Shelu Patel, Alexandria Beautification Commission
Alexandria, VA – We know many of you are still recovering from January’s Winter Storm Fern, which brought ice, snow, and temperatures well below freezing. February brings us hope that winter is almost over and spring will soon follow. It is the perfect month to begin thinking, planning, and starting your edible garden filled with plants, bushes, and trees, with a native focus. The Alexandria Beautification Commission (ABC) encourages residents to start indoor seedlings, order bare root fruit trees, and explore native edibles from our region.
First and foremost, edible gardening is the art of growing food-producing plants, including vegetables, fruits, herbs, and edible flowers. You may choose your front yard, back yard, balcony, raised beds, containers, rooftop, or community garden space, while focusing on sustainability, yield, and the sheer joy of eating something you grew.
Next, start planning with seeds! There are many seed companies that mail catalogs in the winter months for you to begin envisioning your vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers garden. They provide incredible information, and you can choose from a vast variety of heirloom and organic seeds without genetically modified organisms. It is still not too late to reach out to some of these companies or stop by local seed libraries found in front of residents’ homes and several Alexandria City libraries. Here are some seed catalog companies to explore online or request mail catalogs:
- Southern Exposure Seed Company
- Fedco Seeds
- Hudson Valley Seed Co
- Row 7 Seed Co
- Seed Savers Exchange
- Renee’s Garden
Each year we typically choose a couple of interesting varieties for each vegetable and herb, though all the possibilities seem daunting. Do not fret if you quickly pick too many seeds. Narrow down your seed list by the number of days to harvest, your garden space, and watering requirements. Just be mindful of any summer vacation dates. We recommend that you try to grow something different and new in your edible garden for 2026! Will it be leeks, potatoes, or watermelon radishes?
Onto dreaming about bountiful gardens filled with fruits and nuts. Mature fruit and nut trees in large pots can be very expensive; however, February is a great time to consider less expensive alternatives. One such option is bare root fruit trees, which are young, dormant trees or bushes without soil around their roots. They are shipped from providers in winter or early spring. They are typically dormant but require planting quickly after arrival to prevent the roots from drying out, because they are often packed with moist material like sawdust or woodchips. As part of your planning, think about your space and each variety’s growth size. You can purchase dwarf sized trees, for smaller settings, and natives that thrive in our region. Alexandria City falls under 8A – U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Hardiness Zone Map. Consider native fruit and nuts, including pawpaw trees, hazelnut bushes, persimmon trees, or crab apple trees. Explore the following resources to learn more about these wonderful trees and bushes that will serve as a source of food for generations:
- Albemarle Ciderworks
- Thomas Jefferson Monticello
- Grow Organic
- Roots to Fruits Nursery
- Willis Orchard Co
- Food Forest Nursery
ABC encourages residents to create landscapes that are both beautiful and beneficial to the environment. We hope you feel excited to start thinking, planning, and starting your edible garden with seedlings soon after reading this article. Please share your edible garden photos later this spring/summer 2026 with ABC via social media.
