pretty planting scheme advice needed!

[lotthedrinkeroftea]

Hi guys

Figure this the right section for this but not sure - you're all likely to share my empahsis on veggies anyhow!

I run a little allotment in a housing estate in Brixton and we've got some nice volunteers from a well known bank coming down to do digging and improve the community and all that.
One of the things I'd like them to do is digg over and plant up our path/low fence section. It's just got some fine weeds at the moment. The soil is shallow and the space is about half a metre wide.
Here's picture from two years ago to get an idea of the site.
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...-allotment.jpg. I'm talking about where the metal fence runs in the corner.
Basically I need some advice on a planting scheme.

I want to put in some plants that will be (in order of importance)

a) Pretty. 400 people can see the place from their windows so it seems rude not to.
b) Very low maintenance!!
c) Quick growing.
c) Edible
d) Transplantable, as there's a strong chance that in 3 years they'll be knocking the estate down.
e) Can with stand some pruneing as the estate manager is OBSESSED with anyting growing onto the pavement.

Any ideas of nice edible perenial flowers that wil grow quickly and provide interest all year?
But seriously, if you've got a bit scrubby space what have you put there??

[elsie-scot]

depends where sun is - don't want to high stuff it going to shade plots.
if the they will weedkill/pesticide spray along fence then don't want to grow anything edible

few ideas off top of head:

Runner beans, French Beans, Peas
Sweet Peas
Nasturtiums - tall/trailing, edible
Sunflowers, get differnet heights, edible seeds or good for birds

Squashes, Pumpkins left to trail along

Chives, Borage, and other herbs

edible flower thread - http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ers_45156.html

Lot of stuff might be too difficult to move well, so many think more annuals until know what is happening

[jemma_charlie]

i was thinking herbs too. Chive flowers are pretty and will cope with someone chopping them back. Lemon thyme would add a bit of all year round colour and is fast to grow, the edible flower thread is very helpful. In my corner i have herbs that i can just ignore and pick when i want some. They get an annual trim and thats it. I do like the fact that most of them keep their leaves through the winter so it doesn't look as dead and as bare as the rest of the garden.

[coreopsis]

I'd go for nasturtium-if the place might be knocked down in 3 years-most perennials takes 2 years to set 1st set of flower.

[Kittypickle]

I'm trying to make a rainbow plot this year to keep my children interested. Amongst other things I'm doing Celebration runner beans which are avery pretty salmon pink, Marquise of Carouby (or something like that) which are purple flowered peas, bright lights chard, sweet peas, beetroot, Sungold tomatoes and there's some lovely looking round yellow courgettes that I'm probably going to try, plus strawberries.

[tamsin]

Marquise of Carouby (or something like that) which are purple flowered peas

Carouby de Maussane? (had to google to spell that) I grew those these last year and got some started again. I'd second the rec, they are taller than normal peas so would cover the railings, have pretty purple flowers and then giant mange touts. You can sow them early, I have one that self sowed and over wintered out side so if you kept sowing you'd get a long season.

Another thing that could work great would be a grape vine, no pretty flowers but lovely bright green leaves (great backdrop for annual flowers), grows very fast, will cover railings and can be pruned. Down side is like many perennials you don't get any benefit (grapes) until year 2-3. You could grow it in a pot though, that way you'd get over your soil issue and it would be transplantable

Tam

[Kittypickle]

Yes, that's the ones Tam, I wan't even close was I !