Planting an unusual edible bed
Fragaria vesca ‘Verbesserte Ruegen’
Tidying the herb section in the nursery got me thinking what other plants do we have that are edible and could I plant an edible bed that was varied, beautiful and useful at home? Our plants being certified organic are ideal for this experiment.
After a bit of research, I was surprised at the quantity of edible plants that we do grow and had to limit my choices to fit in with the space I had available. I’ve made two beds and put a couple more plants in pots and around the path. The beds are close to the house and visible from the kitchen window so I wanted to be sure I had vertical interest, different colours and textures of foliage and flowers too. One bed is a raised bed and the other is planted into the ground.
Lonicera caerulea
The first bed has a fruiting shrub at the back. This is the one planted into the ground. It is triangular in shape. I was torn between the Lonicera that I choose and Sambucus nigra, a dark leaved elderflower but as the plants that I’ve chosen for the back of the other bed are dark I went with the fruiting shrub here. It’s not as tall as the elder and I didn’t want this to be a shady bed. So, Lonicera caerulea is at the back. It grows just to 120cm. The fruits are a dusty dark blue and go with the colour scheme of this bed- I’ve chosen blue and yellow because they contrast each other and make each other appear more vivid and I want my edible beds to pop with vibrant colour as a real change to what we usually imagine and have with an edible bed- pretty much just green and low and simple. This was the challenge and fun of these beds. To get the variety in height, depth, colour and interest while only including edible plants. Choosing these more unusual plants will mean I have more fun and colours to use in the kitchen this summer and in the coming years.
Anthriscus sylvestris ‘Ravenswing’
Next, I have Anthriscus sylvestris ‘Ravenswing’. A dark leaved cow parsley. This is a self-seeding biennial. You might get a second year out of it if you cut out the spent flower stems. Its lacey and delicate and floaty. A nice contrast to the woody Lonicera. The leaves are great in salads, these fine dark leaves make a beautiful visual contrast with light coloured foods. I wanted the dark leaved variety because I will enjoy its visual effect in meals and because I use a dark leaved plant as the tallest plant in the other bed and echoing this in both beds brings a sort of asymmetrical visual rhythm.
Origanum vulgare ‘Thumbles Variety’
Hyssopus officinalis
Hemerocallis citrina
Hyssopus officinalis, Hemerocallis and Origanum ‘Thumbles Variety’ make the next layer. The Hyssop grows to 30cm and has deep blue flowers, and slim ovoid leaves. It can be used in both sweet and savoury dishes, a pretty and versatile plant. Hemerocallis ‘Citrina’ with its long slim leaves and its bright yellow flowers brings out the blue of the Hyssop. The buds and flowers are edible. Together with these last two I’ve included a yellow leaved Origanum- Origanum vulgare ‘Thumbles Variety’. It grows in a gentle mound with oval yellow leaves that seem almost to glow. Its soft shape brings a lovely contrast to the stiff upright Hyssop and the vertical growth of the Hemerocallis. The leaves are not as strong as regular Origanum but the pretty colour of the leaves makes up for this.
Origanum ‘Hot and Spicy’
Now we have the lowest section a green leaved Origanum ‘Hot and Spicy’, Primula vulgaris, with its edible buttery yellow flowers in early spring. Remove the petals from the calyx. So pretty in ice-cubes. Good for the soul to have pretty flowers to decorate our dishes again after the winter. Beside these, to give interest when the Primulas are spent I have two types of Thyme- Thymus vulgaris ‘Faustini’, the best Thyme for cooking and Lemon Thyme. A lovely lemony flavour.
Angelica sylvestris ‘Vicars Mead’
The second bed, the raised bed, has the beautiful and majestic dark leaved Angelica sylvestris ‘Vicars Mead’. A self seeding biennial with great height, creamy umbellifer flowers, and striking dark foliage. Stalks and leaves can be eaten raw or cooked. A really pretty and unusual garnish. In front of this I have the bushy mound of Melissa officinalis (lemon balm) veined oval lemon scented leaves. Makes a lovely tea and is great to use with fish. With the Melissa I have Monarda odoratissima, its fluffy light purple flowers on upright stems are a good contrast to the Melissa. Its culinary uses include tea and as a substitute for oregano.
Melissa officinalis
Monardella odoratissima
Allium tuberosum
In the next layer I use Allium tuberosum, with upright stems echoing the vertical lines of the Monarda. The white flowers of the garlic chives bringing the sight down from the 6 foot high Angelica to the white flowers of the Melissa and then down again to the Allium tuberosum. Continuing with white flowers at the lowest level I have Viola ‘Ivory Queen’ and Fragaria vesca ‘Verbesserte Rugen’ (a non-invasive Alpine strawberry). The Ivory Queen has a beautiful delicate scent and will flower all summer if cut back. The alpine strawberry has pretty white flowers and red berries. I hope they will both spill very slightly over the side of the bed.
Viola ‘Ivory Queen’
Mentha spicata crispa ‘Moroccan’
Aloysia citriodora
In pots I have Mentha spicata var. crispa. Moroccan mint. I keep it in a pot to keep it contained. I love the tea and make sure I dry leaves to have a supply. The other edible plant I have in a pot is Lemon verbena. It can suffer in harsh winters so I made the decision to keep it in a large pot and bring it in when winter comes. Excellent lemon tasting leaves.
My edible bed planting was fun and gave me a new angle to think about the plants we have on the nursery and the uses of my own garden. Now I have two edible beds that look at first glance to be entirely decorative beds. The slightly more unusual varities that I’ve included are giving me more visual interest on my meals and it all smells wonderful when I sit out beside them.
