Create a Scent Garden

Aromatic garden plants is the best benefit of an herb garden.  And you can grow an herb garden just for this purpose, never planning to harvest anything, but rather to sit and enjoy the glorious smells.

Karen Creel of GardenChick.com, gave a great list of aroatic plants in an article in The Essential Herbal Magazine.  That article got me thinking about a theme garden based on this idea.  Rather than worrying about what to do with this or that plant, just grow a garden that asks you to rest, take a seat with a good book, and enjoy the fragrance.

alternative garden - scented container with oregano, lavender, catmint, aromatic mint, geranium (in the back), rosemary, mini petunia 

What is Needed

You always need six hours of direct sunlight for an herbs garden, as well as well-drained soil that you amend with rich compost to give the herbs what they need to get lush and fragrant.  Always choose plants for your hardiness zone.  A smaller number can do well, but larger number zones will struggle in cooler weather or harsh winters.  Always plant taller varieties in the back and give the plants proper space to get larger over time.  Place the invasive plants, like lemon balm, mints or woodruff in a container to stop the spread.

Design Ideas

The Border

Create a deep border (8–12 ft deep) along a fence, path, or lawn edge.

Back Layer (Tall Structure)

• Climbing rose
• 
  Lilac
• Bee Balm
• Pineapple sage
• Lemon verbena

Middle Layer (Color + Fragrance)

• Lavender
• Calendula
• Scented geraniums
  
• Lemon balm
• Chamomile
• Catmint

Front Edge (Touch & Scent Zone)

• Corsican mint
• Sweet woodruff
• Lemon thyme
• Chocolate mint
• Spearmint (contained!)
  

The Circle Garden

Divide garden into four beds around a center feature (bench, sundial, birdbath).

Center Feature

• Rosemary shrub or lavender mound

Bed 1 — Mediterranean Herbs

• Rosemary
• Lavender
• Lemon thyme
• Curry leaf (container if needed)

Bed 2 — Tea & Lemon Garden

• Lemon balm
• Lemon verbena
• Chamomile
• Sweet cicely

Bed 3 — Mint Collection

• Chocolate mint
• Spearmint
• Corsican mint
  (sink pots to control spread)

Bed 4 — Flowering Pollinator Herbs

• Bee balm
• Calendula
• Catmint
• Pineapple sage
  

The Wandering Path

Create a curving walking path with herbs brushed as people pass.

Along Path Edges

• Corsican mint
• Sweet woodruff
• Lemon thyme

Waist Height

• Scented geraniums
• Lavender
• Catmint
• Chamomile

Fragrance Stations

• Chocolate mint corner
• Lemon garden (lemon balm + verbena)
• Pineapple sage surprise scent

Vertical Moments

• Climbing rose archway
• Lilac anchor shrub

Plant List

Here is a list of fragrant herbs to include in your plans:

• Bee Balm
• Cinnamon basil
• Calendula
• Chamomile
• Chocolate Mint
• Catmint
• Corsican mint
• Curry leaf
• Lavender
• Lemon balm
• Lemon thyme
• Lemon Verbena
• Lemon Balm
• Lilac
• Patchouli
• Pineapple sage
• Rose, climbing
• Rosemary
• Scented geraniums
• Spearmint
• Sweet Cicely 
• Sweet woodruff

Four Season Herb Gardening

The key to a garden enjoyable through all four seasons is not just what you plant, but how you plant and care for it according to Janet Mancunovich.

At a garden expo I attended a few years ago, Janet presented a 4 season garden with the following details for creating a 4-season garden.

1. Begin planning in winter - read up the plants, plan bloom structures, place plant in the landscape plan expensively, choose bed sizes and be realistic about size and location. Remember that in a perennial garden only 6 to 10% of plants are in bloom at any one time.  Think about the art features you want to include and remember to leave them out all year, they should be waterproof. Order seeds and exotic plants for best selection.

