Berries in the landscape provide beauty, sustenance

Recent articles have described the benefits of companion planting, intercropping and crop rotation. We’ve mentioned the efficacy of berries for practicality as well as ornamental enhancement, and today’s column will enlarge on that concept. 

Those who do not wish to care for long rows of raspberries, blackberries or other such crops but would welcome a few bushes for out-of-hand enjoyment or as a treat for the birds, can easily accomplish that wish with simply incorporating them into the ornamental landscape. 

As single focal points or in groupings of three, or perhaps, in the case of larger shrubs, as hedging or border plants, berries are a perfect choice. Native wild berries are the most dependable, and available locally at several area nurseries along with domesticated possibilities.   

Your choices are legion: Wild options include raspberries (red and black), blackberries (brambles), currants, serviceberries, elderberry, dewberries, thimbleberries, Oregon grape, and strawberries. All of these excel in jellies and jams, with the sweeter options perfect for ice cream topping or out-of-hand enjoyment. 

Domestic options are strawberries, gooseberries, currants, many varieties of raspberries, including Jostaberry, and more, some available in tall and/or compact (dwarf), growing form. Blueberries are ideal as single plants in the sunny or dappled landscape, and smaller varieties such as Tophat — take to (large) pots beautifully. They’re great in rock garden settings as well, and the taller varieties can serve as background plantings wherever you choose. 

There are also cultivars of many wild/natives, (such as pink-berried, purple-stemmed elderberry) for knockout drama in the landscape. Too, I would be remiss to leave out that uniquely beautiful wild shrub, Rocky Mountain Juniper. Though the berries it boasts are not the type you would pop into your mouth for pleasure, they were used by area Native Americans as seasoning for meat, salmon and other foods, and as a repellent for insects and rodents, the berries still used for Gin seasoning — and all of today’s cultivars are outstanding ornamentals in many landscapes. 

For special landscape needs, here are some double-duty possibilities to consider: 

• For slopes, hillsides, no-walk zones — blackberry brambles, dewberries, thimbleberries, Oregon grape.

• Single or triple focal points — dwarf blueberries (also potted), currants, gooseberries (or a currant/gooseberry combo). 

• Hedge or backdrop: tall raspberries, blueberries, serviceberries, elderberry — the latter two will become very tall — incorporate them into an existing hedge or create a berry hedge. 

• Edging, rock gardens, etc.: strawberries, preferably the wild or alpine variety; too, let dewberries trail over and throughout the rock gardens. 

Whatever you choose, you’ll find that a few well-placed berry plants, shrubs or small tree options can make for a beautiful landscape enhancement, as well as food for the winter birds and an occasional pie for your own enjoyment. It’s a win-win situation. 

A final note of warning: Though it is possible to transplant a (small) wild berry bush/shrub on occasion, do NOT attempt to transplant huckleberries. Their entire growth system is in sync with their surroundings — soil, mycorrhiza, hydration, and neighboring flora. They are notoriously un-transplantable, and disturbing their eco-system with digging could be extremely harmful. Go out with your buckets and pick them but leave them in their chosen environment. 

Editor's note: For many years, Valle Novak wrote gardening and cooking columns for the Daily Bee. "Weekend Gardener" and "Country Chef" became renowned for their humor, information, and common-sense advice on how to do everything from planting to cooking. She left behind many columns such as this one to delight her many fans.

    Slow growers, serviceberries expand from pretty shrubs to attractive many stemmed small trees that make attractive focal points in the landscape.
  

    Valle Novak