Topic: New Garden mantra

[David R]

Im sorting my garden out this year (having moved last year - lazy get) as Ive given the lotty up, but will now use the garden instead as its plenty big enough.

The mantra will be "everything that is grown will be edible or have edible parts"

There is a lotty part at the end for the hardcore veggies but I dont want the whole garden to look like a lotty, as I have to keep OH happy, and she wants some flowers!! So, flowers and decorative aspects will come in the form of roses (which are edible), sunflowers, nasturtiums, fuschias, rhubard, chards, perennial herbs, grapevines and hops. I have even potted up a large tub with some crammed in left-over onions from last year and am hoping for a onion flower display!

Have planted an apple and a plum tree for height.

The only thing so far which is not edible, is the lawn (at least I dont think it is  :-\ ).

Any other ideas for edible decorative plants?

[Spanner]

Thyme lawn?

[bennettsleg]

anything can be decorative if it's in a geometricly laid out bed with clear edges - trés Versailles, non?

hedges/edging: lavender - mini and normal; rosemary; hawthorne - edible spring growth, attracts insects and needs to be kept in check; rows of summer raspberries, espaniolette fruit trees
a well stocked herb bed looks good
comfrey - helps edible things grow...? pretty pinkish flowers.
dog rose for rosehips - also V pretty.
blueberries
er...

you may want to have a look at the foraging link for further inspriation.

[Stevens706]

Runner bean flowers are nice to look at, you could pinch out the growing tips to keep them small

[Deb P]

I remember seeing a garden at Chelsea (must be years ago...) called an edible garden, I was so impressed I got a leaflet with a complete planting plan on it...I'll have a look for it..

Hang on found this amazing site with photos of it, it was Julie Toll's garden in the 1994 CFS (blimey, I didn't think it was THAT long ago!)

http://www.clivenichols.com/cgi-bin/stephen_johnson/database/imageFolio.cgi?cat=all&bool=and&search=julie+toll&x=33&y=7

[okra]

what about having part of the lawn as a chamomile lawn

[norfolklass]

covering an arch in nice edible colourful dangly things?

saw arches and obelisks covered in squashes and cucumbers at East Ruston Old Vicarage garden in Norfolk a couple of years ago and they looked really good...

[allaboutliverpool]

Jerusulum artichoke for height at the back, and it has edible seeds. Globe artichoke towards the back.
When we was in Nice last week we noticed globe artichokes the size of golf balls in the market. As luck would have it we went to a posh new restaurant called La Reserve and had these artichokes and they were delicious eaten whole including abot 2 inches of stalk. I shal now eat mine like this. Later in the season the flowers, if you leave some are amazing.

PS there were the most amazing taps in the restaurant.
See them on my YouTube, you will be gobsmacked!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mS5R5bSrYyw

[Jeannine]

I grow a red flowered  climbing bean every year at home in a very big pot,just 8 seeds, the pot has a very tall obelisk in it, it is very pretty which is basically why I grow it,the beans are a bonus. We have all kinds of fruit trees in large pots and my blueberry bushes. You can grow the smaller squash in a very big pot with a lattice behind it, very decorative and good to eat. I have small herbs etc growing int the earth at the base of my potted trees, I have grown salad leaves in the same way before they got their own spot.

XX Jeannine

[mc55]

what about alpine strawberries & violas

[simon404]

Carnations - The flowers are edible  :)

[saddad]

Don't forget old favs. like purple podded peas...


 ;D