2. Consider viewer angle and background.  Spots of color should be sized and positioned throughout the scene, Use long-interest plants in spotlight positions.  Those with an extended bloom, those that thrive in your growing conditions, look into texture and size as well as blooms. Use winter to thin shrubs and prune back stubble from last year.

3. Drop in some Spring bulbs in massed irregular groups. Double plant early bloom bulbs with late emerging bulbs to give continuous flowering.  Remove brown leaves but remember to save those persistent seed heads not only for interest, but for foragers. Plant your summer perennial herbs. Place mint plants in containers to keep them controlled and add focus plants. For late spring root some stem cuttings to fill in the landscape come summer.

4. Blend in the summer plants. Choose texture, shape and then color.  Use annuals and garden art to add to the landscape. Monitor the peak bloom times. Visit other gardens to  know what is blooming, don't trust the garden center show. Work in the landscape to cut back certain plants, like mums to adjust or delay blooms. Dead head and cut back plants after bloom, plant TLC. Plant basil plants later once the weather has warmed.  work on keeping the garden weeds under control which will increase the harvest.

5. Come fall, think foliage color. Seed bod shapes and forms as well as tall plant form and motion, then consider fall blooms. Take time to divide and redesign come fall.  Lift and divide and move plants in this ideal season. Make sure you have added in long-lived species and match plant energy level with the urgency of division. Plant garlic or shallots where they can remain for next summer harvest. Edge the herb garden so it looks neater through winter. Sprinkle seed for dill and cilantro to gather a fall harvest. Add a Fall/winter season art piece for visual interest. You can even try to extend your harvest with a row cover depending on the size of your garden.

Make a chart of focal group seasonal interest and make it a priority to fill in gaps with subsequent focal groups.

It is okay to draw the eye front for spring, left for summer and right for fall in the same landscape.

Four Seasons in the Herb Garden

With good planning and a palette of plants you can create an herb garden that has flowers and fragrances from early spring to late fall.  And it can also provide a selection of cuttings to bring indoors for use through the winter.

According to Barbar Pleasant in the Herb Companion Magazine in 2008, You should include these things to give your garden a year-round presence.

1. Include structure plants. Shrubs, narrow upright trees, but a trellis with berry bearing plants or an arbor at the entrance can lend height without causing shade to sun-loving herbs.

2. Use vibrant verticals. Too many rounded mounds are going to create a fuzzy indistinct landscape. A nice late flowering anise hyssop with tall flower spikes is perfect addition.  As in a spring flowering herb like Chives.  For summer the sage, basil and thyme will begin to bloom and each have a variety of heights that can add drama and color and pollinator activity. Try a blooming edible flower like hollyhocks or zinnas to bring out the summer glamor.

3. Unify with neutrals.  It will matter less if colors and textures don’t connect if you include plenty of grayish foliage. This has a cooling effect on the garden and help illuminate their neighbors. Silvery plants like lambs’ ear, and culinary sage, germander or santolina work well.  If you have large spaces to fill tray Russian sage or other Artemesia.

artemesia

wormwood

4. Plan for easy access. Don’t let anything get in the way of you and the herbs you use the most.  Put plants you love near edges, and use well-placed stepping stones. keep aromatics like lavender in a pace where they can be brushed against and enjoyed.

5. Celebrate small details. Give your garden an exciting edge by featuring the exotic textures and colors of unique culinary herbs, like purple or large leaf basils, variegated mints, tri-color or golden sage, especially in a container that highlights the colorful foliage is a must.  For winter choose mulch materials that please your tastes like pine needles on black compost. 

Varigated Basil perpetua

A Garden for Every Season

A true four-season garden is not created in a single burst of spring enthusiasm—it is shaped through thoughtful planning, observation, and gentle stewardship throughout the entire year. By designing with structure, texture, bloom timing, and seasonal interest in mind, the garden becomes more than a collection of plants; it becomes a living landscape that evolves month by month. Winter offers reflection and planning, spring awakens possibility, summer celebrates abundance, and fall provides renewal and preparation for what comes next.

