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 Sample Consumer Magazine Article: Written for
Iowa Gardening, a quarterly magazine that
provides ideas, inspiration and solutions for
Midwest gardeners.
Purpose: craft an easy-to-read, information-rich
article that educates readers about edible
landscaping, offers tips to help them try in
their own garden, and includes recipes to whet
their appetites
Incredible Edible Landscapes:
A New Twist on Local Food Takes Root in Iowa
By Darcy Maulsby
Have you ever wanted to get more out of your
garden? You can with attractive, edible
landscapes that are redefining the concept of
local foods. Even better, you don’t need vast
spaces or hours of free time to grow fresh food,
add seasonal color and create habitat for
wildlife.
“Edible landscaping is a great way to enhance
the beauty of your property and also increase
its use,” said Eldon Everhart, Iowa State
University’s (ISU) Extension horticulture
specialist for western Iowa. “There are many
ways you can combine plants that are both pretty
and good to eat.”
While edible landscaping is as old as gardening
itself, dating back to ancient Egypt and Persia,
the edible components once common to Iowa’s
residential and rural landscapes have been
largely lost to the shade trees, lawns and
foundation plantings that dominate most
properties today. While there are more than
20,000 species of edible plants in the world,
currently fewer than 20 species provide 90
percent of people’s food, Everhart noted. This
realization is prompting more Iowans to take a
new look at fruit and nut trees, vegetables,
herbs, flowers, groundcovers and shrubs that
produce berries and other edible foods.
Sprouting success from the ground up
Try the following tips to start an edible
landscaping makeover in your backyard:
•Plan before you plant. It may sound obvious,
but plant what you like to eat. Also, decide the
level of maintenance you’re willing to do. Most
edible plants require a little extra watering,
pruning, fertilizing and/or pest management. The
extra time doesn’t have to be excessive,
however. To care for a fruit tree, for example,
many only take a few hours a year.
• Remember “right plant, right place.”
Select
cultivars that are adapted to your gardening
zone. Many fruits and vegetables do best where
they receive at least six hours of full sunlight
per day, and most like well-drained soil. Also,
spend a little time researching the specific
needs of the edible plants you’d like to grow.
If you want to raise apple trees, for example,
two different varieties are often needed for
cross pollination, Everhart said. If you prefer
blueberries, they require a more acidic soil
than is commonly found in most parts of Iowa.
You may need to purchase sulfur to bring the
soil pH down to the 4.2 to 5.5 pH range in which
blueberries thrive.
• Plant with design in mind. Since a trellis
system is needed to support grapes, why not use
an arbor to provide an attractive entry to a
garden or yard? Grapes can also be espaliered
(grown flat) to a fence to create a natural
screen. Don’t forget to take a new look at the
design possibilities of the edible plants you
may already be growing. Asparagus fronds, for
example, can be used as fillers in floral
arrangements.
• Start small. You don’t have to transform your
entire landscape in one year, so consider making
one-for-one edible substitutions as you go.
Instead of planting a new shade tree, consider
adding a fruit tree. Cherry trees are always a
popular choice for edible landscapes. While
sweet cherries are not reliably hardy in Iowa,
tart cherries perform well in the state,
according to ISU Extension. Cherries produce
beautiful white flowers in early spring and are
self-fruitful. Two cultivars recommended for
Iowa include ‘Northstar’ and ‘Meteor.’ ‘Northstar’
grows to a height of 8 to 10 feet, and the fruit
matures in mid-June to early July. ‘Meteor’
grows to a height of 10 to 15 feet, and the
fruit ripens 10-15 days later than ‘Northstar.’
