Explore Edible Landscaping
Bill Sevier: Ask a
Master Gardener
Tuesday, June 20, 2017
Q: I don’t have much
gardening space and am interested in planting some vegetables in with my
flowers. Is there any problem with doing this? Fran, Tulsa
A: There is no problem
whatsoever with putting veggies in amongst your ornamentals. In fact, for those
with no vegetable garden or who have restricted space, it is an excellent idea.
What and where you may plant is limited only by the growing requirements of the
veggie and your imagination. Many vegetables not only have attractive fruit,
but also interesting colors and designs of their leaves that fit in well with a
flower garden.
The process of growing
vegetables and herbs in amongst your ornamentals is called “Edible Landscaping”
and has become popular with gardeners. A lot has been written about the
concept. One of the experts is Rosalind Creasy, who has published a series of
books about this type of gardening.
Vegetables can be used
effectively, not only in your standard flower bed, but also in raised beds,
window boxes and many different types of containers. They can be worked in with
your flowers to create a visually pleasing effect.
Plants such as
lettuce, cabbage, kale and others come in several colors and can be used as a
substitute for ornamental border plants such as vinca, begonia and Joseph’s
Coat. Swiss chard, with its bright red stems and veins, could be an attractive
addition as an edge or within the flowers.
A mix of different
varieties of the same vegetable, such as purple and white cabbage, is one of
the many combinations that may be created and used effectively. Other plants to
consider are rows of onions and most of the herbs for the bed border.
Tomatoes and colorful
peppers do well, especially cherry tomatoes. This adds greenery and the
continuous production of red fruit to create a pleasing effect. Tomatoes
probably perform better in the flower bed than they do in a conventional
vegetable garden. In the flower bed, they are separate from other tomatoes and
are less likely to develop disease and pest problems. In addition, tomatoes,
which need to be rotated in the vegetable garden to prevent disease build up,
can easily be moved from one area to another each year with the flowers.
Other ideas are to
plant blueberries, blackberries and raspberries into the landscape. There are
some ultra-dwarfed apple, peach, plum and other fruit trees that may be used in
place of a shrub. Another idea is to grow a grapevine on a trellis, which works
as a decorative plant and fruit producer.
Garden tips
·
Excessive rain can
complicate fertilization of vegetables, ornamentals and lawns. If a
quick-release fertilizer was applied before the excessive rains, much of the
nitrogen may have been washed into deep soil or drain water. Nitrogen, the
first of the three numbers on all fertilizer, is water soluble. The other two
nutrients — phosphorus and potassium — are not soluble and remained
fixed in soil where placed unless the soil particles themselves are washed into
drains and streams.
·
Consideration should
be made to reapply a nitrogen-only fertilizer if the above situation applies to
you. Don’t over fertilize. Too much nitrogen may be worse than too little. Most
plants, such as tomatoes, grow tall, spindly and produce few blossoms and
fruits when too much nitrogen is used.
·
Also be aware that too
much water in the soil may suffocate roots and cause plants to develop yellow
leaves, which may fall from the plant. This can easily be wrongly confused with
a need for more fertilizer.
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