Whether growing ornamentals or herbs, success lies in layering beauty with purpose—combining form and fragrance, harvest and habitat, artistry and practicality. Persistent seed heads feed wildlife, silvery foliage ties plantings together, and well-placed paths invite daily interaction with the garden. The goal is not constant bloom, but continuous interest: something to see, smell, harvest, or admire in every season.

When approached this way, the garden becomes a year-round companion. Even in the quiet months, it holds structure, memory, and promise—reminding us that gardening is less about chasing perfection and more about participating in the rhythms of nature. With planning, creativity, and care, your garden can truly live through all four seasons, offering beauty, flavor, and inspiration every day of the year. 

Garden Planning for Containers

I worked the election this week as an election judge.  My reward was to go plant shopping the next day. You can see my haul below.  This trip was a few herbs and mostly annuals for my hanging baskets.  I tend to landscape in shades of green.  As an herb grower, you get into that, as flowers are something you cut off, not encourage, but I love the bright shades of flowers so I grow zinna and sunflowers from seed and put out annual hanging baskets.  Our garden club normally has a plant sale where I buy my baskets, but this year no sale, no baskets.  But if you are looking for native plants, the club will get 10% if you SHOP HERE.

As a result, I need to make my own hanging baskets.  I have plenty of planters, so I went to Redbud Creek Farm in Sheridan, IL.  It is about an hour from me, but worth the drive.  They have herbs, vegetables, annuals and perennials.  The layout is wonderful to wander through. And I will have to go back later in the year to see the herb and vegetable garden during the growing season.

We also stopped at Shady Hill Gardens in Elburn to pick up my scented geraniums - and some lemon thyme which was too aromatic to pass up!

Hanging Basket Design

Designing a hanging basket is about the same as designing a small pot spiller, filler, thriller.  But one does not need a tall exceptional center plant as much as one needs more spiller.  Most hanging baskets hang above eye level so you need the plants to flow over the edge.  That means finding plants that low grow and spread or are viney. My favorite for this is portulaca - a variety of purslane, an edible weedy herb, that will grow well in-ground and spread nicely and in pots, it will cascade.  It is covered with colorful blossoms throughout the summer.

English ivy is a good choice, Sweet potato vine with its unusually shaped leaves and lovely shades of green to dark purple allow you to find versions to suit your design.  Another great spiller is Dichondra.  This version is "Silver Falls." 

Trumpet vine and bougainvillea are popular hanging basket items, but they tend to be grown alone.  Because of their own showy appearance, no extras are needed.

For the thiller I like annual flowers. Bright, colorful, sun-loving annuals that will grow fast and fill the pot to overflowing is the best. For one I chose portulaca in 5 different colors. I love yellow and my husband does to, so we got some yellow and orange ----  to hang in the front yard.  Since I am still working from home, my home desk will overlook it everyday.

As filler I got these pretty white flowers -- 

I think I will have to get a few more. 

I wintered over two ivy.  One variegated with wide leaves and one a more traditional ivy.  The traditional ivy died back terribly due to the lack of humidity in our house, but the other ivy flourished.  The cats will be glad it is no longer growing into their lounging space in the bedroom.

Once we are free of the threat of frost I will put these containers together and take photos of the final versions.  

 

Container Gardens - Garden Planning pt 2

I am formal gardener, even if I don’t seem to be.  I like my plants to stay in their own space.  I grow them next to each other, then trim them back to create a border between plants.  I suspect that reflects on my personality in some way. 

I have always leaned toward placing one plant in a container and then grouping the containers in my garden.  I have learned to break this rule to make floral containers to decorate my shade gardens and love it.  Here is my formerly shaded book nook where I could read or play my psaltry and enjoy my garden views with several multi-color flower combos.

That big tree to the left is gone now so the book nook will be full sun this year.  With my red hair, I cannot read in full sun, so I will have to move the reading nook, meaning I can make this into a new garden area.  I have been experimenting in designing containers to go into this area which is planted with Creeping Jenny and Ajuga to give me the opportunity to experiment with what will grow there and how it will look.  After this season, I will make decisions on what I want to plant in that area and hubby will create raised beds for this space for next year!