• Don’t beat around the bush. Look around any
yard in Iowa, and you’re bound to see a limited
palette of ornamental shrubs used as foundation
plantings, hedges and specimen plantings. Next
time you plant, consider edible options such as
gooseberries or currants. These self-fruitful
shrubs can be grown as foundation plantings,
small or medium hedges or used in a mixed shrub
border. The fruit can be eaten fresh or made
into jam, jelly, pie or sauce. ISU Extension’s
recommended gooseberries for Iowa include ‘Poorman,’
‘Welcome’ and ‘Hinnonmaki Red.’ Good currants
for Iowa include ‘Perfection,’ ‘Red Lake,’ and
‘Wilder.’ Caution--gooseberries and currants can
be alternate hosts to white pine blister rust,
so they should not be planted near white pines.
If you’re looking for an alternative, consider
aronia bushes, which are hardy to at least USDA
zone 3. Mature plants grow 6 to 8 feet tall and
after three years will produce 15 to 20 pounds
of antioxidant-rich berries per plant, according
to Vaughn Pittz, owner of Sawmill Hollow Organic
Farms near Missouri Valley, who likes to freeze
the berries and use them in cereals, smoothies,
salads, muffins and breads.
• Incorporate edible landscaping in unexpected
places. Sure you can grow pots of herbs on the
patio, but why stop there? Include cherry
tomatoes in a window box or hanging basket,
plant colorful peppers alongside flowers, mix
basil and coleus in a container garden, grow
chives around the mailbox or train raspberries
up your fence. In your flower beds, rhubarb’s
bold red stalks and crinkly green leaves can be
a show-stopper, while asparagus can add a light,
fluffy backdrop. Instead of lining the outer
edges of your flower beds with annuals, add
herbs such as thyme, oregano or tarragon. For
extra color and added interest, plant purple
basil or sage varieties with variegated white
and green leaves.
• Take a new look at old favorites. From violets
to nasturtiums, flowers offer a unique way to
add flavor, color, texture and scent to food.
“Edible flowers are becoming quite the
delicacy,” Everhart noted. The beautiful blue
flowers of borage, for example, can be used in
salads or as garnishes. Johnny-jump-ups and
pansies can be floated in punch, and their
petals can be used to color butter. Edible
flowers can also be frozen in ice cubes or
candied to decorate cakes, pastries and other
desserts.
• Get children involved. Edible landscaping
offers a powerful way to change a child’s view
of the world, especially in suburban communities
where they normally wouldn’t be exposed to
growing food. Edible landscaping can give your
children or grandchildren hands-on involvement
with nature as they learn about the environment
and healthy eating. To make edible landscaping
even more appealing to young gardeners, consider
growing heirloom vegetables and unique
cultivars, including purple beans or striped
tomatoes.
• Share the bounty. Many trees and shrubs that
are commonly used in windbreaks, including the
Nanking cherry, serviceberries and the American
cranberry bush, bear edible fruit. If you want
to use Nanking cherries in a pie or eat the
fruit from the American cranberry bush raw or
cooked, realize that the wildlife in your area
will probably be attracted to the crop, too.
“You can share the harvest with the birds—that’s
what I do,” Everhart said.
• Try something unexpected. Did you know you can
grow pecans in Iowa? The hardy “Green Island”
variety is suited for northern climates
(including Zone 5), Everhart said. Pawpaws, the
largest fruit tree native to the United States,
are also native to Iowa and can thrive in many
regions. If you don’t regularly see a certain
type of edible plant raised in your area,
however, realize that there’s probably a good
reason. Peaches, for example, aren’t reliably
hardy in Iowa.
• Find ideas and inspiration. Edible plants come
in many shapes and sizes and can perform the
same landscape functions as ornamental plants. A
number of Iowa gardens include excellent
examples of edible landscaping, including Reiman
Gardens in Ames, the Polk County Master
Gardeners’ Demonstration Garden in Urbandale,
the All-America Selections Garden at ISU’s
Armstrong Research Farm at Lewis and the
Bickelhaupt Arboretum in Clinton.
Darcy Maulsby is an Iowa State University
Extension Master Gardener who is creating an
edible landscape at her rural home near Lake
City.
