Decorative Vegetable and Herb Planter

I love planting in containers, because you can place them where ever a situation needs colour, or to maximize sunny areas in the garden.

Why plant just flowers? This year, instead of planting the usual annual assortment, we decided to fill this decorative container brimming with veggies and herbs.

36 inch concrete trough
First, we removed about a third of last year's soil and...

replenished it by adding 1/2 of composted sheep manure and....

 1/2 of black earth. Mixed thoroughly with the existing soil that had perlite. It's necessary to have vermiculite or perlite; this encourages proper drainage and root development. Otherwise the soil becomes hard and roots struggle.

We started by planting the tomatoes and their supports. These are heirloom and beefsteak tomatoes. The supports are somewhat unsightly at first, but once tomatoes arrive, the tomato foliage will camouflage the stakes.

Our desire was mainly for culinary purposes, but colour and texture was also considered.
#1  Dwarf Dill (12-20" tall)
#2  Variegated Oregano (trailer)

#3 Curly Red Lettuce
#4 Bright Lights Swiss Chard
#5 Dark Little Leaf Lettuce
(repeated on the left side)

We didn't over plant - spaced for adequate growth. However, there is still enough room, if one wishes to plant some annuals, in case one misses summer blooms. ;)

Will update on the growth and colouration. Can't wait to harvest too!

Our desire is to harvest every plant from this container, so it benefits the kitchen, our tummies and it'll have less waste going into the compost come autumn.

Update: here

Edible Ornamentals

My garden is too small to have a separate veg patch. Last year I decided to add my veggies in between my ornamental plants and I was happy how they blended in with my perennials. I'm tired of plants only looking good. In the last couple of years, I'm quite glad to see garden design trends here in Canada including plant material that have edible benefits, outside of a solitary vegetable patch hidden in the corner.

Strawberries in bloom, great ground cover.

If you're interested in adding edible ornamental alternatives that come back each year, here are many perennials and woody shrubs that I could think of here for my zone (5b, 6a). Offering visual interest and edible benefits for any front or back garden borders:


Hardy overwintering edibles:

• Blueberries - fruit and wonderful fall colour

• Gooseberries - fruit bearing in a leafy shrub border

• Red and Black Currant - great bush for borders or informal hedging

Few more weeks....then....mmmm. :)

• Allium - chives with tall texture and lovely purple flower tops

• Strawberries - ever-bearing white flowers with red leaves in fall - great ground cover

• Serviceberry Trees - white flowers, lovely edible berries and great fall leaf colour

• Garlic Chives - white flowers and edible leaves
  

• Asparagus - ferny foliage, spring harvest

• Quince - beautiful flowers, great fruit

• Elderberry - flowers and berries useful for cordials and sauces

• Violets - flowers are edible, great for salad

• Rose species (Rugosa and Villosa), rose hips for canning or tea

• Mahonia - Oregon Grape, yellow flowers, glossy foliage and blue-black edible fruit

• Lavender - herb uses 

• Thyme - great ground cover

Here are some annual (non hardy) plants that add visual interest while providing edible qualities:

• Carrots  - ferny foliage, great in clumps instead of rows

• Nasturtium - flowers are edible, great for salad

• Purple Ruffles Basil - great contrast colour and useful in cooking

• Parsley - coarse ferny leaves

• Cilantro - coarse ferny leaves

• Red Russian Kale - leafy texture and attractive colour

• Bright Light Swiss Chard - leafy texture with brilliant stems

• Sweet Pea - sugar snaps, lovely flowers and great vine

• Red-leafed lettuce - contrasting red foliage

• Oregano - ground cover, purple pink flowers
  

• Rosemary - rigid growth which look similar to lavender
  

I decided on more containers this year and will be adding nasturtium, sweet peas, cilantro, russian kale, swiss chard, red-leafed lettuce into my annual displays.  Their unique foliage colour, texture and growth habit camouflage the fact they are actually edible. At least this way you enjoy your garden more with fruitful yields, adding visual interest as well.

Vegetables for shade

Late summer 2011

It feels like spring out there and I can't help share my veggie plans for this coming season.

Now that I have more knowledge of what light conditions my garden has, I have made my list and developing plans for what vegetables and herbs I would like to plant.

I'm keeping in mind: "If you grow a plant for the fruit or the root, it needs full sun. If you grow it for the leaves, stems, or buds, a little shade will be just fine".


Vegetable plant list for 2012: *Photos from OSC Seeds

*Baby Leaf Blend Lettuce

• leaf lettuce
• mache (lamb's lettuce)
• arugula              
• swiss chard
• spinach
• kale
• beets (for leaf too)
• radishes
• basil
• parsley
• cilantro 



*Cherry Belle Radish

• cherry tomatoes

Leafy greens, radishes, beets and herbs are my choices. They are tolerant of some shade, not huge amounts, but certainly partial sun and dappled sun.  My containers will be ideal for more herbs, outside of my perennial chives, mint and hopefully my oregano will overwinter.

*Bright Light Swiss Chard

In regards to lettuce, arugula, kale, swiss chard; I will purchase seedlings from my local garden centre instead of sowing them myself. I find the organic selections are far better established than I could ever seed indoors with low light. I could wait to seed outdoors, but my harvest season will be delayed if I wait until May.  The lettuce, arugula, beets and spinach however, will require more than one crop. I have bought seed packs now, just so that I can sow in containers and transplant more mid to late summer, that way I can extend my crop harvest.

Last year I had success with lettuce, spinach, parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, chives and cherry tomatoes. I tried leeks, mini carrots, onions, garlic and although they weren't terrible, I would rather have better. I have spots with about 6 hours of sun - it just isn't enough.

One trick I learned to maximize sun, is to situate a large pot on wheels. I had an abundant crop of cherry tomatoes last year, allowing easy movement towards sunnier areas on my patio. The sun's intensity changes from spring to fall, this way I extended my yummy cherry tomatoes until October...they are my FAVOURITE!

With this years selections, at least I'll be getting enough greens!