Written By Lara Wadsworth

Why settle for pretty when your garden and landscape borders can be tasty too? If you’ve ever met me, you know that I love beautiful plants that are also utilitanian. Plants that feed the soil, feed me, or promote pollinators are especially my favorites. So, I’m sure you can imagine how much I love edible landscaping. In my mind it is the best of both worlds! You get the bounty of an edible garden but with the beauty of a landscape.

What Makes A Good Border Plant?

A landscaping border (or garden border) is simply the edge or boundary where your planting beds meet other areas like a lawn, walkway, driveway, or patio. It’s like the frame around your garden “picture,” helping to define space, guide the eye, and give the whole landscape a tidy, intentional look. Therefore, the perfect border plant is compact in growth, aesthetically appealing, adaptable, and does not require too much maintenance. And, of course… edible! I also personally believe that border plants should be decently sturdy as they are often used along pathways and might get trodden on from time to time. Try adding a few of these delicious edible plants to your landscape borders!

Make Your Landscape A Foodscape With These Edible Border Plants

Chives

Adaptable to a wide range of climates, clump forming, and a versatile culinary herb, chives are a no brainer in the edible landscape! They grow quickly, but are never too tall, and are easy to harvest small amounts at a time. When left in the ground they continue to return each year with a perennial habit! The cherry on top is their adorable pompom-like flowers that are a favorite of pollinators and will benefit your entire garden!

Thyme

Need to save some time? Plant thyme! All jokes aside, thyme is a multifunctional, low-maintenance choice. With its tiny leaves, an engaging, woody scent, and sweet little flowers, this beautiful and drought-tolerant plant has been a cottage garden favorite for centuries. With a few different varieties to choose from, there is something for everyone. Choose french thyme if you want bigger leaves, creeping thyme if you need it to be particularly low growing, or winter thyme if you want a more upright option.

Oregano

Similar to thyme, these flavorful little leaves are sure to delight your garden. Oregano is loved for its low, spreading growth habit. This quality makes it perfect for pairing with other edible plants such as rhubarb, artichoke, and more. It can happily sprawl beneath larger plants or fill in the gaps between smaller ones. This happy little filler is fragrant and flavor-packed!

Sorrel

Similar to kale, sorrel is a great choice for colder gardens as it is very cool-weather tolerant. Choose large-leaf sorrel for a classic leafy look or red veined sorrel for a unique and more interesting border. Or, interplant them both for heightened interest! Much less known than other leafy greens, sorrel has a lot to bring to the table and is eager to prove itself a valuable companion plant. Many describe the flavor of sorrel to be similar to fruits such as lemon, kiwi, or strawberry. It is perfect for adding to smoothies or salads.

Parsley

Flat leaf parsley and curly leaf parsley are both great options for an edible border and provide two different textures. Parsley fills in quickly and adds a wonderful, deep green color. I particularly like using Double Curled Parsley seeds for the dense leaf formations. In the landscape, they almost look fluffy! They are also more hardy than some other herbs like basil and can adapt to more environmental factors more easily.

Lettuce

Ideal for the more cool-season or early-season gardens, lettuce is a delightful plant that will perform beautifully as a border. Plant loose-leaf or romaine varieties in rows, or colorful mixes to get the most out of the deal. Rosette-forming or loose-leaf are both good options, depending on the look you want to achieve! You can even choose from green, red, purple, or a mix to get the right color for your space. Endive is also a lettuce-like plant that forms dense, fluffy mounds perfect for landscaping or flower bed borders!

Bush Beans

With most varieties maturing at 1-3 feet high, these delicious vegetables can be a fantastic option for edges. Bush beans even have delicate white or pink flowers in the early summer to dazzle the walkway. Use the taller varieties if the plants inside the bed get more than 3 feet in height. Interplant them with chives, lettuce, or sorrel in the early season and then let them fill in as the summer progresses.

Cabbage

Another one of the poster children for edible landscaping, cabbage comes in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors these days. Deep purple, bright purple, and bluish green colors enhance the garden with their densely packed rosettes. Harvest them all at once and then plant something else, or harvest a little at a time by just clipping off the outer leaves. And, don’t forget about asian varieties such as Pak Choi and the more textured types like Savoy. There’s something for every design! Cabbage is yet another cold-hardy addition to an edible landscape that is sure to please.

Kale

Not only is it known for being highly nutritious, but kale can also be wonderfully attractive in the garden. Are you trying to garden early in the season or in a cooler climate? Kale is perfect for you! I particularly like Dwarf Siberian and Vates Blue Scotch Curled Kale, depending on what look you’re going for. You can also try Red Kale if you need something to break up the green! Whichever variety you choose, kale is cold-hardy and easy to grow, making it a good choice for any first-time gardener.

Strawberries

Strawberries are a classic edible landscaping option. They are a delightful groundcover that sports aesthetic white flowers in the early season, followed by rich, delicious, red berries. I recommend choosing an Everbearing or alpine varieties for a continuous supply of flowers and berries all summer. Or, choose a Junebearing type if you would rather harvest the berries all at once. They make great borders for various styles and plant combinations. Just keep in mind they are perennials that will continue to spread and grow denser each year.

Nasturtium

Are you looking for a beautiful, edible border that also has pest prevention qualities? Nasturtiums area great choice! Nasturtium plants are entirely edible, meaning their flowers, leaves, stems, and even the young seed pods can be consumed. They offer a peppery flavor and contribute wonderfully to salads and wraps. You can even use them to garnish cakes! I recommend the Jewel Mix as it is more compact than other varieties. However, Alaska Nasturtiums are also worth a mention for their variegated foliage and multi-colored blooms.

Dwarf Vegetable Selections

Lastly, I have to mention dwarf varieties in general. If there is a certain plant you want to incorporate into your border but you’re afraid it would be too large, look for a dwarf variety! You’d be surprised how many dwarf fruit and vegetable seed types there are these days. This means that tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, peas, cucurbits like cucumbers, and more have the potential to fit in even the smallest gardens with the right planning.

With a little creativity, your garden or landscape border can be more than pretty, it can be delicious too! It might even be considered productive with the right planning! So go ahead and plant some chives next to your walkway or tuck sorrel between the marigolds. Your garden (and your kitchen) will thank you!

Lara Wadsworth, True Leaf Market Writer

I am a native of Southwestern Michigan, where I also reside, and I love all things plants! I got a Bachelor's Degree in Horticulture and found the first work-from-home job I could get. Now, I spend my days writing for TLM, playing with my dog, eating delicious food with my husband, and plotting my next landscape or gardening move. I believe everyone should get down and dirty in the soil now and then. Happy Gardening!