The Foodscape Revolution: Finding a Better Way to Make Space for Food and Beauty in Your Garden

by Brie Arthur

Overview

This is one of those "especially for now" kinds of books. For you, for the whole family, for your community. Foodscaping visionary Brie Arthur looks at under-utilized garden spaces around homes or in the landscaped common spaces of planned communities – and she sees places where food can be grown…lots and lots of it. And not in isolated patches, but inter-planted with non-food ornamental plants for year-round beauty. This is a new way of looking at private and public spaces, where aesthetics and function operate together to benefit individuals and entire communities. In The Foodscape Revolution, Arthur presents her status-quo-shaking plan to reinvent the common landscape – in a way that even HOA’s would approve. Call it food gardening “in plain sight,” and having it all.

In this entertaining and informative book, you’ll learn which edible and ornamental pairings work best to increase biodiversity, how to situate beds to best utilize natural water and light resources, and most importantly, how to begin an enriched gardening lifestyle that is beneficial, sustainable and empowering. With full-color photos, design plans, simple projects and bountiful tips, The Foodscape Revolution can be life-changing.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781943366187
Publisher:	St. Lynn's Press
Publication date:	03/15/2017
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	251,650
Product dimensions:	7.90(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

In 2016, Brie Arthur was recognized in Greenhouse Product News as one of the “40 under 40” industry pros who are helping to determine the future of the horticulture industry. She has a degree in Landscape Design and is a correspondent on the PBS television show Growing a Greener World, where she shares practical advice from her own one-acre suburban foodscape. As a professional garden industry communicator, Brie is committed to getting the message out that all things horticultural are the way of the future, speaking internationally on a variety of horticulture topics. She is on the Board of Directors of the Garden Writers Association (GWA) and resides in Fuquay Varina, North Carolina. www.briegrows.com

Read an Excerpt

[from the Introduction] Foodscaping is the logical integration of edibles in a traditional ornamental landscape. In other words, to foodscape is to grow food alongside your flowers in the landscape that already exists. It is a design and growing strategy that makes the most of the square footage in every landscape. I’m not suggesting everyone “become a farmer” by digging up the front yard – far from it. Through foodscaping, you can harness the sunny open mulch space that’s already in a prime spot and add your favorite edibles like kale, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, lettuce and carrots. The average suburban foundation landscape – the landscape around the house – offers open space the equivalent of 1,250 sq ft, or 48 average-sized 4x8 raised beds. That’s a lot of edible potential! While an urban house on a small lot may offer less planting space, any sunny area can be foodscaped – even if you’re living in a townhome or condo with only a deck or front porch.

Table of Contents

Introduction ix

Part 1 The Model 19

Chapter 1 Anatomy of a Foodscape 21

Chapter 2 Creating a Foodscape Framework the Ornamentals 31

Chapter 3 Just Add Edibles 43

Chapter 4 What to Plant: Veggies & Herbs 59

Chapter 5 What to Plant: Fruits, Nuts, Berries & Grains 87

Chapter 6 Foodscape Basic Care & Maintenance 103

Part 2 Foodscaping Projects 113

Foodie Fire Pit 115

Property Screen Meadow 123

Edible Neighborhood Entryway 129

Patio Pots 135

Alternative Growing Systems 141

Part 3 Yard to Table 149

Harvesting, Preserving & Processing 151

Recipes 163

A Few Last Words 171

Appendix 173

Ornamental Plants for Every Region 175

Community Resources 181

Index 184

Acknowledgments 187

About the Author 189

What People are Saying About This

Allan Armitage

“The term ‘revolution’ is used far too casually today. Very seldom do we see a trend become a movement, then become part of our vocabulary. Brie Arthur has not only been the leader of the foodscape revolution, she is also its face and voice. This is one book that needed to be written.” ~ Allan M. Armitage, Professor Emeritus of Horticulture, University of Georgia

