Having edible gardens are quite the rage at the moment but, quite frankly, we think they are a fine idea. There is nothing more satisfying then having ingredients on your plate that have come from your own garden especially if you didn’t need a horticulturist degree to get it right!
Here are top choices for your North Shore landscaping that will give you attractive, edible plants for your garden:
Marsh Samphire
This is a globally appreciated edible plant that has other astonishing uses but we’ll stick to food for this blog. It is high in Vitamin A and a good source of calcium and iron.
It is re-making a name for itself on restaurant menus. It does well in a salad, lightly cooked with a drizzle of butter and squeeze of lemon, is used in Italy in Mortadella sandwiches and pasta with mussels! It is popular served with fish or lamb due to its salty flavour.
It is drop-dead easy to grow especially in coastal regions.
Sea Buckthorn
This beaut makes a fine hedge and you will probably see it in new coastal developments. It is also called sand thorn, sallowthorn, or seaberry. True buckthorns is not related. Confusing indeed. This remarkable and very hardy plants has been used for centuries as a food, a medicine, and a skin treatment! It is being heralded as a ‘super food’ and is used to make pies, jams, lotions, teas, fruit wines, and liquors. There’s a long list so research away and be delighted.
The bright orange berries contain lip tightening amounts of malic acid (like sour sweets) but they can be used to make all sorts of interesting things!
Sea Kale
This is a proud member of the cabbage family, and is very happy in salty exposed coastal conditions. Bees love its small clusters of white flowers. Its blanched young stems are delicious!
Rosemary
This is our ABSOLUTE favourite toughy! Perfumed, beautiful, hardy, massive medicinal benefits and the difference between nice roast potatoes and amazing roast potatoes!
It looks so good in landscape designs, looks good in your budget, fills out well and our very important bees love it! It is very comfortable on the coast and will add value to your summer barbeques as you use it to brush basting onto your meat.
Its benefits include antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, improvement of digestion, enhances memory and concentration, productivity, accuracy and, to a lesser extent, their mood, and neurological protection. Amazingly, crude ethanolic rosemary extract (RO) has been connected to slowing the spread of human leukemia and breast carcinoma cells.
So, living in the North Shore is no longer a reason for not starting your own edible garden! Hoorah! Start your edible landscaping project now and enjoy its bounty for years to come.
Call our North Shore landscaping specialists to help you select the best options for your edible garden and fire up that barbie! Ph: 02 9417 0014 or email to getintouch@sydneygm.com.au
