25 Plants for Edible Landscaping: Grow Food Beyond the Backyard
Expand your gardening horizons beyond the backyard with this curated selection of beautiful plants perfect for any front yard garden. Many vegetables, herbs, and flowers can beautify your landscape while serving a practical purpose. All the plants on this list act as pollinators and are completely edible. Keep reading to get inspiration for creating a stunning edible landscape or container garden.
Burgundy Amaranth
1. Amaranth
Explore the vibrant hues and culinary versatility of amaranth. Standing tall at nearly 6 feet with stunning burgundy plumes, amaranth makes for a lovely backdrop to any garden or landscape. Enjoy the edible leaves which are best when picked young. After enjoying its beautiful blooms, the nutritious seeds can be harvested and are perfect for late summer dishes.
2. Artichokes
Grown as both a perennial and annual in colder climates, these beauties produce majestic, purple blooms if left to flower. Before blooming, the flower buds include a fuzzy “choke” that covers the edible, meaty core referred to as the “heart”. Artichokes make delicious treats or provide a stunning show that will attract pollinators and neighbors.
Blue Boy Bachelors Button
3. Bachelors Button
The colorful blooms of Bachelors Button, available in pink, blue, purple, and black, are perfect for a front yard garden. These flowers can be directly sown and are easy to maintain. Their mild-flavored petals are also a delightful addition to salads.
4. Basil
A garden staple, basil is available in multiple shades of green and purple with each variety offering a unique flavor and scent. Basil flowers are also a magnet for pollinators. This versatile herb is a must for any front-yard vegetable garden.
5. Beets
With their vibrant leaves and colorful roots, beets are an earthy treat that thrive in front-yard landscapes. Harvest the young leaves for a salad or the roots for a nutritious and flavorful culinary experience.
6. Borage
Grow borage for its cucumber-flavored leaves and adorable star-shaped flowers, available in blue, pink, and white. This annual herb is perfect for edible landscaping and companion planting with tomatoes, squash, and strawberries. Borage is also famous for reseeding, so you might only have to plant it once!
7. Swiss Chard
Enhance your front yard with the vibrant leaves and stalks of Swiss chard. This leafy “green” adds visual appeal to any garden while ranking as one of the most nutrient-dense vegetables. Swiss chard is available in all the colors of the rainbow, easy to grow, and versatile in the kitchen.
Common Chives
8. Chives
Chives bring a nice variation in foliage to front-yard gardens. Common chives produce edible purple blooms in spring, and garlic chives have delicate white flowers that appear in late summer. These perennial herbs are a staple for any garden and a favorite of pollinators.
9. Eggplant
Eggplants are a great addition to front-yard gardens. With attractive foliage and colorful fruits ranging from purple to white, eggplants have both ornamental and culinary appeal. Eggplants also come in a variety of shapes and sizes, so there is something for everyone.
10. Fennel
Fennel's feathery leaves and aromatic bulbs make it a standout choice for any front yard landscape. Its yellow flowers also appear in early summer, attracting beneficial pollinators. Fennel is also one of the host plants for black swallowtails.
11. Kale
Kale's nutrient-rich leaves, ranging from green to purple to red, thrive in urban edible gardens. This biennial annualizes beautifully in front yard vegetable garden designs.
12. Lemongrass
Add a citrus twist with lemongrass, featuring grassy leaves that enhance both culinary and aesthetic appeal in your edible landscape.
13. Red Giant Mustard Greens
Highlight your front yard with the bold, crinkly leaves of mustard greens, perfect for adding texture and color to your edible garden.
Alaska Mix Nasturtium
14. Nasturtium
Nasturtium's lily pad-shaped leaves and vibrant flowers in red, orange, and yellow bring cascading or climbing beauty to any front yard garden, perfect for urban spaces.
Clemson Okra
15. Okra
Celebrate summer with okra's large, heart-shaped leaves and edible pods, available in various colors. This perennial favorite thrives in front yard vegetable gardens.
16. Oregano
Oregano's spade-shaped leaves and pink, white, or purple blooms add both flavor and charm to your front yard herb garden, ideal for ground cover or mounding displays.
Flat Leaf Parsley
17. Parsley
Parsley's bright green leaves and versatile culinary uses make it a must-have in any front yard vegetable garden, offering both aesthetic and nutritional benefits.
18. Peppers
Peppers come in a rainbow of colors and thrive in front yard landscapes, with bushy plants adding ornamental value alongside their edible fruits.
19. Rosemary
Rosemary's fragrant, needle-like leaves and lavender blooms bring Mediterranean charm to your front yard garden, ideal for both culinary and decorative purposes.
Pineapple Sage
Common, Golden, and Purple Sage
21. Sage
Sage's purple and green foliage, along with its vibrant flowers, offer texture and color diversity in your urban edible garden, available in various culinary varieties.
21. Shiso
Shiso's serrated leaves and lavender flower spikes add a touch of Asian culinary flair to your front yard edible landscape, perfect for beds or containers.
22. Sorrel
Sorrel's slender green leaves with red veins and purple buds thrive in urban landscapes, offering both visual interest and culinary versatility.
23. Snap Peas
Admire the vertical beauty of snap peas, showcasing lush foliage, vibrant flowers, and pods that elevate any front yard garden with their climbing tendrils.
24. Thyme
Thyme's ground cover or mounding growth, along with its aromatic leaves and delicate flowers, enriches your front yard herb garden with culinary delights.
Pink Grapefruit Yarrow
25. Yarrow
Yarrow's fern-like leaves and colorful flowers in shades of yellow, red, orange, and pink provide both beauty and pollinator attraction in sustainable front yard landscapes.
Transform your front yard into a thriving edible oasis with any (or all) of these varieties. Whether you're starting small with containers or designing a full-scale front-yard vegetable garden, these plants offer endless possibilities for your edible landscape and cuilinary creations.
Discover the versatility of container gardening! Learn how to choose the right container, save on soil, make the most of your space, and get tips on watering and feeding your plants.