Planning a Decorative Vegetable Garden

Having your own vegetable garden has several benefits. First, you have your own source of fresh organic ingredients free from harmful pesticides. Second, it’s a lot cheaper to pick vegetables and herbs from your garden than to drop by your local grocery. And third, seeing your vegetable garden everyday can inspire you to eat a healthier diet. Here are some tips on how to create an edible yet decorative garden:

Make a Garden Plan

Planning a vegetable garden or patch requires some elbow grease but with the right attitude, tools, and knowledge, you’ll be growing your own tomatoes and herbs in no time. Having a garden plan is essential when creating a vegetable patch. To start off, draw a rough sketch of your ideal garden brimming with fresh fruits, herbs, vegetables, and other edibles. Keep in mind the size of the available space but don’t be limited by a small area. Containers and window boxes can be the perfect place for your home-grown fruits or veggies.

Mix and Match

Creating an edible yet decorative garden is not that hard. Gone are the days wherein vegetable patches are completely separated from flowers and other foliage. Modern gardening concepts tend to focus more on overall functionality and design than on geometric patterns and strict borders.

A good idea is to actually plant turnips and tomatoes alongside gorgeous petunias and peonies. As long as the soil is properly prepared and the veggies receive enough amount of air, water, and sunshine, then they should be fine. Another worthwhile suggestion is to sow fruit or vegetable seeds in plant containers, pots, or window boxes. You don’t have to spend that much when creating a plant container. A whiskey barrel cut in half can support an assortment of herbs and vegetables.

Possible combinations of ornamental and edible plants are almost endless. An example is leaf lettuce alongside annual flowers. Both these types of plants prefer cooler temperatures so it’s best to seed them during early spring for a bountiful summer harvest. Planting herbs alongside colorful flowers is a good idea since many herbs are also flowering plants.

Source:
American Horticultural Society