With the ever-rising prices of produce, not knowing where it comes from or what chemicals have been used on it, a presentation given at Ohio University Southern Tuesday evening focused on teaching people how to utilize their yards to grow food in an aesthetically pleasing way.

Edible landscaping is a discipline designed to mix flowers and attractive fruits and vegetables together in a pleasing and practical way. Cassandra Skaggs, master gardener from Kitts Hill, said there is too much property sitting idle that could be used for growing food.

“It’s astronomically crazy how much it costs to go to the grocery store and provide for your family,” Skaggs said. “Learning how to grow your own food in your own small space can help take some of that food cost down.”

Easy plants for beginning gardeners are tomatoes, bell peppers, squash and many green leafy plants, Skaggs said. She said anyone trying to grow 10 acres of food may have difficulties, but on a small scale, eating what you grow is an obtainable goal.

Those utilizing small spaces to grow food and flowers may have to resort to using containers. Skagg said there is nothing wrong with that, but future edible landscapers should be conscious of what type of containers they use.

“I would definitely not recommend any container that had a chemical in it,” Skaggs said. “Anything that would be hazardous to your health I would not recommend you using that container.”

To those who may think they cannot grow something, Skagg said just give it a try. She said even if the first attempt does not produce, the lessons learned are valuable and can be used the next growing season.