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Adding Food To Your Landscape
Growing your own vegetables is a great way to supplement your food budget and have control over the quality of the food you eat. However, if you have limited space and don't really want to set a food plot right in the middle of your great landscaping, you face a dilemma that many gardeners experience.
Is it possible to enjoy tasty, fresh grown veggies and still have a beautiful yard full of flowers and decorative elements? I think with a little creativity and the ability to think "outside the box", you can accomplish that goal quite easily!
In the following modules I will show you some great ideas and plans to have you enjoying a bountiful harvest without sacrificing your beautiful surroundings!
Is it possible to enjoy tasty, fresh grown veggies and still have a beautiful yard full of flowers and decorative elements? I think with a little creativity and the ability to think "outside the box", you can accomplish that goal quite easily!
In the following modules I will show you some great ideas and plans to have you enjoying a bountiful harvest without sacrificing your beautiful surroundings!
Plant Some Edibles Among Your Flowers
Who says you can only have color by growing flowers. There are many vegetables that are not only good for you but grow on amazingly beautiful plants. Some of my favorites are:
EGGPLANT - lovely foliage, pretty lavendar flowers and the eggplants themselves are a deep rich purple color that adds a great splash of color. Think of flower colors that the eggplant will complement and plant a couple of them in that flower bed.
KALE - beautiful foliage and great salad maker - depending on the variety would look great with pinks or purples.
GREEN BEANS - well, who says beans have to be green? These beauties are as tasty as the green variety and will be an absolute stand-out in your garden!
SALAD FIXIN'S - lots of color and great taste. Plant in a container or place small plots among your flower plantings. Space out planting every couple of weeks for a continuous supply of leafy greens.
EGGPLANT - lovely foliage, pretty lavendar flowers and the eggplants themselves are a deep rich purple color that adds a great splash of color. Think of flower colors that the eggplant will complement and plant a couple of them in that flower bed.
KALE - beautiful foliage and great salad maker - depending on the variety would look great with pinks or purples.
GREEN BEANS - well, who says beans have to be green? These beauties are as tasty as the green variety and will be an absolute stand-out in your garden!
SALAD FIXIN'S - lots of color and great taste. Plant in a container or place small plots among your flower plantings. Space out planting every couple of weeks for a continuous supply of leafy greens.
Adding Interest To A Vegetable Garden
Even if you have the space and plant a large garden away from your regular landscaping, there are a lot of things you can do to make it a special and decorative place.
Put a small picket or wire fence around your garden with a decorative entry gate. Not only will it look great, it will help to keep the deer, rabbits and other pests away from the fruits of your labor.
Consider planting vegetables in raised beds or separate different areas of the garden with pathways. You can get fancy with stepping stones or gravel or just making paths out of mulch adds a lot of eye appeal.
Decorative edgings around specific areas can add a lot of interest and creates separate spaces in your garden. Use wood, brick, stone or purchase edgings to place around your areas.
Of course the use of trellises, obelisks or other garden structures will always look great whether in flower gardens or vegetable gardens.
These pretty plant markers will dress up any garden - and help you remember what you planted!
Put a small picket or wire fence around your garden with a decorative entry gate. Not only will it look great, it will help to keep the deer, rabbits and other pests away from the fruits of your labor.
Consider planting vegetables in raised beds or separate different areas of the garden with pathways. You can get fancy with stepping stones or gravel or just making paths out of mulch adds a lot of eye appeal.
Decorative edgings around specific areas can add a lot of interest and creates separate spaces in your garden. Use wood, brick, stone or purchase edgings to place around your areas.
Of course the use of trellises, obelisks or other garden structures will always look great whether in flower gardens or vegetable gardens.
These pretty plant markers will dress up any garden - and help you remember what you planted!
Think Vertical!
Adding a decorative trellis such as these will make ordinary vegetables look like great landscaping features! Consider growing cucumbers, tomatoes, pole beans and other vining vegetable plants on pretty trellises. Besides looking spectacular, they are a lot easier to harvest!
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Garden Cloches
Garden Cloches are so decorative and good for the plants, too! Many tender young plants need to be protected in the early spring. These lovely cloches will do the trick and look totally elegant at the same time!
Keep It Simple With Katie Brown Glass Garden Cloche 11.25-inch Tall
Amazon Price: (as of 12/20/2009) 
Garden Cloche 3 Pc. Set
Amazon Price: (as of 12/20/2009)
Tall cloche
Amazon Price: (as of 12/20/2009)
Glass Dome Bell Jar Cloche Terrarium with Terra Cotta Base
Amazon Price: $69.95 (as of 12/20/2009)
More Information About Growing Your Own Vegetables
There are a lot of great resources out there to help you plan and care for your vegetable garden. Decide what vegetables you want to plant - don't rule out types that you don't think you'll like - you'd be surprised how great fresh vegetables taste! Check out these great resources to help you plan what to plant and where to plant. Even tips on how to grow the best vegetables!
How to Grow More Vegetables and Fruits (and Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops) Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land Than You Can Imagine
Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 12/20/2009)
Creative Vegetable Gardening
Amazon Price: $14.96 (as of 12/20/2009)
Kitchen Harvest: Growing Organic Fruit, Vegetables & Herbs in Containers
Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 12/20/2009)
All New Square Foot Gardening: Grow More in Less Space!
Amazon Price: $13.59 (as of 12/20/2009)
Square Foot Gardening: A New Way to Garden in Less Space with Less Work
Amazon Price: $13.59 (as of 12/20/2009)
Gardening Links
- My Prairie Garden Home
- Great deals on plants and gardening supplies.
- My Happy Gardener Blog
- This and that about gardening along with some great resources and ideas.
Fruit Can Be Decorative Too!!
This hanging basket not only looks great, but will yield tasty, healthy strawberries, too!
Another decorative way to grow delicious strawberries.
Sign my guestbook!
Share your gardening experiences and favorite ideas. Let me know what you think of this lens!
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- AppalachianCountry AppalachianCountry Sep 2, 2009 @ 7:05 am
- Great lens.Thank-you for the wonderful ideas. We do garden work alot. 5 stars*****
by darlkay52
Hello world. This is my bio. I am a 55 year old grandma of 3 (mother of 2). I live in the country in the midwest. I have two horses and I love all thi... (more)
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