Edibles as ornamentals

We’ve all seen it! That big messy rotting mess enclosed in tired old timber sleepers where dreams of bountiful produce never materialised. I must admit that I have been guilty of starting a veggie garden only to realise that working and living in a busy family with pets meant that I neglected to put in the work needed for success. If you, like me haven’t got the time to build and tend a designated space for a veggie garden, the good news is that you can still have a garden with edible plants. The solution is to carefully choose edible plants that can be mixed in with your ornamental plants. Herbs are generally easier to manage than vegetables when planted alongside ornamental plants, and fruit trees can be used as features or for hedging as well as for produce.

When designing garden spaces to incorporate edibles and ornamentals, consider the shape and the eventual size of your plants. Plants have traditionally been categorised as groundcovers, low shrubs, tall shrubs, small trees, large trees and climbers. This is helpful for the home gardener; however, we also need to think of plants as shapes such as horizontal (groundcovers), vertical (grasses and climbers) and round (shrubs). Planting combinations of these shapes creates visually pleasing gardens. In addition to the plant’s shape and size, have a reason for choosing certain plants (Don’t just choose them because they look pretty!). For example, to screen an ugly fence; to provide shade; to add as a feature plant; to attract birds; to create a border or to provide food!

Keeping this in mind, here’s a list of edible plants that are functional, edible and look great mixed in with your ornamental plants.

Groundcovers

• Mint (only if it is contained as it will take over!)

• Thyme

• Marjoram

• Oregano

• Strawberry

• Nasturtium (also can take over)

• Parsley

• Prostrate rosemary

Small shrubs

• Sweet Basil (annual)

• Perennial Basil

• Sage (silver foliage is a great design feature)

• Rhubarb (red stems look great)

• Rosemary (works well as a hedge)

Hedging trees (These trees can also be used individually as features)

• Bay Tree

• Citrus trees

• Pear trees

• Olive trees

Climbers

• Sweet pea

• Passionfruit

• Climbing fig

• Grape vines

Feature Plants

• Weeping Mulberry

• Crabapple