Container Gardening with Flowers and Vegetables combines form and function. I adore sneaking edible plants into “pretty” containers to maximise my harvest and add huge interest to arrangements. Follow these tips:

Increase Your Bounty

Anywhere you plant flowers can make a perfect home for adding veggies and herbs. I am an avid veggie grower, but really appreciate a pretty space and an interesting arrangement. Herbs, for instance, can add great contrast, texture and color to virtually any pot. Thyme and basil, wouldn’t likely be recognised as something other than a filler plant, but they add aroma to your garden and kitchen. Think about adding vegetables and herbs to your decorative arrangements for unusual and productive design.

We’ve all seen those fall containers planted with gorgeous cabbages, kale and even corn stalks. Let’s take that idea to the next level for every garden season.

Add Interest

Considering veggies? Container gardening with flowers and vegetables is so simple. Try cherry or micro tomatoes. I LOVE the golden color of Sungold Hybrid Cherry Tomato and they are delicious. Another fun option is Spoon Tomato from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. It is literally the size of a pea, and the little yummies grow in clusters along trusses: they resemble holly berries. It’s also easy to incorporate sweet potatoes (they grow underneath the soil and provide lovely, trailing vines) to your arrangements. 

Some other veggies to try: Radishes (fast growers that I like to place around the edges of containers for easy harvesting and replanting. Compact varieties of bush beans, like Dragon Tongue are tasty and so dramatic. The beans are yellow with purple streaks. 

Once you start thinking about combining flowers and vegetables, you won’t believe the magnitude of combinations. Let your creativity run wild and see your containers become exceeding unique. 

Companion Planting

What type of herbs and veggies can be planted with flowers in containers? All kinds. The idea of companion planting is an old one (ever heard of a Three Sisters Garden?) which ensures plants that are grown together are mutually beneficial. The right companion plantings will not only help keep pests away but replenish vital nutrients in the soil for one another. This type of planting is commonly used by organic gardeners because companion planting means working smarter, not harder.  

Container gardening with flowers and vegetables is a cinch if you companion plant. There are a zillion resources on the subject, but I like to search “best companion plants for ___” when I’m considering arrangements. This quick list from The Spruce is another terrific beginning reference.

Below are the best flowers to plant with popular veggies to get your creative juices flowing:

Tomatoes: Borage and Marigolds.

Beans: Nasturtiums and Sweet Peas

Potato Vines: Nasturtiums and Petunias

Cabbage: Chamomile and Yarrow