Project Description

Many of us have seen the green grass, the rose bushes and the trees with their nuts or pine cones laying about in the ideal backyard. For those of us Sub-Urbian Farmers who have one, we spend a lot of time mowing, trimming and cultivating what has been set as the American ideal backyard.

What we at ThatAquaponicsGuy are all about is to go beyond what others may have set as the “accepted” way of keeping your yard. You may have done so already, with a garden in the very back, the fruit tree or two of your choice but is your backyard truly edible?

The benefits of having an edible backyard are numerous. As you consider or work on your Aquaponics System (along with that dirt garden and voluminous fruit-bearing trees) you can plant the flora and fauna that can be eaten and nutritious to boot. Here are some ideas for ya:

  • Taking into consideration where you are at, and what will grow outdoors for you (which is delicious to the taste) can be made up of Tree, Shrubs, and Herbaceous Perennials
    • Trees like Almond, Elderberry, Johns/Adams, or Black Lace produce things that can be eaten beyond the fruit from the branches.
    • Shrubs like Honeyberry, Hanson’s Bush Cherry, Sage, Blueberry/Raspberry/Blackberry/ Boysenberry, Aronia, or Autumn olive bushes can take you to the next level.
    • Herbaceous or natural growing plants like Asparagus, Rhubarb, Oregano, Chives, Clover, Daylilies, and the list goes on
  • Even those things in which you didn’t think were edible like certain types of flowers i.e. Roses, Lavender, Saffron Crocus, Coriander and certain cacti like Barrel or Prickly Pear
  • Don’t forget vine-based plants like Honeysuckle, Grapes, Butterfly Peas, Cassabanana or Jasmine as well!

Now, this isn’t to say you shouldn’t have a lush green lawn or a noxious evergreen here and there. But if you are putting in the time to cultivate it all, and the water to make it grow, wouldn’t you rather have something that you can just go out and pluck, prepare and eat rather than mow, dump, and mulch?

Thought so, take the time to plan out your backyard right and you can reap the benefits of it in good times and bad.