Flowering Vegetables to Brighten Up Your Back Garden

Posted on 25. Apr, 2010 by Tracey in Grow Veg

I’m a vegetable grower which means I don’t spend as much time as I’d like on buying or sowing flowers. In fact apart from my spring bulbs (which look great at this time of year), four year old shrubs and a hollyhock, my borders look a bit sad to say the least. However I have decided to buy some plug plants to brighten them up a bit, which means in turn I’d like my vegetable garden to be in bloom as well.

Which Vegetables Flower?

It may surprise you to know that most vegetables flower if they are left for a long period, some by bolting when the weather gets too hot or when the plant thinks its time to stop producing. The best flowers are produced and need pollenating by flying insects and bees to form some of our best loved vegetables.

The following vegetables can be sown from March to June so get sowing for those beautiful vegetable flowers. They can be grown in pots, raised beds or garden borders to brighten up your garden with the added bonus of getting a summer harvest.

Closeup of Mange Tout pink & crimson flowers

1. Mange Tout

This is the best flowering vegetable (in my opinion) and is definitely not to be missed off the sowing list as the flowers are truly gorgeous in deep pinks, purples and dark reds. Other varieties have white and yellow flowers but the true impact of the darker colours stand out even though the flowers themselves are very delicate.

Sow: March to June
Grow: Heavy Cropping, quick and easy to grow.
Harvest: June to September

Varieties To Choose for the Best Flowers:

1. Weggisser by The Organic Gardening Catalogue – Crimson Flowers, Green Pods.
2. Golden Sweet by Real Seeds – Purple Flowers, Yellow Pods.
3. Pea Purple Podded Organic by Jungle Seeds – Pink Flowers, Purple Pods
4. Carouby de Maussanne by Secret Seeds – Purple Flowers, Green Pods.

Runner Beans

2. Runner Beans

Runner Beans are the best vegetables to grow for the huge quantity of beans harvestable from only a few plants. They also don’t look out of place amongst your flower borders with a mass of flowers. Choose dwarf varieties like Hestia for patio vegetables in pots.

Sow: April to June
Grow: Stringless and stringed varieties available. Easy to grow.
Harvest: July to October

Varieties To Choose for the Best Flowers:

1. Achievement Merit by Thompson and Morgan – Red Flowers
2. Celebration from The Organic Gardening Catalogue – Pink Flowers
3. Painted Lady from The Organic Gardening Catalogue – Red and White Flowers
4. St George from Dobies.co.uk – Red and White flowers
5. White Emergo from The Organic Gardening Catalogue – White Flowers
6. Scarlet Emperor from Dobies.co.uk

Broad Bean Flowers

3. Broad Beans

Broad Beans are great vegetables to grow especially for the unique white or crimson flowers with black spot. The flowers are larger than mangetout or runner beans and give off a perfumed scent which certainly attracts bees with a passion.

Sow: October to November (for overwintering) or March to April
Grow: Taller varieties need staking. Watch out for Blackfly.
Harvest: June to July

Varieties To Choose for the Best Flowers:

1. Aquadulce Claudia from The organic gardening catalogue – White flowers with black spot
2. Stereo by The Organic Gardening Catalogue – Dwarf Variety
3. The Sutton from The Organic Gardening catalogue – Dwarf Variety.
4. Crimson Red by Plants of Distinction.co.uk – Red Flowers.

Other Flowering Vegetables:

• Cucumbers,
• Tomatoes,
• Potatoes,
• French Beans,
• Peas.

Recent Posts you may be interested in:

• Top 10 Tips to keep your Vegetables Happy on Sunny Days
• Sowing Carrots, Beetroot, Cabbage, Chard, Spinach in April
• Putting your Vegetable Plan into Action

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