Edible. And Unusual.

Here are a few edible plants that will add color and flavor to any Northwest garden. Get more information on these and other interesting plants from One Green World nursery.

Jujube

A striking ornamental as well as fruiting plant, this rare and unique small tree displays abundant small, fragrant, white flowers which bloom in mid-summer. Also known as Chinese date, its tasty fruit has a sweet apple-like flavor and crisp texture.

Fruiting Quince

An attractive, spreading, small tree, Quince is as valuable for its beauty as for its fruit. Adorned with large cup-shaped pink and white flowers in the spring, it is followed in late fall by abundant crops of huge, bright yellow, sweetly aromatic fruit.

Rugosa (Fruiting) Rose

Beautiful, tough, and adaptable to almost any site, Rosa rugosa has striking large red flowers accented by beautiful, glossy, deep green foliage. In the fall, enjoy the large hips which can be used to make tasty and nutritious jam and jelly.

Authier’s guiding principles stem from her belief in the concept of “permaculture”, short for permanent agriculture. Initially conceived in Australia, the idea has spread around the globe and is defined as “the harmonious integration of landscape and people providing their food, energy, shelter and other material and non-material needs in a sustainable way.” An immense subject that defies easy description, permaculture has been described as “a designed system that reconciles human communities with the ecological imperatives of a living planet.”

Key to permaculture is a landscape design that emphasizes low impact on the environment. Low maintenance plantings that require less what and fertilization are good examples. “We even carry the concept to what surrounds the garden, such as roof plants and a rainwater catchment system,” Authier notes. It is broader in scope than just the garden. “Eat what’s close at hand, from your own fruits and vegetables to chickens you raise on your property,” she adds.

Authier is a fan of naturescaping – which advocates use of indigenous plants – but to a point. “I stress low maintenance more than I do indigenous,” she says. “Just because it’s native doesn’t make it right, especially if it requires more, not less, maintenance.” She gives the example of a very sunny bank, saying she would favor Mediterranean plants that like a lot of sun. “And even when a native plant is the right choice, it doesn’t mean you have to limit it to its natural setting. I love using native plants in a formal garden setting, for example.”       

If you would like more information on permaculture in Oregon, visit: www.portlandpermacultureguild.org.