Vegetables Add a Unique Look to the Garden

Gardeners need only look as far as their flower beds to find space to grow their favorite vegetables. The trend today is to incorporate veggies with ornamental plants. Not only is this a space saver, it adds a unique, decorative look to the garden. The leaf textures and fruit of many vegetables blend beautifully with annual and perennial plantings.  Growing vegetables on a trellis or chain link fence is one way to start. Vertical growing not only saves space but guarantees more sun and warmth - a sure way to reap a bountiful harvest.

Cucumbers, with their large, bold foliage and perky yellow flowers are prime candidates for the rear border of the garden, particularly along a fence. The fruit from these tendrilled vines hangs vertically, and the leaves create a surprisingly robust texture. Choose a pickling or slicing cucumber, or the original Chinese type to train onto a trellis or fence. Cucumbers need a sunny spot where the roots can be kept warm and moist, especially as the fruit is forming. The spot should be protected from harsh winds, and the plants will benefit from a shot of fertilizer as they begin to vine. Start seeds indoors to get a head start, and plant after the danger of frost.

Small squashes are another space-saving vegetable. Their large flowers and coarse, gnarly vines are striking when hanging from a trellis or fence. The flowers are a culinary delicacy: pick them just as the fruit begins to develop, dip in a light batter and deep fry. Several varieties are available. Try black-green or golden zucchini, yellow crookneck or patty pan. These squash develop quickly and are best picked when they are very young, ranging from three to six inches wide and long. Start indoors to get a jump start on the season. Plant anytime after the danger of frost in a sunny spot with well-drained soil that can be kept moist. A mulch will benefit the moisture-loving, shallow roots. To extend the harvest in to late summer and fall, reseed in mid-summer.

Although not edible, small gourds and mini-pumpkins are excellent vines providing a quick cover for a chain-link fence. Plant these ornamentals anytime in the summer from transplants or seeds. They are great for fall decorating and delight children with their charming, petite size.

Pole beans, so named because they twine around a pole or support as they grow, can be harvested to dry or to eat fresh, depending on one’s fancy. All have delightful, heart-shaped foliage and pods of purple, yellow, or white. Use these colorful beans to echo the colors of salvia, coreopsis or daisies in the garden. To ensure a continuous harvest sow seeds in two day intervals throughout the spring after the danger of frost has passed. Regular picking will encourage bigger yields.

The perennial garden is a perfect spot for salad crops beginning in early spring. Lettuce and spinach can be planted two to three weeks before the last frost date, well before any of the mid-July to August-blooming perennials begin to expand. Late to show perennials like coneflowers, butterfly weed, and plumbago will fill in the garden nicely after the lettuce has been harvested. Try planting lettuce in a rock garden or in and around tulips and daffodils for a frilly look.

Novices will want to try loose-leafed, romaine and butterhead types. These easy to grow salad greens come in many varieties with tantalizing textures and various shades of green and red. Spinach is packed with vitamins and its large, dark green, crinkled leaves add a bold texture to any mixed bed. Plant spinach in late March, choosing a site in full sun. Direct sow away from the crowns of companion perennials. Plant at two to three week intervals until the end of May for a continuous crop. Salad greens do not like hot weather so tastiest harvests will be ready before the really hot days of summer begin.

Leeks add an interesting architectural look to perennial beds, combining especially well with the yellows of yarrow or coreopsis. They have unique, deep blue-green fanned, vertical leaves reaching nearly two feet tall. Leeks can be harvested throughout the growing season - anytime after the tops have reached six inches. This "gourmet" member of the onion family can be eaten raw or cooked, often replacing onions in soups or stews. Start leeks indoors from seed in January or February, or start directly in the ground from transplants in late March into early April. Plant the transplants in a trench lower than the surrounding soil level. As the seeds begin to grow, mound the soil around the base to keep the lower stem white and tender (blanched). Site leeks in sunny locations with well-drained, loose soil.

Broccoli, brussels sprouts and collards are other vegetables that can easily find space in the perennial garden, adding interest with their bold textures. All need full sun, several applications of high nitrogen fertilizer throughout the growing season, and supplemental watering during the heat of summer. Started indoors from seed or from transplants, broccoli and collards can take the cold and be planted in early spring. Wait to plant brussels sprouts until early summer. The stalks of brussels sprouts look spectacular near Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ or late blooming Chrysanthemum Rubellum ‘Clara Curtis’ or C. ‘Mary Stoker’. Or, interplant large vegetables with oriental poppies. They will have plenty of room to grow after the poppies have finished their show. Broccoli contrasts nicely with the sword-like leaves and crimson flowers of Crocosmia. Collards can find a home near catmints, lavenders, cottage pinks or any airy foliage plants, such as Artemisia.

Swiss chard, which actually is a beet developed for its leaves, has gained popularity in recent years, and moved its eye-catching, flashy mid-rib colors of reds, hot pinks and yellows can even work at the front of the perennial border with daylilies and black-eyed Susans. Grow in full sun by seed and thin when they are large enough to eat. Harvest the outer leaves throughout the summer and use in a soup or as a side dish.

Other easy to grow vegetables that can find a spot in the garden include tomatoes, peppers and eggplant. Plant these from transplants after the danger of frost in any warm, sunny location, and fertilize throughout the growing season. Plants labeled as "patio" or "cherry" types have a smaller stature and usually don’t require staking. They are fine accents in "hot" borders mixed with Helenium, zinnias or coreopsis.. Peppers - hot, sweet, long or squatty- are extremely easy to grow and bear eye-catching fruits in shades of red, yellow and purple. Try them near a stand of alliums. Eggplant has wonderful purple-green foliage that will serve as a striking companion to pink- flowering annuals and perennials. The fruits are shiny, long or oval, and are available in purple or white varieties. Harvest eggplant when the fruit is six to eight inches long and still glossy.

Date: January 19, 1998
Author: Maria Mickas-Dvorak
Maria Mickas-Dvorak, a Horticulturist, is Assistant Retail Manager