So here I am sharing a few designs for containers for this corner.  Each of these containers has multiple plants to provide texture and interest in the corner as well as get me used to planting where the plants will crowd one another.  I am learning two things at the same time, and you can too!

If you are into vegetable pots I found some great container ideas with Black Gold soils - Black Gold Spring Salad Pots For Quick, Easy, Fresh Eating

Mediterranean Herb Pots

First is a series of 12-inch pots planted with Mediterranean Herbs.  I think three pots will be perfect to tuck in around larger pots.

 

                                       2- English Lavender, purple sage, Greek or golden oregano

1- Sweet basil, Lettuce leaf Basil and Red Rubin Basil          3- Thyme, Pineapple Sage, Rosemary

These groupings are about water needs.  Basil needs more water, but the other herbs do not, so they can be allowed to hang out together.

Round Mocktail Container

Next, I created a round container plan that I will use in my wrought iron basket (the one above with the inpatients.)  It is 40” in diameter, which makes it perfect for a mocktail container. I am going to use the method detailed by Ben Futo of the Allen Centennial Garden in Madison, Wisconsin in his great PBS digital series called “Let’s Grow Stuff” which is geared toward beginners.  The episode is “Planting a Container.” You can find the entire 2020 season here: Let's Grow Stuff - PBS Wisconsin.

He talks about Thriller, Spiller, and Filler method of creating a container and used several herbs and edible flowers, suggesting they make good cocktails.  That got me thinking about a great way to create a mocktail planter so I adjusted his plan a bit.

Last year I discovered some beautiful yellow and black/purple striped petunias that my husband actually loved, so I knew I was going to have to grow them again.  I had planted them with lantana so Ben’s first two suggestions caught my attention. Then I thought Lavender (1), Lemon Verbena (1), Bronze Fennel (2), thyme, common or lemon(2-3), and a scented geranium (1) would give me lots of different textures and abilities to make different mocktails.  Then for the Filler I will use Chamomile and Yellow Calendula to fill in the spaces between plants.

This design would also work well in a half barrel or large in-ground round bed if you are so inclined.

Rectangular Planter

I also have a rectangular planter so I thought I could put Hardy Herbs in it, then if they work out, I can just transplant them.  Almost all of these herbs are hardy to -20 degrees F, so they can winter over in the container.  If I choose to leave them in the planter I will just put a new two inches of compost in the container at the beginning of the next growing season.

The Sorrel will be Rosemary I have decided, but Rosemary will need to be removed or left to die as it is not hardy over an Illinois winter, but the rest should be.  Being located next to the fence they will be sheltered and should be okay over the winter.  Because I took the photo before I put the measurements on it, the planter is 36 inches across the front and 24 to 30” deep. 

Any of these designs will look good at your house, so why not try them?

If you have a suggestion for a new container combo I would love to hear about it.

Winter Garden Planning part 1

I have decided to spend some time in the next few weeks talking about Garden Planning. I am going to start with why you want to do it now and then how to do it over the next few weeks.  I will show you how and why to keep a garden journal and how to read a seed catalog and more. 

No space—inside or out—should be designed until you figure out what you absolutely have to have and what you'd like to have if budget, time, and space were not limits. The same is true with your landscape: Create a list and design your own backyard, figuring out how much of your landscape should be devoted to each item. Do you gather often with family? Then a large dining and entertaining space might serve you well. Are flowers your thing? Do you crave space to grow your own food? Then a mix of flower and vegetable beds might be a good solution.

For those who mourn the slowing down of the gardening season, here’s some good news: Plants may go dormant in winter, but people don’t have to. With fewer attention-grabbing chores, winter is the perfect time to revisit existing designs and reconsider plant palettes. Certain landscaping projects are actually better suited to the off months and there are definite advantages to getting an early start in winter.

