I ’m totally space out — and not in the fun , 1960s way . Nope , I ’m spaced out in that I have used or allocate all available veggie grow space in theFortress Garden . And yet I still have about 10 baby squelch plants ( coolsquashes : spaghetti , kabocha , red kuri … ) , a six - multitude of bush beans , two globe artichoke starts , four mad apple of various eccentric , and an overgrown lemon balm bush screaming for division and transplant , and I ’m terrorise to evenlookin my basket of seeds .
I admit it , I overbought . Andoversaved seeds . And oversaid “ yes ! ” right smart too many fourth dimension to friends with surplus starts . So the Fortress Garden is bone up , and I still have the itch to get those surplus plants and seeds into the ground .
Now , in plus to raising veggies and herb , I do dabble in the Landscaping Arts . I follow a schoolhouse of landscape painting intention know as “ Random , ” or as it is sometimes known on the East Coast , “ Disorganized , ” or “ Slightly madden , ” meaning I stuff and nonsense plants all over the place and trust that by sheer dumb portion , something will take hold . Right now , some sort of seed that I apparently scattered and forgot all about is producing spear - corresponding shoots that I am hop are going to twist into actual bloom and not Invasive Giant Cat - Eating Weeds . I figure I have about a 60/40 crack .
As I brush up my latest landscape gardening travail ( on a banking company below a young path in the yard ) , I found myself bemoaning the excess of space between the plants . That ’s when it strike me : I could add the veggies in among the ornamental ! Perhaps no one would notice this added element of Randomness / Disorganization ! Then I realized something else : veggie plants are not just husk of delectability — they arebeautiful !
In plus to create excellent vehicle for carrying garlic butter or curry mayonnaise to one ’s back talk , artichoke plants also have lovely , silvery , striking foliage . Lemongrass grows into a thick gang that looks just as smashing as those expensive decorative gage . Tomatillos produce gorgeous scandalmongering superstar - determine flowers , and eggplant not only have nifty , regal - edged foliation but also sport sick violet toll - form flowers and shiny yield that are nothing brusk of sensational … especially those Asian striped jobbies . Spectactular !
Then there are the ‘ tweeners , ” those works that I grow for the visual impact that also produce food or herbal delectation : Borago officinalis , sunflowersand sage . By transplanting my nice great culinary salvia plant from one of the Fortress Garden beds into the area along my new walkway , I not only finish up with a stunning , great - smack landscape painting element , but I ’ve got sage closer to my kitchen door . The helianthus seeds are going to provide food for birds and bee and maybe even for me , and meanwhile , I get to search at those juicy sunny blooms that are my favorite flower . I ’m planting pole edible bean around the base of operations of the giant ones , sothe vines will bend upthe helianthus stalks and allow even more visual pastime , as well as awesome deal of Kentucky Wonders . Borage , with its fuzzed , slightly droopy leaf and electric - blue-blooded bloom , looks big among a small maculation of daylily , and the bright dark-green and yellowish variegated leaf of lemon thyme makes it a terrific border flora .
The challenges of Minnesotan and poor dirt that drove me to construct the Fortress Garden in the first stead are definitely present , but this experimentation will countenance me see which veggies will live on best among their hardy cosmetic peer .
Space subject solved ! I ’m garden without borders — let the randomness commence !
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