A happy accident

[rary]

I was sitting having my lunch and looking out at the garden when I realised that my courgette bed adds to the flower garden as it gives different shaped and coloured leaves as well as the large yellow flowers, I was not expecting it to be as it is, though if OH says anything, it was planned for that

[SarrissUK]

That looks lovely! I intermingle stuff in my one huge bed, very haphazardly may I add. I like tht mix of flowers and veg

[cheops]

Looks great Rary - I really like how you have achieved varying height and structure and a really wonderful texture of varying greens and leaf shapes. Looks natural and pleasing to the eye. Bet your lunch tastes great in these surroundings but a even bigger feast than your lunch must be the feast your eyes are treated to.

[rary]

Thanks Sarriss and cheops and of course cheops that's the looks and effect I was going for

[Snoop Puss]

Looks gorgeous, Rary.

Me, I love courgette flowers and grow them close to the house just so I can admire them on my daily rounds. That and watch the bees busy at work.

[bikermike]

I dropped my kaftan... oh hAppy accident... sorry...

Courgettes do look nice, it's the English cottage garden isn't it - to have edibles and flowers growing together.

[ESBkevin]

Lovely Rary.

I do flowers only in the front garden (that and cat poo seem to thrive despite the fact I never plant cat poo)!

We usually plant lots of flower seeds early and what doesn't die gets to the beds and pots/hanging baskets. I try to get a nice mix of raising height to the back ending in roses and sunflowers, as well as different textures and colours. As I don't really know what I'm doing, I get a selection of happy accidents and lots of nice colour through the summer. Carol dead heads and I water - seems fair.

[bazzaboy]

Very interesting, rary, traditional "English cottage" as bikermike says and also the French �potager� (kitchen) garden. Some famous potager-gardens still exist (unfortunately most of the books about them are in French and way beyond my �Bonjour!� limitations�.). Bob Purnell�s �Crops In Pots�, published in 2007 (only ever got a couple of fans on GYO) tries it on a mini-scale growing edibles and non-edibles together in various containers - and they look a treat. Companion planting with design! There are obvious difficulties even dangers doing this (e.g. tulips and lettuce, peppers and calibrachoa) but sometimes he mixes two edibles (e.g. grows cabbage and kale together, mixes up peas and beans for different leaves etc). It's the "salad leaf" approach taken to another level - but you have got to know your plants (and not eat the tulips! )