ADVANTAGES TO PLANNING IN WINTER

Here is the back and front yards respectively so I can see the space, the vista, and get a feel for the perennial plants already in my landscape.  We took down a tree this winter, so I was also looking at the kind of sun the yard will now get.

See clearly:

The bones of the garden are exposed in winter, allowing you to easily see what’s out of balance and where you might want to add in structure or visual texture, whether in the form of plants or hardscaping. Sightlines are also exposed when plants and trees have lost their leaves. One can see which sightlines to keep clear, which views to incorporate or borrow, and which ones to block.

Beat the rush:

Get orders started for long lead-time items, such as outdoor kitchen appliances or specialty plants. Don’t let long delivery times in spring push your project off track; order early and keep your project running on time.

Read up:

Cold winter days are the perfect time to catch up on gardening and design books and magazines. There are so many sources for new ideas, but one of my favorites is the Instagram and websites of seed companies. They have gotten very good and giving context for the plants they sell, not just pretty plant pictures to make you drool.

My new flower choices and repeat loved herbs have already arrived!

Catch up:

Get caught up on all the latest trends in garden design. Get inspired to try something new—add edible plants to your landscape, make your garden more sustainable, design a garden getaway—whatever catches your eye.

I suggest these great websites for ideas:

https://www.provenwinners.com/container-gardening/ideabooks

https://www.countryliving.com/gardening/garden-ideas/advice/g746/garden-plans/

https://www.plantedwell.com/gardening-designs/

And if you want to see previous Garden design posts I've written, here is a search of them all:

Backyard Patch Herbal Blog: Search results for garden planning

So next time I will talk about prepping your garden journal and ordering your seeds.  If this year matches last year with the number of gardeners increasing, you will want to order your seed sooner than later!

Seven Herbs for a Cocktail Garden

Whether you are a gardener who enjoys a cocktail now and then or a mixologist tired of spending money on ingredients with an all-too-short shelf life, growing your own herbs to use in your favorite mixed drinks is fun and easy. 

I crafted a program on using herbs for cocktails (called Crafting Herbal Mocktails) and as a result have experimented with ways to incorporate fresh and dried herbs into mixed drinks or alcohol-free cocktails.  And you too can make your own herb enhanced drinks with just a few herbs.  If you grow in just a couple of planter boxes, a hodge podge of pots of varying sizes or in a garden patch or raised bed you can add a few herbs and start experimenting.

Realize you are not distilling your own spirits, but crafting flavorings and infusing existing spirits with the unique flavor of herbs is easy and fun.  Selecting herbs to grow can transform cocktail hour into an irresistible exercise in gardening as herbs make their way from planter box to martini, collins or rocks glass.

If you are interested in Cocktails or Mocktails I have posted several recipes in the past and you can search the blog or chose the links above.

Here are my picks for the 7 Best herbs to grow for cocktail making:

Mint

Flavor: Cool and refreshing. Depending on what type you grow, some have citrus tones, other are floral or spicy. Kentucky Colonel or Mojito mint are good choices for growing in a cocktail garden.

How to use it: Mint is probably the most commonly used fresh herb for cocktails. Mojitos and juleps are well known for using mint, but this refreshing leaf brightens flavor wherever it is used. Muddled or used as a garnish or infusion, mint is a winning choice for the gardener’s cocktail. And simple syrup can be used to make non-alcoholic ades or to flavor teas.

How to grow it: Mint grows like a weed. Plant in containers or in the yard (if you are prepared to have a lot of it).

To try: Nojito Mint Mojito-Style Mocktail

Rosemary

Flavor: Rosemary looks like clippings from a pine tree with a taste to match.

How to use it: Great as a garnish where just a hint of its flavor pops in to visit. The rich, woody flavor of rosemary can be added whole or muddled as a featured player in gin or vodka or to add pronounced depth to bourbon. Try adding a sprig to your next gin and tonic or whiskey sour. Enjoy it in a punch with sweeter flavor to give a savory hint.  It can also be used to craft a Gin substitute.