SIDEBAR
Enjoy a Taste of Iowa
Whether you’re starting from scratch as I am to
create an edible landscape, or you want to add
some edible plants to your property, the real
fun starts when you head to the kitchen. Here
are some of my favorite recipes to capture
Iowa-grown flavors at the peak of freshness:
Herb-Crusted Pork Tenderloin
• Pork tenderloin, 1 1/2 to 2 pounds
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup coarse kosher salt (can use less or
more, to taste)
• 2 tablespoons fresh herbs of your choice (I
like oregano and sage)
• 1 teaspoon of lemon pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To chop fresh herbs
quickly and easily, place the springs in a cup
and snip the leaves with a kitchen shears. Rub
tenderloin with oil. Stir together kosher salt,
chopped herbs and lemon pepper in a small bowl;
sprinkle mixture evenly over surface of the
meat.
Roast, uncovered, for 40 minutes to 1 hour, or
until internal temperature (measured with a meat
thermometer) reaches 145 to 150 degrees F.
Remove pork to a cutting board and cover meat
loosely with aluminum foil. Allow the pork to
rest for 10 minutes and let the juices
redistribute before slicing and serving.
Candied Rose Petals
In addition to homemade raspberry jam, candied
rose petals can make an attractive garnish for
cheesecake and other desserts. I pick my rose
petals from the Knock Out® rose in the flowerbed
in front of my house.
Begin by slightly beating one egg-white in a
small bowl. Sprinkle a layer of granulated sugar
on a small bowl. Dip the rose petals first in
egg-white, then in sugar, to coat on both sides.
Dry the petals on a rack.
Sample Consumer Magazine Article: Radish
Magazine, "Return of the Natives: 10 Great
Prairie Plants to Grow in Your Garden”
Purpose: cover story written for a
Midwest-based, monthly consumer magazine
focusing on healthy living, cooking, fitness,
and more.
Ten Great Natives to Plant This Year
By Darcy Maulsby
Native prairie plants, once disparaged as weeds,
have become the stars of many
environmentally-friendly Midwest gardens. Known
for their low maintenance, tolerance to drought
and cold, erosion control and natural pest
resistance, many native plants also boast
colorful blooms and striking forms that provide
a smorgasbord of nectar, pollen and seed to
attract bees, butterflies and birds.
“With the current green movement, attitudes
towards native plants are beginning to change,
and that’s great for the wildlife and insects,”
said Kathy Hale-Johnson who runs Simply Native
Nursery near Alexis, Ill., and has grown native
plants for more than six years. “No matter what
trouble spots you have in your landscape,
there’s a native plant for every garden.”
If you’d like to add native plants to your
garden in 2009, Kathy suggests her 10 top 10
favorites:
1. New Jersey Tea. This extremely tough,
compact, rounded shrub features white blooms in
the late spring. Although it’s a very slow
grower that eventually reaches 2 to 3 feet tall,
this small, deciduous shrub can work well in the
middle of a border or as an anchor on the ends
of a flower bed. The New Jersey Tea shrub is
easily grown in a variety of soils in full sun
to part shade. “We have clay soil, and our New
Jersey Tea is in the sun all day,” says
Hale-Johnson, who notes that hummingbirds feed
off the insects that pollinate this shrub. “It
even survives browsing from rabbits and deer.”
2. Prairie Smoke. A member of the rose family,
this perennial is distinguished by its wispy seedheads. The plant, which blooms in late
spring through early summer, needs good
drainage, such as sandy loam. “I’m not sure if
prairie smoke is prettier when it’s blooming or
after it is done blooming,” said Hale-Johnson,
who keeps the plant in the front of her borders.
As an added bonus, the foliage turns red in the
fall.
3. Little bluestem.
From its bluish-green
foliage and silvery seedheads to its rusty fall
color, little bluestem is a striking ornamental
grass that delights the senses. “I like the
sound it makes when the wind blows through it,”
said Hale-Johnson. “Because it stands straight
up, I leave it up over the winter not only for
visual interest, but to provide seeds and cover
for wildlife and pheasants.” Little bluestem,
which grows 2 to 2.5 feet tall, can be planted
at the front of the border and pairs well with
daylilies.
