Donna Sell, NC State Extension Master Gardener℠ volunteer Intern, Durham County
You know the song – well, some of you will: All the leaves are brown / and the sky is gray / I’ve been out for a walk on a winter’s day … That’s California Dreamin’ by The Mamas & the Papas. Only, this isn’t a winter’s day in California – it’s midsummer in the North Carolina Piedmont, and it’s been a scorcher. Too hot for a walk. Too hot to work in the garden. Between the 98-degree days and the near-daily downpours since mid-June, my tomato plants are taking the lyrics literally – all their leaves are brown, shriveled, and curling up at the edges.
I may not be lounging poolside sipping Mai Tais, but judging by the state of things, the weeds are living their best life — safe and soggy in the Piedmont.
Whenever I do venture outside, it’s not long before I beat a hasty retreat back indoors to chill in the air conditioning. So naturally, though I’m not doing much in the garden, I’ve been reading – and guess what I’m reading about? Gardening, of course. I’ve come across several interesting trends for home gardeners that have me thinking about ways to add more interest and value to my own small horticultural beds.
Gardening for Pollinators
With growing concern about habitat loss and ecosystem disruption – caused by population growth, land development, and commercial agriculture – native pollinator gardens are gaining popularity. They offer home gardeners a meaningful way to support biodiversity by providing food and shelter for birds, bees, butterflies, and other wildlife that rely on pollen and nectar. Native plants are typically low maintenance and disease resistant. Their deep roots help build healthy soil, and they add diversity and seasonal beauty to the landscape.
(Left to right) A common eastern bumblebee on purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), and an American lady butterfly (Vanessa virginiensis) with its head buried in a zinnia floret. (Image credit: Donna Sell)
The payoff for this home gardener has been delightful. Over the past six years, my husband and I enhanced and transformed our generic foundation beds by adding native perennials, shrubs, and other non-invasive annual flowers.
Early this summer, the first butterfly to visit our yard was a zebra swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus). I had never seen one before, so after frantically snapping photos and video, I ran inside to learn more about this striking creature. I discovered that its host plant is the pawpaw tree – the only plant where it will lay eggs and the sole food source for its larvae. Fortunately, the adult butterfly accepts nectar from a wide variety of flowers. Since we live in northwest Durham, in a community surrounded by woodlands and near the Eno River, I suspect there are some wild pawpaws nearby.
(Left to right) The first butterfly spotted in the garden, a zebra swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus), and an eastern amberwing dragonfly (Perithemis tenera) perched on anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum). One of the smallest dragonflies in North America, the eastern amberwing is also known for mimicking wasps to avoid predators. (Image credit: Donna Sell)
Since that first sighting, our garden – especially the anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) – has been buzzing with life: bees, butterflies, dragonflies, and more. Too many to name, but each one a joy to observe and learn about.
Foodscaping
The trend that interests me most is foodscaping. Also called edible landscaping, it’s the practice of planting vegetables among existing ornamental plants. Not only does it add beauty and texture to your landscape, but it also provides fresh, homegrown food.
I already do a bit of vegetable gardening with my husband. We’ve maintained a plot at Briggs Ave. Community Garden for about six years. What I’ve learned is this: vegetables can be trickier than flowers or shrubs. There are more variables to juggle – from timing and pests to soil needs and weather patterns – but the payoff can be worth it.
That said, I’ve already been doing a little foodscaping on the sly – tucking herbs into beds, planting an okra here, a pepper there, and even growing a tomato in a container. I’m not sure I have the gene for three full seasons of vegetable gardening – the kind that takes true persistence and experimentation. But a tomato nestled among the marigolds and spicebush? A shishito pepper here, a patch of arugula or spinach there? That, I might be able to handle.
A garden can serve as both a pollinator haven and a foodscape. (Left) A pearl crescent (Phyciodes tharos) visits blooming oregano in the herb garden. (Image credit: Donna Sell) (Center) A pipevine swallowtail (Battus philenor) sips nectar from ornamental verbena bonariensis mingled with the delicate white flowers of cilantro. (Image credit: Marcia Kirinus) (Right) Another pearl crescent rests on a marigold in the shishito pepper section of the garden. (Image credit: Donna Sell)
While the concept of foodscaping isn’t new, its popularity has grown in recent decades – particularly during the 2020 pandemic. Some trace its resurgence to earlier challenges, like the 2008 financial crisis and rising global food prices, while others point to urbanization and a growing focus on sustainability. Whatever the reason, the benefits are clear: foodscaping promotes plant diversity, which helps with weed and pest control and attracts more pollinators to the garden.
There are plenty of online resources about foodscaping, but one of the best is right in our own backyard: local horticulturist, gardener, and author Brie Arthur (briegrows.com). She published The Foodscape Revolution in 2017 and has been an enthusiastic advocate ever since. I first learned about her through our monthly Durham County Extension Master GardenerSM volunteer newsletter, which mentioned an upcoming field trip to one of the gardens she designed.
Brie also shares practical, down-to-earth videos on YouTube as “Brie the Plant Lady.” Be warned — her passion for gardening is contagious!
Arthur encourages gardeners to make the most of the edges and borders of their planting beds. Getting started is surprisingly simple. If you have existing beds with perennials and shrubs that receive at least six hours of sun and have well-drained soil, you can begin by planting vegetables in the spaces between. Since most perennials have deep roots, interplanting with shallower-rooted vegetables can improve soil health and serve as living ground cover – even better than mulch. Plus, the perennials help disguise any unsightly gaps when the vegetables die back.
In Conclusion
There are never-ending ways to add personal value and make your home garden unique. In a future installment of the Garden Trends topic, we’ll take a look at the vespertine/moon garden and how to create a serene home oasis – for the night and your senses – where pale or silvery-white flowers open at dusk, reflecting the moonlight and attracting nocturnal pollinators. Fragrant blooms like moonflower, four o’clocks, and evening primrose release their scent after dark. We’ll also examine living fences (softscape) and the benefits of planting shrubs and trees for privacy or space separation, as opposed to using wooden or vinyl built fences (hardscape).
When the weather breaks, I’ll be out walking and daydreaming as I peer into neighborhood yards – always on the lookout for something new and beautiful. Stay tuned…
Resources and Additional Information
- Extension Gardener Handbook, Chapter 12, Native Plants
- National Garden Bureau, Foodscape Revolution – Just Plant the Edge, by Brie Arthur
- Denton County, TX, Master Gardener Association, Gardening Basics, Foodscaping: A Different Approach to Gardening;
- Pro tips on designing a pollinator-friendly garden on our blog, https://wp.me/p2nIr1-5tr
Edited by Marcia Kirinus, NC State Extension Master Gardener℠ volunteer Durham County
ShortLink: https://wp.me/p2nIr1-6rP
