HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1987-04-22, Page 70L
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Think your Iot is too small for a
vegetable garden?
Well, by landscaping with vegetables
as well as flowers, you` can make the
most of today's small city lots, says
Master Gardener Bonnie Warner of RR
3, Englehart, Ont.
Master Gardeners are gardening en-
thusiasts who have received formal
horticultural training through the
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and
Food's Master Gardener. program.
Once trained, Master Gardeners are
available to answer questions from the
public.
Try planting a border of leaf lettuce
and marigolds around your foundation
plantings or grow tomatoes on a trellis
to separate two areas.
"Planning is an important part of
landscaping with vegetables. You must
consider such things as color, growth
habit, the time when each variety looks
its best and appearance after harves"
she said.
Cabbage, for example, is an effective
accent plant until the first head is
harvested.
Once the head has been cut, the re-
maining leaves become an eye -sore.
At this point, perhaps you could re-
place the cabbage with small pots of
marigolds, petunias or geraniums.
Location of the vegetables is of prime
importance too.
Full sunlight, adequate water, proper
fertilization and good soil are important
if your vegetables and flowers are to
thrive, she said.
"Certain vegetables also require a
,regular spray_ program, so you must
find out if the spray will adversely af-
- feet neighboring flowers (or vice ver-
sa)," she said.
For example, if you plant vegetables
around your rose bushes, check to see if
then chemical used on the - roses will
harm your vegetables.
And note if there is a time interval re-
quired between the last spray and har-
vest time, sgthat the vegetables are not
sprayed too close to consumption.
"One advantage of planting v e -
tables in your flower garden is the unique
effect that can be created by combining
new colors, forms and textures," she
said.
Parsley's dark green color and ruffled
texture makes it a good choice for your
border. -
Parsley is usually late to start from
seed in the spring but it is very effective
if you plant the seeds with spring bulbs
_ in the fall.
The following spring, the bulbs and
the parsley will appear; and in late
June, when the bulbs have finished
flowering, their unsightly foliage will be
hidden by the Lacey parsley foliage.
Asparagus, which is a perennial,
makes an, attractive delicate back-
ground in a perennial garden. •
"But it is important to remember
that asparagus needs about four to five
years before you can begin to harvest
the tender young shoots," she said.
Tomatoes may be used in several
ways.
W1
egeta
Miniature or cherry types can be used •
in patio pots or as a border plant. -
Larger varieties can be trained to
grow on a trellis for an effective
backdrop to the rest of the garden.
Best of all, the tomatoes can be har-
vested and the plant will still be an at-
tractive part of the landscape.
- The unusual heads of the globe arti-
choke make it an interesting accent,
along with its thistle -like flowers.
The heads are cooked like aspara-
gus or sometimes eaten raw.
Kale and borecole (with its finely
les
curled dark leaves) can be used as an
accent or border plant.
The tender leaves of borecole can be
used as boiled greens, chopped for
salads or sandwiches or used like
lettuce.
Brussels sprouts also make a good
accent plant in the flower garden.
And after harvesting the sprouts late
in the summer, the plant still looks at-
tractive in the landscape.
Herbs — tarragon, dill, sage — may
be used as background materials or ac-
cent plants.
ell
Page 23
Ornamental basil, with its dark pur-
ple leaves and lavender -white blooms,
is an interesting contrast plant.
Chives, with its long narrow grass-
like leaves and mauve -pink flowers, is
ideal in a border.
Peppers and Swiss chard may also
be used as border material.
The shiny leaves and fruit of the
pepper add a unique texture to your
landscape.
Unlike the beet, only select parts of
Swiss chard are harvested, so the plant
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