Hey everyone! I have two flower beds that will be ready for planting soon, and I'm thinking about doing some chaos planting. I originally planned to mix in flowers, but what if I tried chaos planting with herbs or edibles instead? Has anyone done this? I'm aware that mint can take over, but I'd love to hear from those with more experience about what might work well without losing control.
5 Answers
I’m loving all these ideas—taking notes here! Chives are solid companion plants. If you're after brightness, try nasturtium for a wild, edible pop of color!
Marjoram and sage do fine in the shade and can grow really large if you don’t trim them. Fennel’s got that tall, airy style but watch out—it’ll self-seed if you let it!
Absolutely, edibles can be beautiful! Alliums have lovely spherical flowers, and ornamental sage comes in nice deep colors. Borage is stunning, and creeping thyme adds a nice touch. Cardoons are huge and architectural plus they produce these wild-looking artichoke buds! I would recommend going for a blue and purple theme since many edible flowers come in those colors. Try layering from tall plants in the back to ground covers in front. Think about sun exposure too!
Mint is a definite no unless you keep it in a pot—trust me, it can be a menace! I’ve mixed in some beets for their looks and spring onions add a cool spike. Carrot tops are pretty too, and winter savory is great because it trails nicely and tastes fantastic in dishes. Just keep in mind the height—sometimes the smaller plants can get overshadowed!
Are you talking about just throwing plants in without much planning? I’ve got herbs scattered around, which is fun since they’re mostly evergreen. Watch out for mint and oregano though; they can spread like crazy if you aren’t careful. I love the different colored sages; they flower beautifully in summer! Fennel adds some height too but it’s not evergreen. Choose what you actually enjoy eating!