Sonya Harris

“Thanks to Brie Arthur, our school garden at Dorothy L. Bullock Elementary School has become a foodscape haven for the children and residents of Glassboro, New Jersey. Through Brie’s devotion to helping our children fall in love with gardening, our innovative programs have been recognized by the NJ Department of Agriculture and won the very first Jersey Fresh Farm-to-School award. Bullock Children's Garden has become a model for other schools.”
~ Sonya Harris, Special Educator and Lead Coordinator of The Bullock Children's Garden/Glassboro Public Schools Garden Initiative

Jessica Walliser

"This book ushers in a new era of gardening – one where beauty and food grow side-by-side and creativity is not just appreciated, it’s encouraged. The Foodscape Revolution shows us how to make our landscape sing!”
~ Jessica Walliser, horticulturist, radio host, and author of Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden and Good Bug Bad Bug

Diane Blazek

“Read just a few pages of this exciting new book and you too will be energized to try new things in the garden – like, why not use lettuce as an edging or grains as a 'thriller' component? It makes so much sense to do away with the old notion of keeping your edible garden in the backyard.” ~ Diane Blazek, Executive Director, National Garden Bureau

Maria Zampini

“No longer must food gardening be relegated to a separate part of the garden and ornamentals and flowers to a foundation planting. In The Foodscape Revolution , Brie invites us to join her cause: marrying all plant types together as one big happy family, with the homeowner being the recipient of all its glorious bounty.” ~ Maria Zampini, President, UpShoot LLC

Jared Barnes

“In The Foodscape Revolution , you will discover a cornucopia of ideas to transform your garden into an edible wonderland! You'll be inspired by seeing the impact that foodscaping can have on your life, your community and your environment.” ~ Jared Barnes, Ph.D., Professor at Stephen F. Austin State University

Mark Weathington

“Few garden movements have combined the burgeoning desire of people to take control of their food sources while still creating beautiful and functional garden spaces, even as our landscapes are shrinking. Brie is leading the way in the foodscape revolution with bounteous borders of vegetables and flowering perennials, grains and showy shrubs – and she makes it all seem so easy.”
~ Mark Weathington, Director, JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State University

From the Publisher

“Brie Arthur is my go-to expert for all things foodscaping. Her experience, talent and passion for designing edible landscapes is second to none. I’m constantly amazed by Brie’s ability and vision for making any plantable space attractive and productive.” ~ Joe Lamp’l, producer and host of the PBS series Growing a Greener World®

“No longer must food gardening be relegated to a separate part of the garden and ornamentals and flowers to a foundation planting. In The Foodscape Revolution, Brie invites us to join her cause: marrying all plant types together as one big happy family, with the homeowner being the recipient of all its glorious bounty.” ~ Maria Zampini, horticulturist, President, UpShoot LLC

“Read just a few pages of this exciting new book and you too will be energized to try new things in the garden – like, why not use lettuce as an edging or grains as a 'thriller' component? It makes so much sense to do away with the old notion of keeping your edible garden in the backyard.” ~ Diane Blazek, Executive Director, National Garden Bureau

Joe Lamp'l

“Brie Arthur is my go-to expert for all things foodscaping. Her experience, talent and passion for designing edible landscapes is second to none. I’m constantly amazed by Brie’s ability and vision for making any plantable space attractive and productive.” ~ Joe Lamp’l, producer and host of the PBS series Growing a Greener World®

Editorial Reviews

"The Foodscape Revolution is Arthur's call to hoes, so to speak. She encourages gardeners to grow edibles along with their flowers and other ornamental plants. Some homeowners may have resistance from archaic zoning laws or inflexible neighbors if they suddenly decide to grow a half-acre of corn in their front yards. Arthur doesn't advocate digging up an entire property. But there is so much unused space in most suburban yards that can be used to grow carrots, kale and tomatoes." ~Jill Sell

From the Publisher

In essence, Foodscape Revolution is eclectic and charming. Arthur’s garden-scapes are accessible and inviting, and this book is a useful resource for those looking for simple ways to begin growing plants for food.

