Here’s the thing… a lot of us love the look of beautiful vines climbing fences or trellises, or maybe even over an arbor. There are many unique and downright stunning vines to choose from. However, some of you might be looking for functionality as well as beauty. If this is you, then check out these edible vines that won’t just be beautiful, but will also give you a great harvest!
Vines can be a good or practical choice if you want to save some space in your garden. You do not need a large garden to grow different fruits and vegetables. But this does not mean that these are the only plants recommended for small backyards. Understand that some climbing vines are bushy.
Some plants produce heavy fruits. In that case, you may need a bit more space than you thought or more durable training support. Anyway, we are going to discuss some of the ideal plants that can be grown in small gardens.
Here’s 5 edible vines for small gardens.
Grapes
Grapes are the most versatile of this bunch, with varieties that grow in environments as frigid as Canada or as sweltering as Florida. Not all of them will produce fine wines of distinction, but they’ll definitely provide some homegrown snacking. Plus, they create shade in the summer, when it’s needed, then drop their leaves to let in the sun in the winter.
Kiwi
Kiwi is well-suited for temperate climates, such as the U.S. and Europe, and there are even hardy choices that can withstand full-on negative temperatures. Kiwi does require both a male and up to eight female plants to put out berries (yep, berries). As with grapes, annual pruning is key for growing kiwis as they only fruit on new wood growth. They are huge plants, reaching up to twenty feet long.
Passion Fruit
Passion fruit is absolutely delicious, and for those in hotter spots, this is the obvious choice. It spreads quickly and reaches high, and it will begin providing harvestable fruits within the first year. They also produce in abundance and are easy to propagate, either from seed or cuttings. The purple varieties can withstand mild frosts.
Melons
There are a lot of different melons that can all be trained to grow upright. These include honeydew melon, cantaloupe, and watermelon, to name some of the most common. Be careful when choosing varieties, however, as the smaller melons will do much better on an upright vine. And even with the smaller varieties, the melons will still have to be supported by some type of a sling to ensure that they don’t become too heavy and break off the vine before they are fully ripe. And take this into consideration as well as you select a support for your melon vine. Choose something very sturdy that can handle the weight.
Raspberry
Planting raspberry plants has a natural advantage for gardeners. For those who are short on time, growing raspberries requires little maintenance and provides an easy harvest to suit your needs. Summer fruiting varieties of the fruit will produce berries in late spring; whereas fall-fruited types provide ripe goodness from mid summer into October – giving you a constant supply of fresh fruits all year long! If you’re looking for something different than traditional red or black raspberries, plant yellow or even rarer blackberry plants that come with their own unique flavors and benefits not found elsewhere in nature!