Holding Space for Urban Agriculture

By Kymisha Montgomery, CGC Urban Agriculture Coordinator

Urban agriculture doesn’t have to be constricted by space. There are many sustainable ways to incorporate food into our traditional landscapes that can be just as attractive, but edible, too.

When we think of urban agriculture, we may picture community gardens, foraging orchards, rooftop gardens and urban beehives, to name a few. But if none of those are your jam, what about adding edible plants into your ornamental landscape?

Foodscaping, or edible landscaping, is both similar to and different from conventional vegetable gardening or farming. Typically, these spaces and techniques are constricted by the space they hold specifically for growing edible plants. Foodscaping allows us to intercrop edible plants into our traditional landscape, ultimately increasing the availability of local food without adding dedicated growing space.

As more of us stray away from lawns and shrubs trimmed to perfection, foodscaping could be a great way to add value to our lawns and help increase access to healthy local food while decreasing food insecurity in our communities. Producing fruit and vegetables alongside of native and perennial plants can create a sustainable and eco-friendly environment like the practices of permaculture, where minimal maintenance is needed to maintain these spaces.

With any great-looking garden, planning is very important. Think about the color, height and texture of plants. Adding big, vibrant brassicas, flowering herbs like chives or even fruit trees to your landscape can liven up the space like a more traditional ornamental would and provide some edible crops in return.

In short, adding edible plants is a great way to transform your ornamental landscape into an edible food producing garden, no matter how much (or how little) space you have!