Climbing peas and vegetable flowers
I generally prefer to grow climbing peas, preferably mange-tout or snap peas where the whole pod is eaten. More value for money as far as I’m concerned. Climbing to 5 or 6 feet makes harvesting much easier. I also think having their flowers up high gives an additional decorative benefit. Vegetables can be pretty too. This year I’m experimenting a little and also growing Stenu a variety which isn’t eaten whole, but needs shelling.
I’ve sown, directly into the ground :
- Carouby de Mausanne (mange tout)
- Stenu (HDRA heirloom variety)
The downside of climbing peas is having to erect a support structure which includes netting as peas won’t climb up canes like French Beans or Runners. I could use branches/twigs of course but they would have to be 6 feet long which is a little over the top for me to manage. I make do with this - it’s the canes and white netting frame in the background, behind the French beans. It’s double sided - I grow peas up both sides, one variety on each.
Stenu’s flowers are pink and dark purple so should look especially attractive while Carouby de Mausanne’s are pale purple. Thinking about vegetable flowers I’ll finish with a picture of first early potato Rocket which is just coming into flower in the main allotment. Easily overlooked yet attractive in its own right.
4 comments
Interesting to see which vegetables are attractive too. My current project is to try and create a Potager, so how plants look is important to me, although taste is the most important. The Potato flower is pretty.
Regards,
Zoë
I can honestly say I have never seen a potato flower ! This is really pretty .. I don’t know what I expected but not such a nice one as this. I have grown scarlet runners .. more for the foliage and bright red flower .. I can’t remember if we ate the beans .. good heavens ? .. I don’t have room to grow pumpkins .. now that is what I would really love to watch .. a great BIG pumpkin. I do have a grape tomato plant in with a yellow sweet pepper in the same pot .. probably not a good idea right ? .. that is me … squeezing plants together once again .. haha
Joy
I love the wigwams, they add a structural elegance to the plot.
Your vegetable plot looks great, a busy time when all the good healthy food is grown. Your chair near the rhubarb is a must have to listen to the veggies grow and I agree with you well grown vegetables are are very ornamental. My husband grows the vegetables but I think he is to regimental. He delivers so I can’t complain. (I have tried to smuggle in the odd Nasturtium or Calendula!) I have tried many times to grow rhubarbs, they start well and then collapse. Always small plants are sold at the nurseries, and I try again, sometimes I never learn!
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