How to grow it: Start from cuttings in a pot placed in a sunny spot. Rosemary stands up well in drought conditions, and should be brought in for winter in colder climates.

To try: Rosemary Lemon Vodka

Thyme

Flavor: Can be sweet to savory depending on the variety but for cocktails common garden thyme is a good choice.  It provides a robust earthy flavor with a hint of lemon and mint and a subtle undertone of pepper.

How to use it: A simple syrup made with thyme makes it a great companion to any gin-based drink.  And using the simple syrup to create a fun fizz made with prosecco or a liqueur-based cocktail with Grand Marnier gives your cocktail hour variety.

How to grow it: Great in a rock garden and dry areas, raise from seed or cutting, but if you want to harvest the first year, get yourself a nursery plant to get a head start with this perennial that is slow to get going.

To try: Pear and Thyme Fizz

Basil

Flavor: Currently a fashionable herb in the cocktail scene, different varieties of this complex, aromatic herb can lean sweet, peppery or citrus-y with clove or licorice overtones.

How to use it: Like mint, basil is a great all-purpose herb, adding great flavor to gin, tequila or rum drinks among others. Muddle, use as a garnish or craft a simple syrup to use in cocktails as a change of pace from the same old cocktail. For some great color, use a purple basil.

How to grow it: Make sure basil plants get plenty of water and sunlight. Harvest leaves from the top a few at a time so the plant will have continued healthy growth throughout the summer and beyond. Start from seed or get a jump start with a nursery plant.

To try: Pineapple Basil Gin Cocktail

Lavender

Flavor: Floral and woody with undertones similar to mint and rosemary, lavender is wonderfully distinctive, but a little goes a long way.

How to use it: Perhaps best prepared in a simple syrup, lavender is the taste of springtime in front porch drinks featuring vodka, gin or even lemonade for the non-drinker.  But sprigs make a great garnish, and sugared stems are wonderful stirred into a drink.

How to grow it: A great container plant. Water deeply, but make sure it has good drainage and gets plenty of sunlight. Harvest as blossoms begin to open. It likes a well drained soil.  Hard to grow from seed, so get a plant from the shops or divide an existing plant from a freind.

To Try: Lavender Collins

Lemon Grass

Flavor: light citrus to lemon overtones with a hint of sweet mint combined with an intoxicating lemon scent.

How to use it: Lemon grass is used both for its lemon flavor as well as its amazing aroma it adds great dimension to flavoring vodka, as well as a simple syrup to make lemonade based drinks or complex citrus cocktails with gin, whiskey or sparkling wines.

How to grow it: An annual in cooler climates grow in a container as an accent plant or in the ground as a focal item as it has a tall spreading grass look that fans out.  It needs little care except regular water and well-drained soil. Propagate by seed or root division. 

To try: Mint and Lemongrass Cooler

Sage

Flavor: Earthy, woody and vaguely peppery, sage has a wonderful and distinctive flavor, but should be used sparingly.

How to use it: Muddled, infused into spirits or prepared in a simple syrup, sage adds savory complexity to mixed drinks, but the flavor can be overpowering for some. Try it in tequila or add some sage to your next gin fizz for a summer drink with unmistakable garden taste. A salt infused with sage is great savory glass rim.

How to grow it: Requires little care and is tolerant of different soil types and conditions, but soil should be well-drained.  Can be started from seed, cutting or division of an existing plant.  Keep well trimmed to avoid woodiness.

To try: Tequila Sage Smash from cakenknife.com

We also have created DIY Cocktail and Mocktail Kits which are available through our website. www.backyardpatch.com

Edibles in your Garden Landscape

Most gardens today are solely ornamental and many of the ones that are edible are tucked into hidden corners of back yards, valued solely for their contribution to the pantry. Before herb gardens and vegetable gardens were relegated to their own spaces, kitchen gardens, cottage gardens, and landscapes around homes were filled plants that were as beautiful as they were useful.

