Food Among the Flowers

Gardening by the Yard : Episode GBY-726 -- More Projects »

Lots of people have a very orderly idea of what a vegetable garden should look like: a row of tomatoes, a row of cucumbers, a row of peppers. Meet Ros Creasy, a gardener who really knows how to put vegetables in their proper place! She incorporates vegetables in the front yard for a stunning landscape of food and flowers.

Figure A

Figure B

Figure C

Figure D

Figure E

Check out this beautiful front yard (figure A). At first glance, you might notice lots of colorful flowers set against a backdrop of leafy-green plants. But take a closer look and you discover that nestled among the vibrantly colored blooms are brightly colored vegetables (figure B). "That may seem a little unconventional, but think about it in practical terms," says master gardener Paul James. "There's no lawn to mow, the pests basically control themselves, the crops are healthier, you get lots of fresh veggies and flowers, and the whole neighborhood can enjoy your garden."

According to Creasy, it's not difficult to grow both flowers and food in the front yard. She even incorporates string beans in her landscaping (figure C). "People don't think of them as beautiful plants, but they're absolutely gorgeous." Positioned around the green beans are lots of cosmos whose bright colors are punctuated by the green canvas of the bean foliage (figure D).

Adding bold colors like purple to the leafy-green foliage of vegetables helps perk up the landscape. Creasy also contrasts the garden bed with the delicate texture and chartreuse hue of lime thyme, as well as the unusual pinkish color of 'Kent Beauty' oregano (figure E).

There's something else quite unexpected in this garden bed--tomatoes! During the 1800s, gardeners frequently planted tomatoes as ornamental plants before they even knew they were edible. However, once tomatoes were known to be edible plants, they were banished to the backyard garden and farmers' fields.

"Imagination is key to putting together an edible landscape," says James. But there are some very loose rules you can follow. Creasy suggests you pick the food and flowers you love based on the basic plant requirements such as soil, sun and water needs. Then arrange combinations until you find a pleasing group.

Figure F

Figure G

Figure H

"When I design a garden," says Creasy, "I really like to think about textures and colors. So here, I have these great big beautiful squash leaves on this zephyr squash contrasting with the delicate flowers of the savory (figure F) and purple pink flowers." And just like on a dinner plate, presentation is key in the garden, especially in the front yard. Creasy uses a tuteur (French word meaning "tower-like trellis") to support a cucumber plant (figure G). The pyramidal-shaped support provides the plant with plenty of space to grow and stretch out, as well as ample air circulation. These aren't just any cucumbers either; look at the size of this Japanese yard-long cucumber (figure H).

Figure I

There's another important element to growing a garden that blends both fresh foods and flowers. "When I design," says Creasy, "I always put lots of flowers in because they're beautiful and I love flowers. But I also put them in because almost all beneficial insects at some stage in their life need nectar and pollen." Creasy grows alyssum throughout her garden space (figure I). Other good plant choices include herbs like rosemary and savory, which produce tiny flowers that attract beneficial bugs. "And inviting beneficial bugs provides an all-important balance in the garden that makes for beautiful and delicious treats," says James.

While food and flower landscapes may not be a traditional vegetable garden, this unusual plant combination creates more depth, variety and beauty. "We're just used to seeing edible plants in a farmer's field or orchard," says Creasy, "but you can have a wonderful time with edible plants in your landscape."

Figure J

Figure K

Figure L

This beautiful lemon tree was pruned and trained to grow along an arbor (figure J). Creasy recommends also incorporating pear, apple or fig trees. Growing vegetables in your front yard also lends itself to a concept most gardeners practice: sharing the fruits of their labors. "I really like to share my garden with my neighbors, so I have sorrel planted out front (figure K), and the neighborhood children learned that they can feed that to my chickens."

Creasy also likes ripe strawberries growing in the front yard as a sweet treat for hungry passers by (figure L). Another favorite is basil, for its delicious fragrance. "I can't imagine a garden without it," says Creasy. "You know, food and flowers really do go together, just like apple pie and ice cream. Use your imagination, and then at the end of the day, you can have fresh vegetables for your dinner and flowers for the table."

James adds that if more gardeners incorporated edible plants with flowers in their own front yards, then neighborhoods could turn into mini-community gardens all over the country, sharing fruits, flowers and veggies.

Also in this Episode

Gardening by the Yard : Episode GBY-726
•	Storing and Hiding Gardening Stuff
•	Food Among the Flowers
•	Today's Sunflowers
•	Seasonal Color

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