Many of us come up with the grandest of aspirations for our
garden during these bleakest times of the winter. We
envision our landscape in the most vivid of green, with
statuaries framed with drooping ivy, and stone walkways
separating the veggies from the herbs and the perennials
from the specimen shrubs. Unfortunately, reality eventually
pulls our head out of the gardening magazines and back into
our modern patio home. How can we have herb and veggie
gardens like one of those vista landscapes in our little
backyard?
If you are really craving to have herbs and vegetables in
your landscape, fear not: there is hope for those of us with
small yards.
We will just have to bend the rules a bit.
First, where is the rule that says that herbs and vegetables
absolutely have to be separate from the rest of the
landscape? Yes, some culinary plants aren't going to win a
beauty prize anytime soon, but there are many herbs and
veggies that can work as landscape plants as well as
providing food and spices in the kitchen. By incorporating
some culinary herbs and vegetables into the aesthetic part
of your landscape, you can make your plants do two jobs at
once, and in turn you will reap the benefits.
There are a few things to consider when adding culinary
plants to your landscape. First, you want to consider the
overall look of the plant. There are different shapes and
sizes out there, and some work better than others. There are
some herbs and vegetables that can be utilized as annuals,
and others that can function as woody evergreen shrubs. Some
examples that come to my mind are basil, an annual herb, and
rosemary, a woody evergreen shrubby herb. There are other
plants that can be used as groundcover (thyme, mint,
lemongrass), foundation plants (Mexican bush sage, bay
laurel, myrtle), and annual color (parsley, various basil
cultivars, lemon verbena). There are many different
varieties available, it's just a matter of finding the
variety that appeals most to you and your garden.
Another aspect of herbs and veggies that we tend to forget
about is their flowering characteristics. Some of these
plants have gorgeous or fragrant flowers, and you can find a
culinary plant blooming during most times of the year. Some
examples of these are squash-like vines, rosemary (which
blooms in the winter), sage, and garlic. Also, some of these
flowers or even the leaves themselves can carry a fragrance
that can spread throughout your garden, like pineapple sage,
mint, bee balm, and oregano. Dependent on the plant, you can
have a fragrance that ranges from a lemony-sweet smell to a
more heavy, musky fragrance. By choosing herbs and
vegetables for not only their culinary offerings, but for
their flowers and fragrance as well, these plants will give
that much more to your garden.
One last thing to consider when designing your mixed
landscape is the cultural requirements of these herbs and
vegetables. Though there are some exceptions, most of the
plants in this category prefer to be in full sun for most of
the day. Another good number of these plants are
drought-tolerant, and even prefer less water to more. When
working out which plant goes where, make sure that you place
your culinary plants in the same bed areas as other plants
that like the same conditions. This will make for easier
maintenance and better plant survival down the road. Also,
check the pH requirements for some of the herbs. There are a
few that prefer a more alkaline soil, which, as a whole, is
more hard to come by then acidic soil areas. If need be, you
can create a separate bed area to showcase your
alkaline-loving plants by amending the area with
pH-increasing compounds.
Even in the smallest of yards, you can create a place for
the vegetables and herbs that you desire for your kitchen
with a little bit of forethought, planning, and preventative
maintenance practices. And once all your preparation is
done, you will have a gorgeous landscape that actually gives
back to you in the form of fruits, vegetables, and spices.
And, if you absolutely have to have it, you can set a small
statuette in amongst the verbena and society garlic. Just
try to keep it on the small side; it will make your garden
look even more spacious.
About the Author
Carrie Paulk is a professional landscape designer with
Turf Tamer, Inc. She has written many informative
landscaping articles for Turf Tamer's Tip of the Week
program. Want to learn more landscaping tips and
tricks? Go to
http://www.turftamerinc.com/tip.shtm to sign up for the 'Tip of the Week' and learn more!