4. Royal catchfly. Although red is an uncommon
color among prairie plants, the crimson hue
adorns the bountiful flowers of the royal
catchfly, which attracts hummingbirds and
butterflies. Once the royal catchfly starts
blooming in mid to late summer, it keeps
blooming for weeks. These hardy plants grow best
in full to partial sun, reaching a height of 2
to 3 feet.
5. Smooth beardtongue. This hummingbird magnet
easily self-seeds and provides a good pollen
source for bees. A relative of the penstemon
family, smooth beardstongue boasts white,
tubular flowers with a pink blush that bloom
during the end of May into early June. “It’s one
of my favorite natives, and I have it along my
walkway,” said Hale-Johnson, who noted that it
can also be planted also the back or middle of
the border.
6. Fragrant false indigo. This rounded shrub is
distinguished by small, purple bottlebrush-like
flowers that bloom in the late spring and early
summer. Fragrant false indigo, which is very
drought tolerant and prefers good drainage,
grows approximately 1 to 2 feet tall.
Unfortunately, rabbits love false indigo, so you
may need to place cages around the plants to
protect them from damage.
7. Kansas blue star willow. With its dark green
foliage, the Kansas blue star willow looks like
a shrub but is a perennial that grows 2.5 feet
tall. Known for its light, sky-blue flowers that
bloom in the spring, the plant can tolerate full
sun to partial shade. Kansas blue star willow,
which exhibits a straw color after the first
killing frost in the fall, stands up through the
winter, adding an attractive element to the
garden year round. “Also, you won’t have to
worry about insects harming the Kansas blue star
willow during the growing season, because
nothing bothers this plant,” said Hale-Johnson.
8. Black snakeroot. This versatile plant grows
well in dry to damp soil conditions. The black
snakeroot plants on Hale-Johnson’s property
thrive near a dry, shady area along a windbreak
of pine trees. Although it typically grows 4
feet tall, black snakeroot can reach 6 feet tall
in wetter conditions. The fern-like foliage of
black snakeroot grows in attractive clumps, and
the pristine, white, bottlebrush-like flowers
can light up the shady spots of your garden.
9. Summersweet. This shade-tolerant shrub
provides a sweet fragrance when the white
flowers are in bloom. Summersweet, which can
grow in wet soils, offers several noteworthy
varieties. Shrubs with white flowers typically
grow 3 feet tall, while pink-flowering cultivars
can grow 4 to 6 feet or taller. Summersweet is
generally free of insect and disease problems,
said Hale-Johnson, who has grown the shrub in
her garden for nearly nine years.
10. Upland white aster. The white flowers on
this vigorous bloomer, which look like a cross
between a daisy and as aster, debut in late
summer and continue into October. Upland white
asters, which grow 1 to 2 feet tall, can grow in
a variety of conditions, from dry to moist
soils.
Putting down roots
If this is your first year to grow native
plants, be patient, advised Hale-Johnson.
“Prairie plants require several years to reach
their mature height. Every year, however, you’ll
be pleasantly surprised by how hardy and
attractive natives can be.”
SIDEBAR
Native plants offer a variety of benefits,
including: • Drought tolerance once the plants are
established.
• Cold tolerance, even in years with little snow
cover.
• Exceptional erosion and runoff control, due to
the plants’ extensive root systems.
• Natural resistance to many pests and diseases.
• A source of nectar, pollen and seed for bees,
butterflies and birds.
• Low maintenance.
• Options for the toughest garden conditions,
including dry shade, wet soils,
very dry soils and heavy clay.
Darcy
Maulsby | Darcy Maulsby & Co. | 1735 340th St. |
Lake City, IA 51449 515-971-4415 |
darcy@darcymaulsby.com
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