Both flowers and ornamental vegetable plants have their own benefits. While plants that produce flowers provide extra charm, vegetables are delightful to the eyes and to the taste. These are plants that give you nutrition as they are typically packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
If you are planning to grow more veggies in your garden or add them to your flowering plants, this article is for you. Below is a list of different vegetables that grow as ornamental so they make additional loveliness to your yard.
16 Ornamental Vegetable Plants
1. Asparagus
Asparagus is one of the most favorite and ornamental vegetable plants that are worth growing. It takes some time to sow and care for this plant (up to 3 years to mature), but when harvest time comes in the excitement overshadows the long wait.
After that, you can keep growing every year even after getting fresh new spears. Fortunately, this is able to tolerate both full sun and partial shade. It also grows best in light, well-drained soil.
Rich in vitamin C, B vitamins, calcium and iron, this long stalk veggie makes a healthy, delicious meal. It is definitely a plant you want to invest in.
2. Beetroot
The red stalks combined with the green leaves of beetroot makes this an ideal ornamental veggie plant to consider. Unlike asparagus, this is very easy and quick to grow.
You can harvest both the fresh leaves and its round, deep red bulbs just after a few weeks. These parts of the plant are popular salad ingredients. You may also prepare a bottle of healthy smoothie or juice with beetroots mixed with other veggies and fruits.
3. Borlotti Beans
Add a climbing vine that produces a good supply of ingredients that you may incorporate with your other regular meals. The Borlotti bean plant is just one good example of that. In fact, this is considered as among the ornamental vegetable plants you can grow right in your own backyard.
But you need some space for installing support such as fence or trellis, which is typically required in order to have a better growth and production of the plant.
4. Cabbage
From dressing to soup, cabbage is a versatile and healthy food ingredient. To have this plant grown around your home garden, it’s surely a big help for that purpose.
It only creates a beautiful bedding due to its gigantic leaves that form like petals. Depending on what you prefer, variants are available in full green and reddish purple leaves. Since a single plant alone is huge, you need some space for sowing.
5. Eggplant
Among the common ornamental vegetable plants that are easy to grow is eggplant. The deep purple or aubergine colored fruit of the plant is famous for grilling, sauteing, baking and other ways of cooking. There are also white, lavender, green and even pink varieties that are equally sumptuous and nutritious.
6. Garlic
Garlic is one of those very reliable and commonly used ingredients at home. This is also among the easy, low-maintenance ornamental vegetable plants you can grow.
Yes, this plant produces flowers that can add some beauty to any garden field. There is no question or doubt of considering this at all. It is not only very useful for cooking but also for treating some common symptoms and minor illnesses, which include cold.
7. Globe Artichokes
Artichokes, including the common “globe” artichoke and cardoon, are perennial plants that have a very unique form. This kind of vegetable is considered as ornamental due to the fact that its fruits appear in thistle-like heads in green with purple hue. This doesn’t only come out with an interesting gorgeous look but also provides additional nutrition.
8. Kale
Mainly harvested for salads, kale is another option to choose among ornamental vegetable plants. It has different varieties that can be identified through their colors and form.
The coral or brain-like shape of the leaves is how this plant can turn heads. But its healthy and tasty factors are the best reasons to grow this leafy veggie. You can pick one variety or mix a few for a more outstanding garden bed.
9. Leeks, Chives and Scallions
The blossoms of chives, scallions and leeks can make a great addition to your flowering and vegetable garden. These can be white, cream or purple, while the shape varies in perfect round balls to butterfly-like petals.
Along with other varieties, these plants have similarities and differences, but they are popular ingredients used in various cooked and raw meals. Like garlic and other herbs, these plants are easy and fast to grow.
10. Malabar and Japanese Spinach
Spinach is another famous salad ingredient, though also popularly used for pasta and juice drinks. This has different varieties like most leafy greens, but if you want some ornamental vegetable plants, the best choices are Japanese and malabar. Both varieties have smaller leaves, which can be eaten raw or quickly steamed or sautéed.
11. Peppers
These refer to all kinds, such as bell peppers, Jalapeno and paprika or the little chillies. The colorful red, yellow, green and even purple bulbs make an astonishing ornamental display on any home garden.
These are also easy to grow and provide an enormous supply. It is absolutely fun to pick a few when preparing a home cooked meal or a special occasion dinner.
12. Rainbow & Swiss Chard
For leafy greens, Swiss and rainbow chards are ideal choices primarily because of their crispy, delicious and nutritious taste.
They also make a great option in terms of ornamental vegetable plants as the leaves and stems glow in green, purple and red. Like most vegetable leaves, cutting some parts encourages abundant growth. It’s surely a practical investment as far as good supply is concerned.
13. Romanesco Cauliflower
The common cauliflower is obviously an ornamental vegetable, but the Romanesco one offers a different bizarre and head-turning look. This can surely upgrade the value and appearance of your home garden.
The unusual shape and vibrant green color of the heads are too gorgeous to ignore. But the looks are as good as the taste and nutrition content.
14. Round Midnight Basil
Also known as purple basil, round midnight basil surely passes the criteria of ornamental vegetable plants. The dark purple color of the leaves are a good addition to your garden.
Those baby leaves also make delicious family and event meals. You may also use these to create reddish purple colors on drinks, soups and baked goodies.
15. Squashes and Pumpkins
Pear shaped or round, squash plants are great ornamental vegetable plants too. These are very common during autumn since the harvest period begins at that time of the year.
But other varieties like calabacera can be grown any season. Whichever you prefer, this plant produces orange and yellow fruits that are useful for various cooked meals.
16. Tomatoes
Cherry, heirloom, Roma and whatever variety of tomatoes you prefer, this vegetable fruit is yet another perfect addition to any garden. You can easily sow through seeds or baby plants.
It takes just a few weeks before this plant starts producing green, orange and red fruits. And it keeps providing more for your cooking needs. This is widely used in many different ways from soups to spaghetti, juice drinks to salads.
Conclusion
From this list of ornamental vegetable plants, you can surely agree that there are more benefits of growing them compared to the ones that only grow with leaves and flowers.
There is no need for you to regularly go to supermarkets to buy certain ingredients. Growing your own vegetables while keeping a beautiful home garden definitely has some perks.
Have you tried planting vegetables with an ornamental appearance? If yes, what are your experiences in gardening and taking care of these kinds of plants?
For those who will still start adding these vegetables and plants to their garden, you can have some fun and a rewarding moment. Go on pick any of the ornamental vegetable plants mentioned above and start growing them.