Quote of the Day: Joe Eck & Wayne Winterrowd
Vegetables gardens, rightly viewed, are much more than food factories. They are magic places, little worlds set apart from other domestic or horticultural concerns, realms of peace and order.
Joe Eck & Wayne Winterrowd in Living Seasonally: The Kitchen Garden and the Table at North Hill
I really love this book and this quote, because vegetables are truly different than other gardens. For me, vegetables are of top priority. If I had to choose, I’d choose vegetables over hydrangeas any day, though I’m glad I don’t have to.
Would you choose vegetables over ornamentals if you had to make a choice?
Filed under Quote | Comments (16)
i would never chose one over the other. i will always plant a vegetable garden and would inter-plant with flowering or non flowering plants. then add to the mix some handmade simple structures.
to Lemongrass's comment
Currently, my kitchen garden is weed free and neat, while my flower beds are somewhat weed infested and disheveled looking; so yes, I definitely favor the one that feeds us.
to kathi Cook's comment
I’d easily choose vegetables (and do). I usually plant a few flowers in my veggie garden, and let some of my veggies go to seed so have “veggie flowers” to enjoy, but the garden is mostly to feed my family. I love flower gardens but don’t even really have enough time to take care of my veggies, so choose what is more important to me. And, my meadows are my flower gardens. I’m surrounded by 30 acres of fields which are full of beautiful wildflowers. If I didn’t have the fields full of wild flowers I’d plant more flowers in my garden to attract native pollinators.
to Joan's comment
My vegetable growing area is huge, am reasonably up to date with the weeding but the flower border is pretty small and sadly looking like it is in need of some serious tlc. Oops.
So I guess I do choose veg and fruit before flowers.
to Mich's comment
Susy, vegetables win for me as well. There’s just something about growing things to eat that doesn’t compare with growing flowers for me. I can enjoy the beauty of flowers but give me a good looking patch of tasseling sweet corn and it makes my mouth begin to salivate. Show me a couple rows of potatoes in bloom and my mind goes directly to sour cream and chives. Flowers can be enjoyed for only a short time but veggies can be enjoyed long after their grown through preservation. With flowers it’s all about the growing and caring for the plants but with vegetables that’s just the beginning of the enjoyment.
So I think there should be both beauty and practicality in a garden. I just haven’t got to that point yet.
Have a great day during this harvest season.
to Nebraska Dave's comment
The vegetable garden fuels my kitchen hobbies…so I guess it would have to be veggies over flowers. I really love your lettuce photograph. It reminds me of a big beautiful green rose!
to Lisa Sewell's comment
Vegetables everytime.
to Maybelline's comment
I know you know that edibles can be very beautiful AND useful.
to Maybelline's comment
Vegetables cause we have to eat and pretty flowers just for prettiness is noit so important. have wild flowers and weeds growing here and I do sometimes put veggies in flower beds if I need more space for veggies. Beauty alkways comes after eating and preserving.
to Deb's comment
Vegetables. I have a few flowers that are either useful or ground the look, but even some of my hanging baskets have strawberries or sweet potatoes.
to Bonnie Fowler's comment
Both are equally important to me…..Of course my family needs to eat…..but….my flower gardens are so visually soothing and peace inducing…..I love love watching all of the various types of butterfly, bee, hummingbird….birds in general….who visit there….I love all of the colors and perfumes….I plant flowers in with my veg too….but like you….I am so very glad I need not pick one or the other……For me to be allowed only one type would be to lose something valuable.
to amy's comment
well said, amy!
to Lemongrass's comment
Veggies all the way!
to Kay's comment
If I had to…vegetables.
to Colleen's comment
Art and design, horticulture, and tasty healthy food are a very powerful combination…great for the soul.
to Charlie@Seattle Trekker's comment
If I had to choose it would be veggies all the way.
The feeling of going out to the garden and harvesting something for the dinner table is fabulous.
…… Plus I’m allergic to flowers and the scent makes me nauseous! LOL
to Caroline's comment