Mushrooms in a bed next to the house in straw. If you do not have the space, consider doing a kit that allows you to grow in your kitchen.

Hunting/Fishing

When my husband and I were first married, hunting was a way for us to save money. We ate venison out of necessity, it helped that we were both raised in hunting families. As we have gotten older, he still hunts, and now so does my son. Although we no longer need to for financial benefit, we prefer eating deer meat for it’s leaner attributes and having control where our food comes from. The financial benefit is still there because it is significantly cheaper than buying beef at the store.

My husband was raised on the water by his dad, who was a Pennsylvania Fish Commission Officer. Spending so much time on the water as a kid has really increased his knowledge and ability to fishing. He spends time on local lakes throughout the spring, catching, cleaning and freezing fish for the year. Our kids are fish eaters, one more than the other, because of how much they have been exposed to it in meals from a young age.

Do it Yourself: While I recommend hunting, it can be a costly endeavor to start. You can start small, but hunting can truly suppplement meat from the grocery store. Fishing can be a smoother transition for most people, in costs, finding locations to utilize and even processing the fish you eat. Find a mentor in hunting or fishing to start utilizing local public lands (or your own property) and lakes for your food.

Flowers

The idea of eating flowers seems odd to many, they have been used for centuries. Bee balm, dandelion, nasturtium are just a handful of flowers that you can eat all or part of the plant. Bee balm is often used to make vinegars and salad dressings. Dandelion leaves and stems are popular for salads. Dandelion roots can be used for tea. Nasturtium flowers are a beautiful addition to salads. The leaves from nasturtium are a peppery zip for pesto.

Do it Yourself: Yes, dandelions can be found in your yard to be harvested, but be sure that where your picking your dandelions sprays are not being used. Other flowers, like bee balm and nasturtium, can be grown in your garden or mulch beds. More likely you will need to grow most of these flowers from seeds, but some edible flowers can be found at local nurseries as well.

While I believe in traditional gardening for its benefits to your wallet, mental health and beauty, I do think diversifying your food sources is just as beneficial. Some years your garden may not produce as much as you may like (due to weather, bugs or disease). Having these other options will help you in those down years. Taking the time and adding other options by utilizing your surroundings will benefit your health by offering other nutrients the garden does not (example: protein by fishing).

Whether you have the space to add one or a few of these options on your own property or go to public lands to utilize foraging, these are options to help diversify your food sources. Create your own edible landscape to reap the benefits!