Esther Jackson

I believe Brie Arthur’s The Foodscape Revolution will be very inspiring for folks who want a yard that sustains them — both physically and spiritually — while keeping their neighbors and/or homeowners associations happy!

Susan Mulvhill

About a decade ago, Brie Arthur won a Yard of the Year award for her home landscape. That’s not unusual, since she’s a professional horticulturist. What was surprising was the design. Apparently, her North Carolina homeowners association hadn’t noticed various vegetables and herbs planted in plain sight, alongside ornamental shrubs and trees.

“Isolating veggie gardens to the backyard is so yesterday!” Arthur said, during last month’s Winter Symposium at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. By matching a plant’s needs with available spaces, gardeners can maximize the potential of their land, as well as their harvests. Foodscaping is the creative integration of edibles among ornamentals in a traditional landscape.

Pairing vegetables, fruits and herbs with shrubs, grasses and trees is nothing new. The concept of purposeful landscapes has been around since the 1970s. Rosalind Creasy, a pioneer in the field, penned more than 20 books about edible landscaping. However, four decades later, homeowners continue to cling to traditional landscapes with underutilized expanses of mulch — a practice Arthur is determined to change.

“Foodscaping is a design and growing strategy that makes the most of square footage in every landscape,” Arthur said. “Initially, I wasn’t an idealist (about the trend). I just did it because I was really, really poor.”

Now Arthur leads the foodscape movement with passion. She lectures internationally and serves as a correspondent for the PBS television show “Growing a Greener World.” Arthur also penned her first book, “The Foodscape Revolution,” which became an Amazon best-seller.

“I mix beauty with ecology and nutrition,” Arthur said. “There are millions of suburban acres cultivated in America. It’s our opportunity to grow something of meaning.”

Benefits abound

“You can never grow all you can eat, so at least grow five things you won’t have to ever buy again,” Arthur suggested. She encourages gardeners to be open-minded and adventurous. For example, during the growing season, visitors will discover rice and wheat growing in her front yard. The practice earned her a nickname of which she’s proud: Grain Lady.

Growing your own veggies reduces food miles, which is the distance a product travels from origin to consumer. “A grocery store has an average of 1,500 food miles per product,” Arthur said. In effect, local foodscaping supports global sustainability.

“Diverse plants support diverse entomology, too,” Arthur said. She referenced gardeners’ tendency to overplant a vegetable in one predetermined area. The lack of diversity invites disease and destructive pests, as well as lower yields. Conversely, diversity supports pollination and natural pest control.

Striking curb appeal

Arthur’s gardens also demonstrate that foodscaping doesn’t trade beauty for bounty. “I have a zero-tolerance policy for ugly plants,” she said. Fortunately, utilitarian landscapes can maintain curb appeal because edibles present striking leaves, colorful fruits, varied heights and/or intriguing textures. Select edibles also support four-season interest. If you aren’t pleased with the harvests or prefer a return to the traditional landscape, nothing is lost. Most edibles are annuals, so you can choose to plant them, or not, from year to year. Either way, the garden plot never appears empty, since the bones of the garden (perennials, shrubs and trees) are never disturbed.

Foodscaping isn’t limited to residential areas. The practice makes practical use of underused spaces in common areas, such as around public buildings, churches, schools and even parking lots. “There are endless possibilities and ways we can produce food on a local scale,” Arthur said. “You just need to think outside the box.”

Foodscapes: Where Beauty Co-exists with Bounty - Lynne Jackson Kirk

The Foodscape Revolution (St. Lynn's Press) is Arthur's call to hoes, so to speak. She encourages gardeners to grow edibles along with their flowers and other ornamental plants. Some homeowners may have resistance from archaic zoning laws or inflexible neighbors if they suddenly decide to grow a half-acre of corn in their front yards. Arthur doesn't advocate digging up an entire property. But there is so much unused space in most suburban yards that can be used to grow carrots, kale and tomatoes.

Jill Sell