I am about to give up my allotment and, after growing food for my family for nearly 50 years, will have to do what I can in my small garden which is currently growing the 'pretties'.

So, I'm wondering if anyone has any good tips and ideas about making a garden that will encompass both herbacious and veg & fruit. (Maybe there is a separate thread on this but I haven't found it). There's just me in the household now so I don't need to grow barrow-loads of stuff - on the other hand can't just stop.

I'm thinking of including fruit bushes in the borders, and things like rainbow chard which is pretty in it's own right. If there any more bright ideas I'd be grateful

Dinah

Runner beans and peas mixed up with sweet peas?

To save space, you could stack 3 different sized pots to grow strawberries, hanging toms etc.

Fill the three pots with compost, stack them (the largest at the bottom), plant the exposed terraces of compost on the lower two pots as well as the top pot, and away you go.

Easy to water, the top and middle pot stop the water evaporating from the lower pots, the produce hangs down, easy to net and only the footprint of one pot.

Oh, Dinah, - what a question, with your years of experience you probably know more about fruit and vegetables than most of the rest of us put together!!

Surely the main consideration is what you enjoy growing and eating.

Have you read Geoff Hamiltons book The Ornamental Kitchen Garden? .. could be worth getting a copy from the library, there are some nice ideas in there.

a-a

Oooh, another thought.

I think it was at Ryton, that I saw large pots with a gooseberry grown just like a standard rose, with summer planting around the edge of the pot.

Another use of pots; grow a few mangetouts (or similar) in large pots, keeping them out of view until they begin to grow up the poles. Once they have some foliage, place the pots in the herbaceous borders so the pot is hidden. This will look as if the peas are growing in situ, but are not competing in the ground with your herbaceous plants; a few roots will find their way into the soil so watering is not too onerous. Once they begin to look sad, have a second pot that you 'prepared earlier' (but a few weeks later) to replace the first pot.

Not sure if you ever watched Alys Fowler's program The Edible Garden were she grow flowers and veg in her back garden but theres some clips on youtube and it might give you a few ideas.

Garden Plan - The Edible Garden - BBC Two - YouTube

Lovely tips all. Thank you!!

Yes, alex-adam, I've a fair bit of experience working on a larger scale but was feeling a bit foxed looking at my wee garden and am happy to learn from others' experiences. I'll look out for the Geoff Hamilton book - he's always been a favourite of mine anyway. You've reminded me of those obelisks he used to make for climbing plants too - they'd be good for the runners/sweet peas combo. Thanks.

Next trip to the lottie I'll be bringing home some strawberry plants for the pots.

dinah

I won't see you without the occasional lettuce, Di. xx

You could grow tumbling toms in a hanging basket with some curly parsley. You can include a flower to make it look extra pretty - Crops in Pots by Bob Purnell has some lovely ideas for tubs and pots that look pretty but contain edible crops too (but some work better than others). In this he suggests the hanging basket with the toms and parsley with some black eyed susans, which I did last year and was great. I've done it again this year, minus the flowers. Lots of nice ideas in books about container gardening.

Companion planting might be a good way to approach the borders? Plus flowers/herbs which naturally attract beneficial insects, as they often look so pretty and serve practical purposes too.

Thanks Polly, I'll hold you to that!!
Good to see you on Wed.


Thanks too, Helgalush. I got a book on ornamental veg. gardening from the library yesterday and am eyeing the garden with an eye to alterations. (only eyeing with this soaking wet weather!)

dinah

Dinah