Vegetables For Integration
NAME |
SITUATION |
A,B,P |
MANAGEMENT |
| Amaranth | Border | A | Tall pyramidal plants, red to green, used as spinach or for seed according to type. One species was once staple food of ancient South American civilization. |
| Artichoke, Globe | Fertile bed | P | Tall, heavy plants for well-composted permanent bed. Pick for eating before flowers open; permitting flowering will weaken plants. Feed annually. |
| Artichoke, Jerusalem |
Wind break | P | Tall summer shelter, needs to be dug to harvest crop. Dies down in winter. |
| Asparagus | Fertile bed | P | Back of border, crop early, leave later shoots to mature into ferry foliage. |
| Asparagus pea | Border | A | Deep maroon flowers, good ground cover, edible pods. |
| Basil | Sunny border | A | Choose red or ruffled-leaf varieties. |
| Beans. French | As vines | A | Climbing varieties either cropped green or left to ripen and cropped as haricots. Some varieties have coloured pods. |
| Beans, Runner | As vines | A | Climb up strings, poles or pergola, as in vegetable patch. |
| Beetroot | Border | A | Red-leaf edging for annual border, needs to be pulled or dug when ready. Not suitable if young tender beets required. |
| Cabbages | Winter bed | A/B | Choose ornamental varieties, crop while young, leave to mature for winter colour. |
| Cardoon | Border | A | Tall grey-heaved thistle. Swaddle whole plant in brown paper and banked soil in late summer, to give blanched leaf stalks 4-5 weeks later. |
| Carrot | Early leaf | |
Sow early variety among later-showing annuals or perennials. Pull young. |
| Cauliflower | Winter bed | A/B | Use exotic red or green varieties for winter interest and crop. "Perennial" type makes a large plant with many small green winter heads. |
| Chard | Border | P | Mix Swiss and Ruby for effect, cut leaf when required. |
| Chicory | Edging | A | Choose leafy red varietic, sow in front of border. Crop ad lib. |
| Chilli peppers | Sunny border | A | Neat bushes with vivid and useful fruit. |
| Chives | Border | A | Neat and decorative as clumps or edging. Cut leaves with scissors as required. allow to flower for decoration. |
| Endive | Edging | A | Frilly rosette. Good for early and late planting. Do not allow to flower. Salads. |
| Herbs | Border | A/P | Nearly all herbs can be integrated. but avoid putting mints in mixed border. |
| Horseradish | Naturalize | P | Plant good roots in out-of-the-way comer, where natural invasiveness and difficulty of removal don't matter, or restrict to pot. |
| Kale | Winter bed | |
Green, textured foliage during winter, cut leaves as required. Excellent edible sprouts in spring. Coloured ornamental varieties available. |
| Land cress | Edging | A | Sow twice for summer and wetter crop in moist bed, pick as needed. Flowers edible. |
| Lettuces | Edging | A | Choose different-coloured varieties, sow at front of border. Crop ad lib. |
| Nasturtium | Border | A | Leaves give "bite" to salads, seeds can be pickled as capers, flowers added to salads. |
| Okra | Back of sunny border | |
Large plant. Choose red variety. Keep border fruit picked. |
| Orache | Border | A | Red-leafed goosefoot, leaves used as spinach. |
| Parsley | Edging | A/P | Ornamental leaf, pick as required. Annual sowings need stratifying, may self-seed or stand over winter in mild regions. |
| Radish | Catch | |
Useful winter crop. |
| Rhubarb | Fertile bed | |
Cluntp-forming perennial, pull as required in spring, then allow spectacular flower to form on 6ft stem. |
| Seakale | Sunny, open | P | Deep fertile soil gives good growth. Blanch in winter to cut sterns 4in long, then leave to grow oil and bloom. |
| Sorrel | Naturalize | P | Establish a clump, maintain by removing flower heads. Pick leaves for salad. |
| Squashes | Border trellis | AA | Compact varieties, yellow or white fruit, pick when young. Climbing varieties, e.g. custard apple or cucumber "crystal apple. |
