That's what I thought about the chives. Might keto then in their own pot or something. I live on Leicestershire, East Midlands, so not the warmest, most southerly place haha. They ate supposedly outdoor pepapers though, if that helps.
I've never known the ordinary purple flowered culinary chives (with hollow round leaves) to be invasive. I grow them as a border about 7 ft long around one of my herb beds - lifting and splitting the clumps every spring to refresh and increase the clumps.
However, the white flowered Three- cornered Garlic type chives Allium triquetrum, are very invasive - beware of them!
Last edited: 10 January 2017 22:53:58
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I find purple chives just too enthusiastic. Started off with one plant a few years ago and ended up with it edging about 40' of veg bed. Smaller white flowered chives are much better behaved - and have a finer flavour - though still quite excitable.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Totally agree about the thyme plants (actually I'm also planning to grow edibles this year in with our herbaceous perennials!), they produce beautiful little flowers! Rosemary is also easy to grow - adds a wonderful height dimension to a border and produces little blue/purple flowers. Sage might also be an idea - I like the soft muted greenness of their leaves.
Alys Fowler did a programme called The Edible Garden, I think you may be able to find an episode or two on the BBC iplayer - you might get some ideas from there....
Also borage (though needs to be controlled!) is something worth looking at, great for bees they have funny furry leaves and sweet star shaped blue flowers that are edible... We add the flowers to salads or you can pop them into ice cube trays with water and freeze - great to add to ones summer pimms! ??
Te chive seeds I've got are purple flowered. I'm assuming just regular chives but I'll have a look. I might think keep then in a mixed pot or something for now and see how they fare. Funnily enough I was just watching am old episode of GW last night in which Monty planted both sage and borage in his wildlife garden. Wildlife is also.something I'm potentially looking into more this year, with birds and bees. Would love to see hedgehogs too as I have an appropriate gap in my fence and a pile of logs/wood, as well as a large area of woodland near me. But I haven't heard of anybody seeing any in the area so who knows.
I grew thyme last year but my stoney, very heavy clay soil killed it. I'm thinking of extending my borders this year though, and underneath my lawn where I intend to dig up is all builders sand, so they may do better in there this thyme (pun intended).
I had borage in my previous garden and did the ice cube thing witn the flowers, they are very pretty. But it was incredibly invasive for me, I wouldn't grow it again. I think wigwams of beans, peas etc look great in any ornamental garden, and herbs too. Sage and thyme especially, because they have so many different varieties with grey, green, purple, furry etc leaves.
'If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.'
Salad leaves, like green and red lettuce 'Salad Bowl' , red amaranth or beetroot leaves and parsley all make pretty edgings and you can keep picking them to stop them getting too big. Mizuna has attractive leaves and rocket adds another taste to salads, but they grow a bit taller so need to take a step back.
French bean 'Purple Teepee' is a good cropper and looks lovely with its purple pods and you can get a broad bean with crimson flowers too.
Nasturtiums for bright, edible flowers and seeds - pickle these to use as capers.
Posts
That's what I thought about the chives. Might keto then in their own pot or something. I live on Leicestershire, East Midlands, so not the warmest, most southerly place haha. They ate supposedly outdoor pepapers though, if that helps.
Last edited: 10 January 2017 22:37:17
I've never known the ordinary purple flowered culinary chives (with hollow round leaves) to be invasive. I grow them as a border about 7 ft long around one of my herb beds - lifting and splitting the clumps every spring to refresh and increase the clumps.
However, the white flowered Three- cornered Garlic type chives Allium triquetrum, are very invasive - beware of them!
Last edited: 10 January 2017 22:53:58
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I find purple chives just too enthusiastic. Started off with one plant a few years ago and ended up with it edging about 40' of veg bed. Smaller white flowered chives are much better behaved - and have a finer flavour - though still quite excitable.
I've made a border of Thyme plants which are very easy to grow. They are very attractive as a border plant and make most meals taste good.
Totally agree about the thyme plants (actually I'm also planning to grow edibles this year in with our herbaceous perennials!), they produce beautiful little flowers! Rosemary is also easy to grow - adds a wonderful height dimension to a border and produces little blue/purple flowers. Sage might also be an idea - I like the soft muted greenness of their leaves.
Alys Fowler did a programme called The Edible Garden, I think you may be able to find an episode or two on the BBC iplayer - you might get some ideas from there....
Also borage (though needs to be controlled!) is something worth looking at, great for bees they have funny furry leaves and sweet star shaped blue flowers that are edible... We add the flowers to salads or you can pop them into ice cube trays with water and freeze - great to add to ones summer pimms! ??
Te chive seeds I've got are purple flowered. I'm assuming just regular chives but I'll have a look. I might think keep then in a mixed pot or something for now and see how they fare. Funnily enough I was just watching am old episode of GW last night in which Monty planted both sage and borage in his wildlife garden. Wildlife is also.something I'm potentially looking into more this year, with birds and bees. Would love to see hedgehogs too as I have an appropriate gap in my fence and a pile of logs/wood, as well as a large area of woodland near me. But I haven't heard of anybody seeing any in the area so who knows.
I grew thyme last year but my stoney, very heavy clay soil killed it. I'm thinking of extending my borders this year though, and underneath my lawn where I intend to dig up is all builders sand, so they may do better in there this thyme (pun intended).
I had borage in my previous garden and did the ice cube thing witn the flowers, they are very pretty. But it was incredibly invasive for me, I wouldn't grow it again. I think wigwams of beans, peas etc look great in any ornamental garden, and herbs too. Sage and thyme especially, because they have so many different varieties with grey, green, purple, furry etc leaves.
Grow some artichokes, they are tasty and attractive too.
Last edited: 11 January 2017 14:42:59
Salad leaves, like green and red lettuce 'Salad Bowl' , red amaranth or beetroot leaves and parsley all make pretty edgings and you can keep picking them to stop them getting too big. Mizuna has attractive leaves and rocket adds another taste to salads, but they grow a bit taller so need to take a step back.
French bean 'Purple Teepee' is a good cropper and looks lovely with its purple pods and you can get a broad bean with crimson flowers too.
Nasturtiums for bright, edible flowers and seeds - pickle these to use as capers.