Why not add a few fruits for aesthetics as well as nutrition?

With the ever-rising cost of living, people have come up with creative ways to save money, including growing vegetables in containers and pots on their balconies or back yards.  However, few of them have thought of doing the same with fruits for a truly edible landscape.

Landscape architect Andrew Mutia explains that edible landscaping is the integration of food plants within an ornamental or decorative setting.

“For aesthetics, fruits provide more colour than flowers due to their different phases of development,” says Mr Mutia.

For instance, fruits give a green look to the landscape when they are young, and  this look paves the way for their colourful flowering phase before they plants shed theirf lowers and start bearing fruits.

“So, unlike a flower that bears no edible fruits, with the fruit trees you  not only feed your eyes, but your stomach as well,” says Mr Mutia.

Besides the aesthetic value and adding to your diet, Mr Mutia notes, freshly picked fully ripe fruits and vegetables are more nutritious  than preserved ones, or those bought from supermarkets. He says that most of the  fruits sold in supermarket are picked when they are not yet mature because they are highly perishable, so when a customer buys them, they are never really that fresh.

WELL DRAINED SOILS

In addition, when you have an edible landscape, you are sure of what you  are eating because you take care of it yourself and can decide whether to use pesticides or natural methods to get rid of pests, for instance.

Notably, the cost of growing and maintaining an edible landscape is not different from that of growing decorative flowers.

“Take the amelia flower for instance. At maturity, it is the same size as a pomegranate fruit plant. They require the same conditions to grow and they both give you the same visual appeal but the pomegranate has an added advantage in that it produces fruits,” Mr Mutia told DN2 at his fruit nursery, Shina Farm Nurseries, on the foothills of Ngong Hills in Kiserian, where he has more than 20 different varieties of fruits including pomegranates, kiwi fruits , dates, grapes, variegated lemons, dragon fruits, apples, figs and tree tomatoes.

Mr Mutia says for a good composition that is visually appealing  in terms of colour and size, it is important to consult a qualified landscaper.

“While colour is paramount, the flow of the texture of the different fruit trees is also important. There are also some varieties of fruit trees that are thorny, which, he suggests,  should be planted at extreme ends of the compound so that they do not prick passersby.

In addition, it is important to know how long it takes for the fruits to mature. While strawberries and passion fruits take three and six months to mature respectively, pomegranates take about two-and-half years.

Another important consideration is the climatic conditions. Mr Mutia says that some fruit seedlings, such as those for dragon fruits, require hot weather and can survive with very little water. In contrast kiwi fruit seedlings requires a cool environment and thus do well in shaded areas, such as along a fence.

Then there is  the soil drainage capacity. Most fruits  require well-drained soils to avoid root rot. So if your soil is poorly drained, Mr Mutia recommends you dig it up  and mix it with humus. Alternatively you can  add a little sand to it  to improve drainage and aeration.

“If you have a small compound, don’t go for an avocado tree. Instead, plant fruits that do not grow tall, like pomegranates or even oranges, whose growth can be controlled,” says Mr Mutia, adding that instead of having a plain chain link fence, you can use it to support the climbing passion fruit.