Landscaping With Herbs

I am not sure why there is always a distinction between gardeners who grow vegetables and those that grow flowers. I am always asked, "What type of gardener are you...flower or vegetable?" I always reply that I am an equal opportunity gardener. If it is hardy, has color and I get the bonus of eating it then I garden it. "Flower gardeners" would miss out on some of the most beautiful blooms like on the okra plant below and the dual purposes herb landscaping can provide.

When I first started plotting my garden, I fell in love with the "French Kitchen Garden" and the old English cottage gardens. This old fashioned garden has lots of plants, all crowded in...possibly too cluttered with all types of plants from perennials to edible.  This chaos, as some may describe it, has no rules of height, color, planting distance. It is developed through years of seed dispersal and volunteers, pass alongs and plant sales.  My gardening theory evolved from there, "If there is space for a weed to grow, then put a perennial there.  If a perennial can grow there then something edible would be a bonus. Hence, my fascination with edible landscaping began.  Which is a good segway into the Garlic chive. To some this vegetable is considered a weed, growing wild in many parts of the country, and to others, it is a beautiful border.  It is both a flowering perennial and vegetable. It is the Garlic Chive.

garlic chive border late August

Garlic chives are a grass like vegetable related onion. It grows in clumps about a foot in height. The flower stalk is sent out in mid summer with bloom time late August-September. This entire plant is edible used as a substitute to onion and garlic in recipes.  In China the unopened flower is used to flavor soups and dumplings. It is a perennial (zone 8b-9) and will remain green throughout the winter (however, with a frost gets a little droopy).

Insects adore these small delicate flowers and when the love bugs are bad they will cover the blooms entirely.

ailanthus webworm moth

bees and yellow jackets

even horseflies getting in on the action

black and white wasp

I love the clumping property where I can dig and divide them in the winter and fill in any space a weed is growing. They prefer full sun, but I have grown them in part shade under trees for years. I have these growing under two dwarf apple trees. I am hoping for some companion planting action.

 So, I encourage you to buy a little pot of these next time you see them at your local nursery. They offer you the opportunity to fill in spots, beautiful fall blooms,  great pollinators, and edible.

Happy Gardening!
Nicki