An Edible Garden Tour

Short on gardening space? More and more gardeners are discovering space for vegetable gardens by going up. Here some ideas from the Atlanta Botanical Garden's Edible Garden.

By: Danny Flanders

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The Atlanta Botanical Garden's Edible Garden

The Edible Garden at the Atlanta Botanical Garden was designed to demonstrate how fruits, vegetables, herbs and edible flowers can be grown vertically.

Vertical Edible Gardening

Berry plants typically aren't considered for pots, but this chokeberry thrives in a container garden.

Fruit Tree Espaliers

Apple trees can be trained to grow flat against a fence by wrapping the branches to wire. Here a big ceramic apple lends an accent to the real thing.

Tomato Teepees

An easy way to stake a tomato plant, especially the vine-like indeterminate varieties, is a teepee, simply assembled with three bamboo stakes gathered near the top with wire or raffia to form a tripod. The open apparatus also allows airflow through the plant, which helps prevent problems with powdery mildew and fungus.

Planting on a Slope

Vegetables, such as eggplant, can easily be grown on a slope if given good rich and permeable soil. Water from the highest point, using the slope to your advantage in conserving water.

Artful Espaliers

Espalier is both a practical and artistic way to grow plants vertically. This pear tree is trained to grow against a wall in a candlelabra form using wire and screws for supports. Just be sure to know how tall a tree grows and be prepared to prune it five or six times a year to properly maintain its shape.

Vineyards on a Wall

Who needs an arbor for growing grapevines? With a little wire and masonry screws, grapes can be confined to a smaller space—in this case, a stone wall. Aesthetically, the foliage also serves to soften the harsh surface of a wall.

Herb Wall

Herb walls are becoming popular ways of gardening vertically. Grid systems like this one are available commercially on a smaller scale for homeowners with tight spaces. Make sure the wall has good southern or western exposure for the sunlight herbs require.

Beans on a Tuteur

Vining plants such as beans are notorious for consuming lots of ground space. Train them instead to grow verically. Structures such as tuteurs are perfect for taking running beans up — and for saving your back when harvesting.

Raised Beds

Raised beds place vegetables such as this 'Sweet Banana' pepper at eye level and save your back from constant stooping. They also eliminate drainage challenges that ground planting sometimes presents.

Potted Fruit Trees

Dwarf varieties of fruit trees, such as this 'Bonanza' peach, make great candidates for containers. With their spectacular bloom color, they make quite a focal point when potted.

Planting on a Slope

Besides saving land space, a slope also allows more of the plant to be seen — especially ideal when the fruit is as colorful as this 'Aurora' pepper.

Unlikely Container Plantings

Think outside the box when it comes to container gardening. Even pomegranates can be grown in pots.

Gardening on a Slope

One-third of the Edible Garden is the Vegetable Amphitheater, designed to demonstrate how to garden on a slope. Here, tomatoes, eggplant and peppers thrive below apple trees espaliered along the fence topping the slope.