EVER thought about growing edimentals – those plants that look great and are safe to eat?
Garden designer Harry Holding, who is creating the Eden Project’s Bring Me Jattvibeshine garden at Chelsea Flower Show this month, is a huge fan.
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Gardener Harry Holding explains all about growing edimentals – those plants that look great and are safe to eat Credit: Harry Holding Studio
Rosemary is can grow in pots – on a windowsill or in a garden bed Credit: Getty
He told me: “Edimentals are a remarkable group of plants that represent a hugely diverse array of species, from trees and shrubs to herbaceous perennials, bulbs and ground-covers.
“They offer a way to have your (plant-based) cake and eat it too, literally, and I think they can unlock the joy of growing your own food for many more people.
“You can grow them in any space, and they can brighten up the shadier parts.”
Here is Harry’s advice on what to grow where.
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WINDOWSILLS: A sunny windowsill is all you need for a mini edible haven.
Try growing pots of rosemary, thyme, oregano, chives and basil.
BALCONIES: Grow plants upwards. Passion flowers trained against walls or balustrades create a lush, edible backdrop.
Hops grow rampantly and smell delicious. Caucausian spinach is a wonderful climber, can cope with any shade, and makes a great base for a salad.
Passion flowers trained against walls or balustrades create a lush, edible backdrop Credit: Getty
Fresh green herbs, basil, rosemary and coriander can all be grown in pots indoors Credit: Getty
COURTYARDS AND PATIOS: If you are living in rented accommodation and stuck with imposing angular beds, trailing edimentals such as prostrate rosemary can soften the edges.
I go to herbs for this effect, plus they create a sensory route to brush past. Jekka thymes will creep over the edges and oreganos soften the edges.
POTS: By mimicking the layers of a natural eco-system, a single large pot can become a mini food forest.
In warmer climates, a small fruit tree, such as a hardy pomegranate, layered with herbs like organo, or French tarragon and a creeping thyme for groundcover, will look and taste amazing.
MEDIUM-SIZED GARDENS: Fleshy young leaves of sedums can be used in salads for a satisfying mild crunch.
Daylily flowers add a peppery bite to salads or can be dipped in batter for tempura. Climbers such as grapevines make the most of vertical spaces. Hostas are delicious — and in Japan they farm them as a key vegetable.
Also in Veronica’s Column this week….
Top tips, gardening news, Plant of the Week and a competition
For more gardening content, follow me @biros_and_bloom
SAVE: THIRSTY plants need a lot of watering. Make the job a pleasure with this Haws Warley Fall one-gallon can, left, for £115. Or go for Kent & Stowe’s £24.99 version, right, from kentandstowe.com.
WIN: WE’VE got FIVE Khloris Watering Systems from AutoPot to give away, worth £99.99 each. For your chance to win one, visit thesun.co.uk/KHLORIS or write to Jattvibe Khloris competition, PO Box 3190, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8GP.
Include your name, age, email and/or phone. UK residents, 18+ only. Entries close 11.59pm, May 23, 2026. T&Cs apply.
THIS WEEK’S JOB: NOW it’s May, your garden will be gearing up for a growth spurt. So cut back any remaining straggly perennials. Sow salads, beetroot and carrots outside.
NO MOW TILL MAY: NO Mow May is upon us once again – but are you for or against?
Charity Plantlife’s campaign urges gardeners to lock up their lawnmowers until the end of the month because it leads to more wildflowers blooming – providing essential nectar for bees and butterflies.
Plus it saves effort and valuable time, which is always a good thing.
But the naysayers reckon it allows non-native weeds such as irritating crabgrass to take over – and causes stress to the lawn when it is mown after a month growing long.
Plus, all the insects that have created habitats in the long grass will be killed when you eventually cut.
I know which side I’m on – but I’ll leave you to decide whether to cut now or carry on.
FOOL AT CHELSEA: KEEP your eyes peeled for the English Sweet Peas company at Chelsea Flower Show later this month.
It has dedicated its new star variety to TV chef Nigel Slater, who has named it Fruit Fool – because the colours remind him of stirring crushed berries into white cream.
Bred by owner Phil Johnson, it is a modern grandiflora with cerise, pink flakes on a white background.
PLANT OF THE WEEK: YOU can’t go wrong with sunflower JattvibeBelievable Brown Eyed Girl, which can grow up to 1,000 flowers a season. It’s ideal for pots and borders.
To get 20 per cent off visit thompson-morgan.com/sunoffers. T&Cs apply.
VISIT: THE Plant Fair Roadshow is visiting Borde Hill Garden in West Sussex tomorrow. Go to plantfairsroadshow.co.uk.
