Ready to take your spring containers to the next level? Ornamental edibles are all the rage right now, and for good reasons! Beyond being ultra-versatile, these fragrant additions will satisfy your senses of taste and smell all season long.
Purple Thai Basil (pictured above) makes a dramatic foliage filler in sunny containers as well as spicy notes to salads, dips, and stir fries. Pair it with yellow and orange flowers for additional sizzle or cool down the combo with silvers and blues.
Lavender is a beloved perennial, but it also thrives in containers where it can get its optimal conditions of full blazing sun and sharp drainage. Combine it with succulents for a trendy look or pair with other drought tolerant annuals like lantana, kangaroo paws, and zinnias for months of flower power.
Additional favorites that do double-duty in the garden and the kitchen include:
- Parsley: A great fall, winter, and early spring green for containers or flower bed edges.
- Swiss Chard: You’ll just LOVE the way the light streams through the big, multi-colored leaves of these plants.
- Mustard Greens: Ornamental mustard is edible and beautiful!
- Dinosaur Kale: You’ll find this plant in the edibles section of the shop, but it is also wonderful for adding texture to landscape beds.
- Lettuce: Yes! Lettuce can be a nice filler plant and you can eat it, too!
- Onions: Really? Onion leaves have a spiky, upright form, which adds a different architectural texture to the garden.
