Beautiful Edibles to Brighten Your Flower Bed

If your gardening space is limited, you may have planted only flowers and shrubs in the past. However, it is possible to grow food in pots and small garden spots. Many edible plants are quite striking in the landscape and can add a great deal of beauty to your planting beds.

Add vine plants along walkways

If your concrete pathways are new and you'd like to fill in the gaps quickly, you can plant cucumbers and sweet potatoes along the edges. Talk with the team at Creech's Lawn and Landscape about hardware, such as solar lights and hose guards, before you plant. Many vining plants can take off quickly and fill up a patch of bare earth. 

Plant greens at the back of pots and flowerbeds

Tall greens, such as Swiss chard, can stand at the back of your flower beds and provide a lovely foil for blooming annuals. If you have flower boxes to plant, add a few romaine seeds to the mix. Once the greens form, you can simply snip off the leaves you need and let new ones grow, providing your household with a constant fresh supply of lettuce.

Many greens will thrive until it's quite hot, but you will want to mulch their roots. Reach out to Ohio Mulch for a quote on an un-dyed hardwood mulch that will break down over time. Mulch will lower the amount of water you'll have to use on your garden and maintain your soil over time. As your soil improves, you can grow more food.

Keep things well-lit

If you plant food around your house, you may invite diners you didn't intend. Fruit trees and fruiting shrubs can quickly draw raccoons and other pests. Contact NiteLites for a conversation about the best lighting tools to protect your investment. 

For example, steady light can keep many flying pests away, but a motion sensor lighting system may be best to keep nocturnal animals from gnawing on your veggies and fruit. Motion sensor lights can also be effective in sending neighborhood strays away before they can make a mess of your gardens. Adding ground lighting can also reduce the risk of a fall.

Consider adding a barrier

There are many fruiting shrubs that are beautiful in the landscape, such as raspberries and blueberries. Strawberry plants can be a lovely addition to your potted flowers. To protect your harvest, consider also adding a layer of netting over the shrubs early in the season.

Simple garden netting will allow the bees to visit your shrubs while keeping the birds away. You can also add to the beauty of your garden space by adding reflective items, such as metallic spinners and pinwheels, to the space. These tools add visual interest and serve as a bird deterrent.

There's no reason to not combine edibles and ornamental plants. As you expand your garden, you may also choose to plant edible flowers, such as nasturtium and honeysuckle. For more gardening ideas, check out The Home Mag on Facebook and Instagram.