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| Photo Credit: Springfield Gallery |
| This English garden is a happy mix of shrubs, flowers, scarlet runner beans (scrambling up a teepee) and edible herbs tucked in along the edges of the patio. |
Nowhere is it written that edibles have to grow over here and flowers have to grow over there. Some of the most charming gardens combine fruits, vegetables and flowers with abandon. In fact, mixing fruits and vegetables with flowers is a long-held tenet of cottage gardening in Europe – cabbages among the roses.
And in these economically harsh times, using a garden for both beauty and food is a great way to use the sun and space you have to save a few dollars (and more) at the supermarket. Mixing in edibles is easy, and chances are you’ll think your flower beds have never looked lovelier – or tastier. Here’s how:
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| Photo Credit: Olga Chernetskaya |
| Low-growing strawberries are ideal for planting in a long row or two as an edging for beds, borders, paths and sidewalks. |
- Use edibles as an edging along paths or the fronts of beds and borders. Chives, strawberries and lettuces all make attractive front-of-the-border plants.
- Tuck in herbs just about anywhere. They’re easy to grow and mix well with flowers. Many will produce pretty blooms, and some – like oregano and thyme – even attract butterflies. Annual basil, parsley and cilantro are great in window boxes, containers or just about anywhere in the regular flower bed. Low-growing oregano and thyme also make great groundcovers. Rosemary and bay are fragrant shrubs, and sage comes in beautiful leaf color variegations.
- Create vertical supports for tall vegetables or vining ones. Insert trellises in the back of the border to support these plants, or use freestanding teepees or tuteurs in the middle of a bed or border. Plant them with pole beans, tall (indeterminate-type) tomatoes, cucumbers, green or snap peas, or any other vining plant. For a more planned, dramatic effect – and bigger harvests – place several along a line in a bed or border.
- Plunk a large, attractive pot in the middle of a flower bed and plant it with an edible. Bury it an inch or two deep if you want to make it more stable and look more a part of the bed. This simple addition makes a great – and different – visual accent.
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| Warnings |
- When planting flowers, fruits, herbs and veggies in the same planting bed, be especially careful about what fertilizers and other garden chemicals you wish to use in the garden. Some products aren’t safe for use on edible plants!
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| Tips |
- Remember to rotate your inground vegetable plantings – even in a flower bed. In other words, avoid planting the same type of plant in the same spot year after year. The reason? Continually planting, say, tomatoes in the same spot helps tomato diseases and problem insects build up in the soil.
- When planting a bed intensively with mixed vegetables and flowers, add as much compost as possible. Vegetables take a lot from the soil, so work in 1-2 inches of compost into the planting areas in and around your flowers. Then mulch with the compost (about 1 inch worth) around your flowers to make sure everything gets plenty of nutrients.
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| Faqs |
- Q: How often should I harvest my edibles?
A: Often. The more you harvest, the more veggie, fruit and herb plants tend to produce.
Read More... - Q: Where can I find attractive vertical supports for my veggies in a flower garden?
A: Consider bamboo poles that you can buy at your local garden center or home-supply store. They’re inexpensive and look nice. Make a teepee with three or more poles and lash them together with natural twine at the top. Or, if you have strong, long, slender branches, use those instead for a Rustic and lovely look.
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