Edible Landscaping

[Guest guest]

I love my home grown organic veggie garden... Here are some ideas

for you gardeners out there....

Misty

http://www..com

 

Edible Landscaping

 

http://www.gardenguides.com/TipsandTechniques/edible.htm

 

You may want a garden that is entirely edible, where every plant is

both attractive and productive, or a garden that combines food plants

and standard ornamentals. Many " edible landscapes " are better

described as partly-edible landscapes; they have plenty of food

plants, some inedible flowers to provide extra color, and inedible

woody perennials to help give the garden strong year-round structure.

Broad leaf evergreen shrubs, for example, are inedible, and some are

even poisonous, but they are important if a garden is to look good in

winter.

 

Here are some suggested edible landscape plants and their uses:

 

Amaranthus Bold, vigorous plants with large, ovate leaves that may be

green, red-brown, scarlet or variegated. Eat tender, young leaves for

greens. Artichoke, globe Plant in rows as a summer hedge or garden

space divider. Plants are striking in front of a dark wall or

evergreen hedge.

 

Asparagus This perennial vegetable makes a light, beautiful hedge or

airy backdrop for a border.

 

Basil Looks and smells good massed in beds and borders, they are also

suitable as edging or container plants. " Dark Opal " contrasts well

with yellows.

 

Bean, bush snap Good edging plants. Plant densely.

Beans, runner and pole Trellis beans alongside patios for privacy and

shade, grow along fences, or, for a jungle effect, grow vertically

with cucumbers, wax gourds, morning glories, and other flowering

vines.

 

Burnet This is a useful groundcover for partially shaded areas. It

also thrives on land that is sunny and hard to water. Grow in a bed,

or as an edging plant. Leaves taste like cucumbers.

 

Cabbage Looks good in beds or formal rows and makes a great companion

for chrysanthemums.

 

Calendula Blooms quickly from seed in cool weather and provides

cheerful color to go with the foliage of spring and fall food plants.

Makes a soothing tea.

 

Carnations Neat bush carnations are great edging plants. Makes an

attractive combination with blue-green or purple cabbage. Petals lend

a clover-like flavor to food, but leaves may be poisonous.

 

Carrots Plant in a feathery mass or grow as an edging.

 

Chives Best grown in beds where leaning leaves are less noticeable.

Chrysanthemum greens (shungiku) It makes a good background plant and

the leaves are good in stirfries.

 

Cilantro Best grown in closely planted beds near the foreground of a

border.

 

Corn Good backdrop for a mixed border. Nearby plants should be tall

-- at least 3 feet.

 

Cucumbers Grow bush varieties in containers or on trellises. Good

camouflage for chain link fences and stumps.

 

Dill Plant thickly to eliminate need for staking. Flowers look sickly

next to intensely yellow flowers or bright green foliage.

 

Eggplant Looks best massed in groups.

 

Endive and Escarole Makes a good, neat edging plant and looks good in

beds, especially near other plants with bright green leaves and

yellow flowers.

 

Fennel Combines nicely with other feathery-leafed plants, such as

asparagus or cosmos. Makes excellent background plant or hedge: grow

in rows, beds or masses.

 

Ornamental Kale and Cabbage Looks striking against a somber

background of evergreen bushes or gray walls.

 

Geranium, scented Plant where people are likely to sit or brush

against augie the plants as they pass.

 

Gourd, fuzzy and winter melon Grow on trellises along fences, or on a

string frame. Harvest fruits when young for the best appearance.

 

Kale Plant as an edging and in masses. Also good in containers. Looks

nice with greens.

 

Leeks Plant where they will be inconspicuous in the summer. Plants

are striking in the fall.

 

Lettuce Sow thickly in containers or group in the foreground of mixed

borders. Different varieties can be combined to create geometric

designs.

 

Nasturtiums Grow in raised planters or on terraces. Eat flowers in

salads, buds can be pickled and used as capers.

 

Okra Effective background plant used alone or with other big plants,

such as corn, hollyhock or roses.

 

Parsley Good in borders, edgings, masses, planters and window boxes.

Parsnip Foliage combines well with many colors. Grow in rows or

masses.

 

Pea Tall, vining varieties can be trained onto string or trellises

for early-season screens and backdrops.

 

Strawberries Use alpine strawberries as a groundcover.

 

Swiss Chard I like to use red varieties. Plant in rows, small groups

and masses, beds, borders and containers.

 

Thyme Upright varieties can be lined up as an edging plant, massed in

beds a d borders or planted in posts and window boxes. Creeping thyme

makes a strong-growing ground cover.

 

=====

Fidyl

Live Simply So That

Others May Simply Live

Yoga-With-Nancy-SoFla/

SignSoFla/

SoFlaVegans/

SoFlaSchools/