Fortunately, edible landscaping is making a comeback, with more home gardeners choosing to plant attractive edibles that are easy on the eye as well as the dinner plate. A productive, functional and beautiful landscape can be grown on any scale and is especially useful when gardening in a limited space. 

Consider adding a few edibles to your garden from the Garden Club of Villa Park Plant Sale (May 12 & 13, 2017 -  320 E Wildwood, Villa Park, IL)  You can get details and pre-order forms on their website: www.homegardening.org. 

Here are a few basic ideas to get your edibles mixed into your garden landscape:

Height and Depth: pairing together edibles of varying heights in one bed or area creates an interesting look similar to wilder-inclined flower beds. Most vegetables prefer a full day of sun, but some can tolerate 4 to 6 hours of sun.  Any greens and cool-weather loving edibles enjoy the relief of some shade in the hottest parts of the year, so consider interplanting them with taller sun-loving vegetables and edible flowers or herbs. For example, the handsome Spotted Trout Lettuce can be planted under Ping Pong Tomatoes for contrasting colors, depth, height, and a one-stop salad harvest. African Crackerjack Marigolds (a very tall variety) can serve as a backdrop for a row of alternating Red Russian Kale and Purple Vienna Kolhrabi, with Arugula or Spinach interplanted between the brassicas – for a rich landscape of orange, red, purple, and deep green.

In extra cramped quarters, the same effects can be achieved within one pot. For example, Nasturtiums (edible flowers with a peppery kick) can serve as a “groundcover,” draping over the side of a tall container, with one Rainbow Chard and Tom Thumb Pea plant growing up from the center of the pot.

Succession sowing is also a useful tool both for food production and for growing an edible landscape. For example, radishes – a quickly maturing crop -- can be interplanted with Red Express Cabbage – a pretty, petite cabbage that matures quickly, for a cabbage. Sunflowers can be added to complete the trio, which will eventually grow tall enough to shade out the entire area, but not before the radishes and cabbages are ready to be harvested.  You can also use succession planting to give a continuous crop for herbs like dill or cilantro which can form seed rather quickly eliminating the ability to harvest the tasty leaves.

Colorful Contrast: Simply planting your go-to vegetables in a new formation creates a beautiful, new landscape. Planting Purple Peacock Broccoli and Cauliflower in one block will make for a snow white and rich purple/green checkerboard. Grouping a variety of colorful flowers and vegetables in a cluster instead of a row will automatically bring aesthetic interest to a corner of your garden.

The easiest way to create colorful contrast is to let some of your edible plantings go to seed! Not only will you end season with your very own seed bank, but ordinary plants will assume beautiful, new forms: lettuces, for example, will grow tall and bloom like clusters of tiny dandelions; leeks will shoot out one long stalk with a giant, lavender-hued, globe-shaped blossom.

Choose unusual varieties of usual vegetables in the interest of color, nutrition, and flavor. Merlot Lettuce is merlot colored, Lemon Cucumbers are lemon colored, and Rainbow Chard, yes – also true to its name – comes with stalks in varying colors.

 

purple basil in the center pot,
 edible and color coordinated

Substitute: Another helpful way to think about edible landscapes is to substitute edible varieties for each role you want a plant to serve in the garden. Want a vine to climb up the back fence? How about peas, followed by pole beans: they have beautiful flowers and foliage and also produce delicious pods. Looking for a petite tuft of grass to edge your pathway? How about chives instead – a hardy, perennial with great flavor and attractive magenta blooms. Thyme works great not only as an indispensable seasoning, but as a groundcover too, especially in between a stone pathway. Purple Basil can substitute for a coleus and has the same burgundy foliage.  Adding edible flowers to the flower garden can give you double duty. Chamomile and feverfew look like small daisies; Borage, bachelor Buttons, Love-in-a-Mist can all be eaten; Nasturtiums are well known for the peppery flavor of the leaves and the flowers. And pansies and calendula are also edible.

SOURCE: Hudson Valley Seed Library