As an increasing number of people look to grow their own vegetables and herbs, a question arises: Where to develop them? Though a corner of the garden has been the conventional spot, what can you do if your only sunny spot is on your flower garden, across the driveway or at the middle of the front lawn?
Fortunately, people are discovering that edible crops are amazing in their own right and deserve to be the star of their landscape show. Consequently, vegetables have been growing right alongside their ornamental cousins — even crowding them out to take over as the primary landscape feature.
It’s an old idea whose time has arrived again. Edibles were an essential part of the original English and American cottage gardens and the purpose of the French potager (kitchen garden). Today you will often find vegetables, fruits and herbs in both private and public landscapes all over the world.
Here is how to incorporate vegetables to several different landscape designs.
Exteriorscapes llc
A raised semicircular mattress is ideal for creating a small, private space in a bigger lawn. Instead of filling it with annuals or blossoms, try a mix of edibles. The blend of greens at the foliage provides visual attention against the rust color of the planters. The raised beds offer high style and easy access to the ripening plants.
Banyon Tree Design Studio
You do not require a good deal of room to grow vegetables. Here, elevated beds flank the terrace entrance to the garden drop. Fill out the beds with your chosen vegetables and flowers and think about growing a vining edible, such as cherry tomatoes or grapes, over the arbor. Your family will be eating fresh meals from the yard all summer long.
The Brickman Group, Ltd..
This modern take on a potager includes geometric paths and maintained beds of flowers and vegetables. The same geometric strategy used in a more compact area will create visual interest while maintaining a feeling of order.
The Brickman Group, Ltd..
A closer look in the garden reveals curved paths involving the garden beds. From a distance, the person beds blend to a sea of blues and greens. Up close, the trails keep the plantings from overrunning the space while accommodating pleasant strolls and access into the harvest.
The Brickman Group, Ltd..
Flowers nestled among the greenery provide sparks of color. They are also a great way to attract beneficial insects, birds and butterflies into the area.
A traditional cottage garden blends vegetables and flowers in a riotous mix of colors and textures. They stand in sharp contrast to the basic lines and white siding of the home behind them.
Shades Of Green Landscape Architecture
If your soil isn’t ideal, a raised bed is a simple way to present your crops, vegetables and ornamentals better growing conditions. Inside this area, the straight edge of the bed creates a wonderful comparison to the casual garden path.
Paradise Restored Landscaping & Exterior Design
While many vegetables, such as tomatoes and bell peppers, are vibrant in their own right, the addition of a flowering plant or 2 can provide a welcome dose of glowing color. Using stones to summarize an undulating garden bed produces a softer, more natural look.
SRM Architecture and Interiors
You may expect tropical beauties, a collection of succulents or plants with a strong architectural appearance to fulfill in the raised beds within this contemporary poolside garden, but vegetables hold their own surprisingly well in this modern setting.
Lori Scott Landscape Design
Sometimes the only place to grow your edibles is across the street. If that is the situation, embrace it. The owners of the veggie-filled front-yard planter say it has brought them nearer to their neighbors … and they haven’t dropped their harvest yet.
Samuel H. Williamson Associates
When your terrace area is used for grilling and outdoor meals, why not have your blossoms nearby? This classic blend of cutting and herbs flowers helps break up what could be a too-expansive spread of brick pavers.
John Kraemer & Sons
If you are opting for grand, then that is the way to do it. A conventional knot garden provides lots of color out front and vegetables, herbs and cut flowers for within the home.
Scot Eckley, Inc..
Fresh, ripe berries are always close at hand when you develop them in a pot on a sunny terrace.
Glenna Partridge Garden Design
Even a small space could be full of a vegetable or ornamental mix. Chives in full flower surround planters full of flowering plants and grasses. The colours of the planters along with the chives play off one another, while chartreuse foliage provides a little bit of contrast.
Debora carl landscape design
There is still space for vegetables, in this instance an artichoke, in this arid landscape. Just be aware that you might want to provide extra water to make sure your vegetables will survive and produce.
Burpee
Edible Landscaping, by Rosalind Creasy – $39.95
For more information about the best way to use edibles on your landscape, one of the best resources is Rosalind Creasy, who has been promoting the beauty of edibles as the 1980s. Her latest book is now available online or in movies.
Do you grow edibles in your home? Show us your garden at the Comments section below!
More:
Unusual Edible Gardens
9 Ways to Love Gardening More This Summer
3 Fuss-Free Ways to Garden