Call Eating Up the Landscape: Helpful hints & tricks from David and Barbara Interested in growing some of your own food but lack the time, energy or even the space for a dedicated vegetable garden? Consider interspersing vegetables, fruits and herbs with your plants in your landscape. Read on to learn more about how every garden has potential to bear edible fruit From veggies to herbs, this list of tips will have you harvesting in no time! Things to consider Fill in the gaps: Having both vegetables and flowers in a sunny border or other location cuts down the amount of work. While a dedicated veggie garden keeps vegetables orderly, there’s lots of weeding that goes along with it. Filling gaps in a flower border with vegetables cuts down on the spaces where weeds can settle down. Make the most of your space: There is no such thing as too little space for flowers and vegetables. Anyone with a sunny area can grow both. Many herbs have beautiful foliage that complements other annuals and perennials. A cucumber plant on a trellis offers a delicious surprise in the back of a planting. Safety within the wild: Hungry critters such as rabbits and deer are less likely to find edibles in the midst of less tasty shrubs, annuals and perennials. Find your sunshine: Planting vegetables on a home’s sunny south or west side is beneficial to the plants, as the reflected warmth will protect them from an early frost and give the plants a head start. Saving space: Inter-planting of flowers and veggies isn’t suitable for plants that require a large amount of growing space, such as squash, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. These plants are heavy feeders and need lots of room to spread. How to choose the right plants: Compact growing We choose vegetables that grow in a compact habit with colorful foliage, attractive structure or flowers. Examples include bush beans, chard, eggplant, kale, mesclun mix, okra, hot peppers, and bush tomatoes. Let them climb Climbers such as cucumbers and indeterminate tomatoes that can sprawl over trellises, spreading yews, evergreens or shrubs are recommended. Try to avoid shrubs that are prickly or produce inedible fruits. Stand tall Embrace vertical-growing plants, such as onion sets and leeks. Start with seeds Give it a whirl with seeds for vegetables that are best planted directly in the garden, such as beets, peas, carrots, radishes. These come in a variety of colors for decorative and flavor value. Embrace your inner herbivore Try herb plants, such as chive, dill, parsley, basil, fennel, lavender, sage and thyme. Taste the flowers Try edible flowers that will attract beneficial insects and help repel the bad guys. These include marigolds, pansies, nasturtiums, daylilies, calendula, dianthus and violets. Get fruity Why not try? Fruit trees of all kinds can be used in your garden. Use that space Perennials such as grapes for an arbor, strawberries, raspberries, asparagus and rhubarb for gardeners with the available growing space. Go back to Vegetables Continue to Herbs Gift Certificates Do you have a budding gardener in your life who would enjoy browsing our greenhouses and shop? Give the gift of nature & joy today! Purchase gift certificate Where to find us: 43 Kinnicutt Ave Warren, RI, 02885, US 401-245-8245 dbffarm@aol.com Have a question? We can help! Feel welcome to contact us anytime by visiting the farm during business hours or using the information provided. We look forward to hearing from you! © 2021 Frerichs Farm Follow us