One of the things that I love most about gardening is getting to experiment and try out new ideas.  Gardens are living, changing spaces, and it is so fun to layer in new plants.

In the Master Gardener Demonstration Garden in Georgetown, I have learned a lot from the Master Gardeners as they try out new plants and design ideas over the years.  Another great thing about gardening is learning from your garden friends!

We have a section of the vegetable garden that is now dubbed the “backyard garden.”  There you can find

a wide range of vegetables, herbs, and flowers planted together that make a neat display.  No matter the season, there is always something growing.  In the summer, a section of yellow and orange cosmos grows next to a few squash plants, and a few feet down you’ll find an eggplant growing in a large container surrounded by basil.  In the winter, you might find carrots, parsley and radishes sharing a space.

I love this idea of a mixed-use garden where edible vegetables and herbs grow along with cut flowers.  And I can tell you with certainty that the pollinators love this type of garden!  We find so many native bees and beneficial insects enjoying the variety of plants.

I am trying to add this kind of variety into my own garden spaces.  We planted rows of vegetables this spring, but I added basil, borage, and chamomile into the rows.  These are all great pollinators and have good culinary uses, too.

I am also working herbs into my landscape beds near the house.  Rosemary makes a great evergreen shrub, and I love to add comfrey for the long-textured leaves and great purple foliage.  The bumble bees love to visit comfrey, and the leaves are a great addition to the compost pile when it dies back in the winter.  I’m hoping to add some African blue basil to the garden also.  The plant is beautiful, and the flowers attract so many bees you can hear the hum from nearby when it is in full bloom.

Stop by the Demonstration Garden sometime to see the ever-changing array of plants in our backyard garden, veggie garden, and herb garden.  We try to label every plant so you can learn more about the plants and find inspiration for your own gardens.  Please don’t pick anything since we try to save seed and donate the vegetables.

Have fun experimenting and learning new plants this spring!  You might find some pretty new herbs to add to a salad or vinaigrette that look great growing next to a salvia plant.

For more lawn and garden information, contact the Williamson County AgriLife Extension Office at 512-943-3300.