July/August 2000
Notes From
River Farm
Tasteful Displays
by Janet Walker
Here at River Farm, part of our job is to
express the spirit of you, the membership, by having fun with
plants. Our grounds can be a showcase for cultivars and
combinations that the average gardener doesn't have room to
accommodate. At the same time, we'll be creating a living
encyclopedia of plants and hands-on experience that will help
the staff of our Gardeners Information Service answer member
questions. And this handy reference volume will provide more
than just food for thought.
You undoubtedly have already noticed the
"ornamental edibles" theme in this issue of the magazine. This
summer, for your delectation and our own, we're bringing this
idea to life at River Farm by featuring edible plants in a
number of key and supporting roles in our various gardens.
Among the plants we are trying out is
orach (Atriplex hortensis), a vigorous annual also known as
mountain spinach. Growing to three feet tall, the glowing
purple-red variety (A. hortensis var. rubra) is good at the back
of borders and works well with pink or purple color schemes.
Culinarily, the tender young leaves of orach can be used in the
same manner as spinach-they are delicious steamed, or raw in
salads.
Amaranths-including various cultivars of
Amaranthus caudatus, A. hypochondriacus, and A. tricolor-are
fine choices for unimproved soil. Many amaranths can become
quite massive-reaching to six or seven feet tall-and their
shaggy look makes them real showstoppers. Young leaves and
sliced stems are great for brightening salads, and seeds of
several species yield a nutritious grain.
Hyacinth bean (Lablab purpureus)-a tender
perennial grown as an annual vine in North America-can easily
cover a trellis or teepee and is gorgeous from July until frost.
Its immature pods can be eaten like sugar snaps; also tasty are
the young leaves and the white, lavender, or pink flowers.
Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris var. flavescens)
is another tasty vegetable with ornamental virtues. Its
remarkable puckered leaves and midribs of white, yellow, pink,
or red make it an ideal choice where bold foliage and a splash
of color are needed.
Florence fennel (Foeniculum vulgare var.
azoricum)-a standard in many fish recipes and a delightful
surprise in salads-is wispy and airy in the garden and makes an
attractive visual foil for stockier plants. The selection 'Rubrum'
has striking reddish to bronze foliage.
And then there's that herb garden escapee,
parsley (Petroselinum crispum), whose attractive true green
color and mounding habit make it perfect for edging-not to
mention eating! Parsley is also a favored food source for some
butterfly larvae, so it's a valuable addition to a butterfly
garden as well.
So if all you've read about integrating
edible plants into ornamental gardens has whetted your appetite,
stop by River Farm this summer for further inspiration. The
house and grounds are open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.
m
Janet Walker
is director of horticulture at River Farm.
|
Start saving
seeds now: As the end of summer approaches, it's time once
again to begin saving seeds for the AHS Annual Seed
Exchange. Look for more information about participating in
our seed exchange program-along with a donor form-in the
September/October issue of The American Gardener and on
the AHS Web site www.ahs.org. |
