Every year millions of bedding plants are bought and planted out in are gardens giving colour to are borders all summer long. But has any one ever considered using an alternative to are great institution the bedding plant such as vegetables. I can hear you now this man is either drunk or clinically insane neither I am afraid. Vegetables are now one of the most popular plants to grow from seed in the UK, but still when ever people are considering growing vegetables they make there was to the furvest flung corner of the garden to grow them. out of sight of the rest of the garden I have never understood why people want to do this when most vegetables are just as beautiful if not more than some of the bedding plants we grow they come in a wide variety of colours, shapes and leaf textures and are a real alternative to traditional bedding with the added bonus that you can eat them most people never stop to appreciate the beauty of the vegetable they only look at the practical use of them rather than there ornamental value.
You can use vegetables as you would with your bedding filling in the odd gap hear and there or a single bed solely planted with bedding you can do just the same with vegetables there is also a financial benefit to growing vegetables instead of bedding is a lot cheaper than bedding and you also save on your shopping bill to.
I now what your going to say not all vegetables are suited such as potatoes etc. but I still believe that there is a place for them but I must admit they are best suited to a mixed border where there is a big gap rather than a single bedding plant display but with there lush dark green foliage and flowers from white to purple they will still look just as good as some perennials carrots are a another example there real colour is in the roots under ground but with there feathery green foliage they two will look just as good in the mixed border.
Some of the best vegetables as bedding are
Kale
One of the hardest of all the brassica’s once classed as peasant food and cattle fodder is now becoming a more fashionable food. It comes in a wide range of colours leaf shapes and textures as well as heights and looks fantastic on a cold winters morning when it is covered in a layer of white frost some of the best varieties are
Redbor f1
With its deep red tightly curled leaves and reddy purple stem grows to about 90 – 120cm tall
Nero di Toscana
It has elongated leaves that curl back on its self deep green in colour with thick mid ribs the leaves are blistered in appearance this has become a very popular variety over the last couple of years
All are ideal for the back of the border or as a dot plant
Runner beans
Give some height to the border with tepees of runner beans or grown over a hazel arch which you can walk under and pick the beans as they grow above your head runner beans make the perfect companion to sweet peas and morning glory there is nothing better than a tepee of runner beans in full flower runner beans come in a wide variety of colours red, pink and white as well as a good range of leaf colour from dark green to golden one of the oldest varieties is
Painted lady
With its dark green foliage and red/white bicoloured flowers followed by a good crop of beans.
Sun bright
This variety has great with its gold tinged leaves and masses of red flowers slower growing then your standard runner beans due to its lack of chlorophyll but well worth the wait for the foliage.
Sunset
Will be covered in a mass of pink flowers set off by its lush green foliage.
White lady
This has to be one of my favourites both for colour and taste as the name suggests it has white flowers followed by long green pods
Globe artichokes
These are fantastic architectural plants giving you the most fantastic grey/green foliage and if you can resist not eating some of the buds they will open to reveal large vivid blue thistle like flowers that can grow up to 100-120cm wide and 180-200cm tall this is a fast growing perennial vegetable needing a bit of space ideal as a dot plant can be used as an annual if sown early will produce good sized heads in the first year one of the most common varieties is
Green globe
This produces good sized green heads of good flavour
Purple globe romanesco
With its purple /dark red buds which are smaller in size than green globe but has a slightly better taste.
Beetroot
This is a good purple/red foliaged plant and makes an excellent gap filler in the border can be ready in 10 weeks form sowing one of the best varieties for use as bedding is
Bull’s blood
This is an old variety and is already widely used In bedding plant displays its used for its dark red leaves it doesn’t produce much of a bulb it is mainly used in baby leaf production.
Golden beet
This is a green foliage variety with yellowish stalks with a good sized yellow/orange bulbs this makes a good alternative to the standard red varieties
Boltordy
Green leafed variety with dark red stalks and veins with deep red bulbs
Beet leaf / chard
This is probably one of the best suited to the flower border with its vivid coloured stalks in a range of colours from white to yellow and the stalks and leaves are shiny when covered in dew or rain they shimmer in the sun light available in a variety of individual colours such as
Rhubarb chard
With its dark red stalks and deep green leaves with red veins
Yellow chard
Bright yellow stems with green leaves and yellow veins
Rainbow chard
This is a good mixture of colours including yellow, red and orange and variations of the three
Cabbage
This gives a talking point to have in your border having green/red balls of cabbage in groups of 3 or 5 dotted in your border cabbage comes in a wide range of leaf shape colour and texture and will atand well through the winter if the right variety is chosen
Holland late winter
Large heads ready from November onwards light green leaves which forms a tight ball
Marner lagerot
Deep red leaves produce firm balls of cabbage ideal for pickling
Marners lagerweis
Produces tight heads with dark green leaves
Climbing French beans
This is another one to give height to the border ideal for growing up tepees or arches they have small flowers but the real colour comes from the pods available in purple to yellow flecked with red
Borlotta lingua di fuoco
Produces bright green pods splashed with red as they mature this is one for drying and used in soups and stews throe out the winter
Coron a d’ora
Pencil podded type with golden yellow pods produces a heavy crop
Peas
This is a great alternative to the sweet pea grown up a tepee or arch they will be covered in white/pink sweet pea like flowers followed by pea pods depending on the variety pick as mang tout or leave until the pods are full one of the best varieties is
Purple podded
With its fantastic deep purple pods really give a talking point as most people don’t believe you can get purple peas and yes the peas are still green they really do stand out in the border.
But if you cant get hold of any seed of purple podded varieties ordinary green peas are just as good such as Hurst green shaft another good variety but is very hard to get hold of them is parsley pea it is a dwarf variety but with tightly curled leaves which resemble parsley with white flowers followed by small pea pods well worth growing if you can get the seed of it
Lettuce
This is a really good gap fill for the border and is very suited for the border ready to harvest in 10 weeks from sowing lettuce is available is a wide range of colours leaf shapes and textures the leaves shine in the sunshine especially when the dew is still on them some of the best varieties are
Marvel of four seasons
This is an excellent variety with deep red outer leaves and green inner leaves gives a striking contrast
Salad bowl red/green
This is a well known cut and come again variety which has serrated red and green leaves
Red fire
Deep red fringed leaves, which is very uniform in shape
Tom thumb
Small green variety with good green leaves
Sweet corn
This is a great plant for the back of the border or as a dot plant with its long leaves born of its central stem culminating in its feathery flowers needs to be planted in grouped together in 5’s or more to aid pollination
early extra sweet f1
Gives good long cobs of good flavour matures from September onwards has good green foliage
Another good variety although dose not really produce edible cobs is
zea mays quadricolour
This has fantastic variegated foliage with white, green and red stripes
These are just a few of the many fantastic varieties that are available for you to use in your garden I am not saying to completely do away with standard bedding but just to look at alternatives which will make your garden stand out and give it a different look.
Also with the increase in fuel prices and the greater need to reduce food miles what better was to help than to have some of your vegetables coming from a few metres away instead of miles and don’t worry even if you have only got a balcony most vegetables grow perfectly well in containers as long as they have all the water and nutrients they require they will grow just as good as in the ground.
