PROPERTY NEWS - When it comes to growing an edible garden you have a wide variety of choices and it is important to grow the things you really like. 

A good idea is to use plants that will also appeal to all the other senses at the same time. Colourful edible plants can be used effectively among other plants without compromising good garden design.

Swiss chard is an easy-to-grow, nutritious vegetable and comes in a great variety of colours.

No need to stick just to the common varieties of veggies.

There is a whole world of colourful vegetables to choose from and many of them are more nutritious than the common ones, precisely because of their colours, that are indicative of different nutritional ingredients. Among those that are very healthy and rich in nutrients such as vitamins and antioxidants, are multicolored peppers, cauliflower, lettuce and beetroot.

There are colourful varieties of kale that can be especially effective to use among other garden plants.

Colourful, culinary herbs such as purple ruffles basil, purple mustard greens and golden oregano can also be used with great effect. Other herbs that are as beautiful as they are tasty or fragrant are golden, purple and tricolour sages, cat mint, garlic chives and lavender. 

Then there are culinary herbs that can be used not for the colour they add to the landscape garden, but because of their interesting shapes and textures, such as rosemary, thyme, dill and a wide range of mints.

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If you want a plant with bold texture, cardoon - also called the artichoke thistle - would be hard to beat. It has grey-green serrated, arching leaves and a statuesque shape with thistle-like purple flowers in midsummer. 

The celery-like leaf stalks are considered a delicacy in Spain and can be steamed or braised, and have a slightly bitter artichoke flavour. The flower buds can also be eaten.

You can e-mail Ben at benroos7@gmail.com.

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