Home Spring 2016

Transforming the Cape’s landscape one garden at a time

Cape Cod Home  /  Spring 2016 / , ,

Writer: Mary Stanley

Transforming the Cape’s landscape one garden at a time

Home Spring 2016

Cape Cod Home  /  Spring 2016 / , ,

Writer: Mary Stanley

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Photo courtesy of Edible Landscapes

After planting a variety of crops, from goji berries and dwarf peach trees to chamomile and herbs—some of which are used in medicinal teas— the finished product in this Orleans garden is a kind of sanctuary; one can walk through a labyrinth of plants that are both beautiful and edible. “The work that Dave is doing really is leaving the Earth better than when he found it,” Valerie says.

According to Scandurra, planting an edible garden does not mean having to choose function over form, or compromising on aesthetics. Scandurra’s work demonstrates that edible gardens can produce both beauty and bounty, and rather than detracting from the landscape can add to it.

From skirret, a member of the carrot family and an old-world perennial that boasts a delicate flower similar to Queen Anne’s lace, to fennel, an entirely edible plant with tall ornamental flowers, Scandurra is slowly changing local landscapes with his gardens that are both ornamental and delicious.

Scandurra recommends including perennials in an edible garden, and sea kale is at the top of his list of favorites. “The entire plant is edible,” he says. “It is also a stunning, gorgeous plant, and it stands out in the crowd. The flowers smell just like honey.” Because the perennial’s native habitat is by the ocean, Scandurra says the sandy soil of the Cape and Islands is fertile ground for this botanical.

Mary Stanley

Mary Stanley worked as the sales and marketing coordinator for Cape Cod Life Publications from 2013 to 2016, writing advertising pieces as well as feature articles for both Cape Cod HOME and Cape Cod LIFE magazines. Prior to that, she was the senior reporter for Sandwich Enterprise Newspapers. She currently works as the public relations and marketing coordinator for New England Village, Inc., a nonprofit organization supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.