Vegetable, Herb and Flower Garden

Have you thought about a vegetable, herb, and flower garden? Combine all three into one. Yes, that's right! Whether you are limited on space or just want a variety garden, all three varieties can make a tasty, colorful garden.

To me, there is nothing like a fresh tomato picked from a garden.

I can taste it now with a little bit of pepper sprinkled on top and maybe, a dab of mayonnaise or fresh basil.

Putting vegetables with herbs has been popular for awhile now. Adding some colorful flowers puts the icing on the cake. Creating this type of garden is fun because you plant what you want to eat.

Herbal remedies have been around for centuries. Today, people are learning more and more about Holistic Medicine and using herbs. A lot of herbs have flowers which brings a more vibrant look to your area.

This garden can be done several different ways. You should look at doing this just like any other landscape project. Plan your area, prep your area, and than plant! The bed can be done in any shape you want. Two of the most common shapes is a rectangle or square.

If your space is really limited, consider vegetables, herbs, and flowers in a container garden.

A good idea either in a ground or container garden is to stake your tomatoes. A cage will work nicely and will help the plants grow upward and healthy.

When doing a three variety garden, I plan it by mixing the plants by height and color. Either you can propagate your own seeds or buy from a nursery. You can also purchase plants from a local store also, but make sure the plant looks healthy and leaves haven't yellowed.

Check on the bottom of the pot to see if roots are hanging out. This means the plant has been in the container for awhile and needs to be put in the ground as soon as possible.

The Burpee Company is world famous for their seeds and plants. A great tomato variety is the "Tomato, Burpee's Burger Hybrid 3 Plants" variety. I have grown the Big Boys both in the greenhouse and directly into the ground. They are truly delicious on burgers but also to each fresh. Great tomato for your gardens and family.

When designing, give enough space for each plant to grow. Mix the vegetables, herbs, and flowers all around the garden.

The picture of the left shows you a straight line garden. Plants are maturing yet given enough space to grow.

The second photo gives you an idea of a defined bed garden and how you can create a total different look then a straight line. I have done both resulting in a good yield.

Tomatoes next to dill, fennel or basil are really nice. Know what colors each herb flower will be. Combine perennials with some annuals. One key point to remember when doing a mixed garden, plant your perennials in an area close to each other.

The result of planning properly is a wonderful basket of fresh flowers and veggies.

Perennials will come back every year, and you will want to do some prepping the following season.

You don't want to disrupt their growing patterns. There won't be a lot of prepping the following season, but you will want to turn the soil over where the annuals were.

I've planted a combination garden and below are a list of the different vegetables, herbs, and flowers.

Sometimes you will see beautiful gardens in magazines, and you want your garden to look just like that. A lot of these gardens have been growing four to six years and the plants are mature. Realistically, plants take time to grow. Below is a photo of a garden just beginning to grow.

You can see the Salvia flowers. The small decorative stacked stones give a nice separation of flowers and then veggies, herbs, and more flowers planted throughout.

This is considered an informal garden with no defined pattern. The plants are spaced properly for healthy growth.

One of the keys to success is spraying your landscape, vegetable gardens and lawn to control weeds and insects.

Here is a list of the vegetables, herbs and flowers I put in...

• Salvia - Blue Hill - perennial, beautiful blue-purple spike flowers.
• Dusty Miller - annual white plant, nice as an accent.
• Lemon Balm - perennial herb with fragrant leaves - smells like lemon.
• Italian leaf Parsley - bi-annual herb, great for cooking in sauce, eggs, vegetables, or meats.
• Cayenne Peppers - annual little red spicy pepper - Great for saute, and sauces. I have put them in pots also, and bring them in for the winter months, and the peppers will re-appear in the springtime.
• Banana Peppers - little yellow peppers, great for most any type of sauce, saute, or just popping in your mouth. Milder spice flavor then a cayenne pepper.
• Dill and Fennel - Same family - perennial herb, great on fish, use to make dill pickles, and try some in your favorite potato salad.
• Early Sunrise Tick Seed - perennial flower with tall yellow flowers. Eye catching.
• Munstread Lavender - perennial herb with gorgeous purple flowers throughout the late spring and summer months.
• Geranium Max Frei - pretty pink annual flowers. Nice color with the purples and yellows.
• Garden Leader Tasty Sauce Tomato - this is the first year I am trying this brand. I make my on tomato paste sauce, and will find out the flavor in a few months. Some of my favorites are, Big Boys and Early Girls.I did six plants.
• German Johnson Tomato - I did six of this variety also, and first time doing these. I like to experiment with new plants, and I have one plant in a pot, to see the growth pattern.

There are so many other varieties you can use. Use an organic mushroom compost in all of these plants. I also used a 10-10-10 fertilizer with the vegetables. This garden gets full sun and all of these plants can take full sun. You can create your own garden by just combining your favorite vegetables, herbs and flowers. Feel free to contact me on any questions or suggestions on a variety garden.