Maximizing Space for Multi-use Plants

Maximize Space for Multi-use Plants

Gardening requires an understanding of the interplay between plants, pests, and the environment. Skillful gardeners can successfully combine various plants in strategic positions to repel pests, maximize harvests, and create beautiful gardens. Moreover, herbs have multiple benefits, both edible and medicinal, while trap crops like arugula are useful to draw pests away from other plants. 

Think about growing plants that have multiple uses. You can't do this with all of your plants, but for a lot of them, you can. It's good to grow plants that have dual purposes. If you really want to have a pretty aesthetic, there are so many edible flowers. There are plenty of edible plants that flower - calendula, nasturtium, johnny pop-ups, bee balm, borage, and marigold to name a few. You'll attract your pollinators, make your space beautiful, and you get a harvest from it. 

There are edibles that help you fertilize your ground with nitrogen, like peas and beans. Not only are those plants that you can grow vertically and on a trellis, but they're also going to help fix atmospheric nitrogen in their roots. They'll deposit that back into the soil. Another use is when you're done with that plant, it's reached its peak, and you've harvested everything, then you can actually chop it up and put it in your compost or feed the worm bin.  That's going to be a really nutrient rich plant that creating organic compost and worm castings for you.

The green matter can then decompose and release that nitrogen back into your compost and your soil. You can even just use it as a green cover crop. There are so many ways to use it!

It's the same thing with plants that support other plants. Such as how zucchini can shade a smaller leafy green, or if you're growing sunflowers, a lot of people will use them as steaks to grow other plants up them because they can be big and strong. There are so many things like that! 

Even your herbals are great because they are tasty and aromatic. For example, mint is so tasty. You can use it herbally, medicinally, or just edible in drinks. And it's going to help deter pests, which is great. It's such a bonus of having those mixed into your space! There are just so many ways if you get creative that you can position these plants to function in multiple ways to benefit you. 

When spring and summer come, especially with the Planted Wall, things just grow so fast! It's a perfect time to start getting super creative by moving your plants around for the look, but also for the purpose. Whether it's shading or it's deterring, get mint or oregano right in there so they will deter pests. Trial and error is your best teacher!