Edible Landscaping

Last year, in an effort to save room in the garden patch for things that really needed to be there and be protected by the 5ft garden fence, I moved a few edibles to the landscaping.  Peas went at the front of the house in a perennial bed where the deer wouldn't dare to tread, and I had some containerized pole beans growing up a bamboo plant support at the edge of the driveway.  I also tried growing several types of gourds over the edge of our behemoth retaining wall that we expect can be seen from space.  Actually, it did appear on Google Maps recently - the retaining wall that is.

This year, I've broken the salad greens free from our vegetable 'jail' and I'm quite pleased with the results.

In previous years, I had these boxes filled with flowering annuals.  This year, we would be able to walk two steps out our front door and make a salad from them.  I asked the husband to add a few more boxes to the arsenal so we could have a good haul.  He graciously obliged and I dug out the purple paint to seal the deal.  The purple paint seems to be a reoccurring theme on our property.  The chicken coop is purple, the mailbox post is purple, the hammock posts are purple, the makeshift kayak rack is purple.  Good thing it's also my husbands' favorite color....but I digress....

The plants seem happy and healthy and they provide interesting color and texture to the front porch.  Dare I say, just as interesting as flowers?!?!  I planted them in Miracle-Gro Organic Potting Soil to keep things 'au naturel' and all seems well.  We've had a few nippy nights that have caused a bit of damage to the tips of the leaves, but otherwise, these little friends should find their way to our dinner plates soon!