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Designing Ornamental Gardens with Edible Plants

Many edible plants can be used in ornamental gardens. Not only will your garden look nice but you can eat it!

Please read the web pages Before you start and Design Tips. More information on edible ornamentals

In the design below we have chosen warm vibrant colours and strong foliage to give impact to the garden. Purple has been used as the dominant flower colour. To add more themed colour you could also add some plants with the same leaf colour for example, using a purple sage (but don't overdo it!).

Plants have been chosen for a garden that requires hardy plants, has a moist (normal), medium (loamy) soil with a neutral pH, and is in full sun. Below the plan more information has been given on each plant used. This information has been taken directly from the database to show how the plants suit the garden conditions.

 
1. Angelica archangelica angelica
2. Foeniculum vulgare fennel
3. Lavandula angustifolia lavender
4. Salvia officinalis sage
5. Iris germanica iris
6. Allium schoenoprasum sibiricum giant chives
7. Alchemilla xanthochlora lady's mantle

 

1. Angelica archangelica

Fully Hardy Moist Soil Semi-shade Full sun

 

  BIENNIAL growing to 1.5 m (5ft) by 0.8 m (2ft 7in).
It is hardy to zone 4 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from Jul to August, and the seeds ripen from Aug to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.The plant is self-fertile.
It is noted for attracting wildlife.


The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils.The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. and can grow in very acid soils.
It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade.It requires moist soil.

2. Foeniculum vulgare

Fully Hardy Well drained soil Moist Soil Full sun

 

  An evergreen Perennial growing to 1.5 m (5ft) by 1 m (3ft 3in).
It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf 12-Jan It is in flower from Aug to October, and the seeds ripen from Sep to October. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.The plant is self-fertile.
It is noted for attracting wildlife.


The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil.The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils..It cannot grow in the shade.It requires dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.

3. Lavandula angustifolia

Fully Hardy Well drained soil Moist Soil Full sun

 


 
An evergreen Shrub growing to 1.2 m (4ft) by 1 m (3ft 3in).
It is hardy to zone 5. It is in leaf 12-Jan It is in flower from Jul to September, and the seeds ripen from Aug to October. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees, lepidoptera.It is noted for attracting wildlife.


The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil.The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. and can grow in very alkaline and saline soils.
It cannot grow in the shade.It requires dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.

4. Salvia officinalis

Fully Hardy Well drained soil Moist Soil Full sun


 

 

An evergreen Shrub growing to 0.6 m (2ft) by 0.6 m (2ft in).
It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf 12-Jan It is in flower from Jun to August, and the seeds ripen from Aug to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees.


The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil.The plant prefers neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. and can grow in very alkaline soils.
It cannot grow in the shade.It requires dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.

5. Iris germanica

Fully Hardy Well drained soil Moist Soil Semi-shade Full sun


  PERENNIAL growing to 1 m (3ft 3in) by 1.5 m (5ft).
It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from May to June. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.The plant is self-fertile.


The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil.The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. and can grow in very alkaline soils.
It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade.It requires dry or moist soil.

6. Allium schoenoprasum sibiricum

Fully Hardy Moist Soil Semi-shade Full sun


  BULB growing to 0.3 m (1ft) by 0.3 m (1ft in).
It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from Jul to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees, insects.


The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in heavy clay soil.The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils..It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade.It requires moist soil.

7. Alchemilla xanthochlora

Fully Hardy Well drained soil Moist Soil Semi-shade Full sun

  PERENNIAL growing to 0.3 m (1ft) by 0.3 m (1ft in).
It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from Jun to September, and the seeds ripen from Aug to October. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Apomictic.The plant is self-fertile.


The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in heavy clay soil.The plant prefers neutral and basic (alkaline) soils..It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade.It requires dry or moist soil. 

 

The database has details of more edible ornamentals: Adenophora latifolia, Allium senescens, Allium victorialis, Asclepias latifolia, Campanula latifolia, Campanula rapunculoides, Canna indica, Codonopsis lanceolata, Codonopsis ovata, Codonopsis pilosula, Codonopsis ussuriensis, Commelina coelestis, Erythronium americanum, Erythronium dens-canis, Lilium bulbiferum, Lilium candidum, Lilium lancifolium, Lilium pardalinum, Lilium speciosum, Oxalis deppei, Smilacena racemosa, Smilacena stellata, Tigridia pavonia, Viola mandschurica, Viola tricolor.

 

 

 

 

Now available: PLANTS FOR YOUR FOOD FOREST: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests and Permaculture Gardens.

An important new book from PFAF. It focuses on the attributes of plants suitable for food forests, what each can contribute to a food forest ecosystem, including carbon sequestration, and the kinds of foods they yield. The book suggests that community and small-scale food forests can provide a real alternative to intensive industrialised agriculture, and help to combat the many inter-related environmental crises that threaten the very future of life on Earth.

Read More

FOOD FOREST PLANTS

 

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