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A new look in landscaping

Vegetables and flowers make great bedfellows

There's a fresh look in landscaping today, but it

harkens back to the kitchen gardens of our colonial ancestors.

No longer situated out of sight, vegetables and herbs are

sharing the garden spotlight with flowers. Contemporary

gardeners seeking more color, texture, and foliage options

will find vegetables add a delightful dimension to the landscape.

Vegetables and herbs do more than please the eye,

of course. "Crops make the gardening hobby more

productive; you get something back," says Harold Taylor,

section gardener for Longwood Gardens. Longwood is a

horticultural display garden in Kennett Square, Penn. Taylor shared

his expertise with the American Nursery and Landscape

Association (ANLA).

Healthy Gardening

Making room for vegetables serves another

purpose. "People are becoming more aware of pesticide use on

commercially grown produce," Taylor comments.

Gardeners wanting to include vegetables in existing landscapes

can eliminate or diminish pesticide use in several ways.

Certain annuals attract predatory insects that eat pest. While

humans savor the flavor of herbs, many insects don't. The

whole idea of adding variety to your landscape with vegetables

underscores another pest management technique. "Plant

diversity makes it harder for pests to take over. Avoid

monoculture," Taylor suggests. Also try organic pest

control options, like Dipel and insecticidal soaps. "At

Longwood, we try not to cover spray. We try to use low toxicity

insecticides." Taylor says.

Versatile variety

"Americans eat only about 60 varieties of

vegetables, when there are thousands available," comments

Taylor., He believes that "flavor has so much to do with how

vegetables are grown," and recommended some interesting

alternatives to grocery store varieties. Heirloom

"Brandywine' tomatoes are flavorful favorites among gardeners in the

know. The 'Straight and Narrow' green snap bean is a

small, gourmet legume that's big on taste. Streaked 'Dark

Purple Rain' eggplants add zest to gardens and dinner tables.

Ornamental appeal

Gardeners should "design for ornamental appeal even

in the off season," Taylor says. Cooler temperatures are

perfect for tough colorful veggies like Swiss chard and kale.

The dark, richly textured leaves of collards are another cool

season standout. Set out lettuce in spring, replant in

mid-August for a full season leafy garden crop. Edible flowers like

nasturtiums, pansies, and lemon gem marigolds add

delightful color and tang to landscapes and salads! Even squash

blossom vines, long known to Mexican cooks as

delicious appetizers when battered and fried, now gain respect

in American gardens for their bright, tasty, blossoms.

Practical considerations when landscaping with vegetables

Start small, build on success.

Know how much full sun you have. Most vegetables need

six to eight hours of light per day to survive.

A little planning goes a long way.

Plant vegetables you like to eat.

Beginners will find transplants easier to start than

seed. Some good growers: peppers, tomatoes, eggplants.

Include vegetables in your overall landscape plan.

Return to the kitchen garden concept - choose a convenient

location. If you don't see vegetables every day, you may not

maintain them.

Look at your landscape for pockets of space or

available land where vegetables will fit attractively. Light is a key

factor, but don't forget to match space size to crop size.

Mingle vegetables with ornamentals in borders - low

growing perennials with chives, for example.

Diversify foliage textures - mix bold with fine, frilly

with smooth.

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