Veg in flower beds

[robmarston]

I'm thinking of growing veg in my flower beds as they are a good size. I've already decided to grow sweet peas and runner beans together but was wondering what else would be good to grow. From what I've read it seems a good idea but was wondering if any grapes are doing this and found anything particularly suitable? Or more importantly anything that I shouldn't do this with? Incidentally I live in the country and we have a lot of rabbits around. I've already had to protect my cherry and apple trees as they'd been gnawing on them! Suggestions advice and experiences greatly appreciated 😀🌺


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[Two_Sheds]

What you're describing is a potager. Mine is in the FB link below:

[Martin H]

I tried to do this in my last garden,with partial success. I found the problem was that every time I harvested something it left a bare patch, so the garden was nowhere near as decorative as it might have been.

The experts always have something else in a pot ready to go into the vacated patch, but I was never that well organised.

So now my garden is flowers and my allotment is mostly veg with a few flowers where I can fit them in.

Climbing beans are good in a garden, though, they keep looking good all summer and you get a lot of crop for a small investment of ground.

[Bren In Pots]

Have a look at Alys Fowler garden for ideas here on youtube :-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJaAEHFnemA

plus there's a book :-


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Edible-Garde.../dp/1846079748

[AllInContainers]

I've tried to combine ornamental and edible, as last year my garden lacked visual appeal. I did well in food production, but the garden wasn't a nice place to sit out.

I'm growing evergreens in the form of rosemary and lavendar, plus stuff like dahlia yams and queensland arrowroot which give edibles tubers/rhizomes after the flowers have gone. I also have jerusalem artichokes in, but I have the benefit of growing in containers so these won't take over the garden. I'm waiting for the arrival of three daylillies for edible flowers, and have also planted a range of soft fruits and bushes which will provide edibles, but look nice too. I'll also be putting in hyacinth beans later when the time is right. I've tried to get a balance of trees which have different looks for visual/structural appeal, but which will in time also give me a few "treats".

[MrsCordial]

The problem I would have with that idea - which otherwise I like - is that I would never have any idea what was a weed or a veg seedling rather than a plant. What I do instead is sow a few (edible) flowers among my veg, as I find that less confusing

[Two_Sheds]

I would never have any idea what was a weed or a veg seedling

That comes with practice. Also it might help if you sow everything in rows: if something comes up that's not in a straight line, it's a weed

[MrsCordial]

You haven't seen my flower beds ;D I've inherited a very higgledy piggledy set of flower beds that are set into the top of a retaining wall round part of the grass and have great big shrubs and things in them. According to my father our heathers are marvellous (but then he has a thing for them as he named me after them!) but things have been stuffed in with no rhyme or reason, so I'm best off avoiding them. Alys Fowler is allergic to planting things in straight lines, it needs to be "drifts" apparently, and though I like the idea, if I didn't plant in more-or-less straight rows in the veg patch then I really would be lost.

[Penellype]

I've played with this idea and I'm doing it again a bit this time, but I do agree that it is much less attractive to look at than just flowers. I've used peas, which are quite pretty, and tomatoes, with flowers in front - this time I am going to try edible flowers. Apparently nasturtiums keep pea moth away so those two are definitely going near each other. You can get some very attractive french beans with purple flowers and pods which would look nice in a flower garden. I don't much like beans to eat, so I don't grow them.

[Raybon]

As posted in another thread, I'm growing dark red cos lettuce among the irises, cerinthe, and nasturtiums - they look stunning; when they are picked I replace with another seedling, so no bare patches.
Maybe the bunnies would like this too much though!

[Jimmy]

Quite a few years ago I interspersed sweet corn in our main front flower border. A plant every 3 feet or so.
The kids and wife went potty, "what's that veg doing in the flower border" !
I though it was very decorative, but obviously I was a moron, or so they thought.

After the insults I suggested I dig up the front lawn and plant spuds.
Silence and sulks ...
Jimmy

[Raybon]

Sneak in the red cos lettuces, and tell them they are overblown roses! They really are gorgeous......

[AllInContainers]

Sneak in the red cos lettuces, and tell them they are overblown roses! They really are gorgeous......

In fact, tell them Chinese Artichokes and Jerusalem Artichokes are sunflowers, carrots are ferns, and cucamelon is ivy. Of course there's always dahlia yams or queensland arrowroot rhizomes, and they'll never guess on the daylillies. Cardoon and globe artichoke are large structural flowering plants, and asparagus peas have lovely red flowers apparantly. I'm also trying out hyacinth beans this year, and had my location or aspect been better, I might have even had a go at passionfruit. If you are perpared to sneak a few fruits in, you might get away with barberry or checkerberry (dependent on soil). There's probably a wide variaety of herbs you can sneak in there too. The trick is don't plant in rows, just make it all random with big at the back and small at the front. They'll never know

[Bill HH]

The problem of leaving open spots when you have harvested a crop is somewhat overcome if you plant more slow growing veg, carrots have lovely foliage as does fennel, leeks could be a good back drop to some colourful flowers. None of the above will be ready until your flowers have finished anyway.