A Landscape Designer’s Guide to Thinking Outside the Planter Box

It’s not even spring yet, and we’re already daydreaming about juicy tomatoes and crunchy cucumbers. It’s hard to be patient when you’ve already bought seeds and planned out your most successful garden yet. But instead of subjecting your favorite veggies to the frosty cold this winter, use this time to plant perennials that will soak up the wet weather.

Types of Perennials

Perennials are plants whose life cycles continue for multiple years (trees and bushes, flowers like roses and herbs like thyme). These plants grow continuously, as opposed to peppers, which must be planted anew each spring, radishes that only grow for a month or even wildflowers that scatter their own seeds. More likely than not, the majority of your landscaping is made up of perennials, which add greenery without needing much upkeep. You can keep these plants in border spaces around the yard; those spots are the ideal places to incorporate edible perennials without taking up valuable planter box real estate, and this is one of the key tenets I follow when creating edible landscapes.

You can think of perennials in a few categories: large fruit trees, including apples, persimmons, fig and avocado (depending on the climate and space); midsize plants such as blueberry bushes, raspberries, artichokes and grapes; and smaller options like strawberries, hardy herbs and flowers. Layer all these categories together for a lush landscape that mimics nature.

Pro tip: Consider including non-edible perennials with bright blooms to attract bees and other insects that are needed to pollinate your vegetable crops.

When and Where to Get Them

Fortunately, now is the perfect time to get your perennials. It’s too early to shop for tomato transplants, but any nursery should be well stocked with slower-growing plants. There are ample sourcing options in Marin — Sloat nurseries, West End Nursery, California Native Landscapes, Green Jeans and even some of the local hardware stores. Be sure to choose healthy, robust-looking specimens that don’t seem to be struggling in pots that are too small. Read up on the varietals or ask at the nursery to be sure you’re choosing a plant that will succeed in your growing location, since some require more sun than others.

It’s ideal to plant fruits, berries and bushes during the rainy spring season so that they can benefit from the free irrigation. Larger plants need generous amounts of water while they are establishing their extensive root system, and the damp ground will be easier for them to spread out in and gather strength before the dry season. The softer soil also makes the digging and planting process easier for you, so planting these before summer is going to save you time and energy.