Grow Food in your Yard with Jeremy Lekich of Nashville Foodscapes

Tasteful & Beautiful

Jeremy Lekich of Nashville Foodscapes transforms yards into farmers markets.

Picture an outdoor space where you live: a brown patch of soil by your mailbox, a dappled spot of sun on your balcony, a weed-choked bed of bushes along your porch. But picture it filled with beautiful plants—not just any old ornamentals, but edible plants that lift your spirit, nourish your body and smell divine. Picture a foodscape. Your foodscape. Landscape design that tastes as good as it looks.

If you need help drawing your picture, Jeremy Lekich, founder of Nashville Foodscapes, can certainly assist. Since 2010, Nashville Foodscapes has been a growing success, allowing Jeremy to employ himself and four others full time. The seed of the business first germinated during Jeremy’s college days at Warren Wilson, that MIT for environmentalists nestled in the mountains of North Carolina. While there, Jeremy tended an edible garden outside his dorm and gave tours to students’ parents. “After hearing them say over and over how beautiful the foodscape was,” recalls Jeremy, “and how much they wanted something like that in their yards, well, I knew what I wanted to do—integrate good food into gorgeous landscaping.” And we’re not just talking beds of basil here—although there’s nothing wrong with that. Nashville Foodscapes plants fig trees, blueberry bushes, trifoliate orange, Kousa dogwoods and pawpaw trees, all easy on the eyes and with edible fruit too. “To witness people connecting with their food and nature,” Jeremy comments, “is beautiful. Especially kids. To see kids who won’t eat anything green stuffing their mouths with kale because they grew it themselves is very rewarding.”

For those completely new to foodscaping, Jeremy’s advice is simple: “Start with things really necessary to have fresh, like herbs—parsley, basil, chives and rosemary. They’re as beautiful as they are functional. And many of them are perennials (come back year to year)— thyme, sage and chives—which are also a welcome sight in March, piercing through the dirt all on their own. “Our mission is to help people grow food no matter where they are.”

To learn more about Jeremy and the foodscape that will work for you, visit nashvillefoodscapes.com.