Looks good, tastes good

From rainbow-colored stalks to purple pods, who says veg has to look boring? Graham Rice reveals produce that can hold its own among the brightest of blooms

- Graham Rice

IF the unpredictable vegetable and salad supplies in the supermarket have tempted you to grow your own, then great. But ask yourself: “Where am I going to grow them?”

Allotments are the obvious answer for serious fruit and veg growers, but with demand outstripping supply there are (often long) waiting lists, so unless you already have one that’s not an option. You could, of course, dig up the lawn. However, now that we’re all spending more time at home, having somewhere to stretch out in the sun is important.

Sacrificing perennials to make space for spinach or green beans would also solve the problem; the trouble is, rows of green veg are not exactly exciting to look at. Wait a moment, though: not all produce plants look dull and boring! The aesthetics of a patch of spinach may not set your heart racing, but there are other crops that will. In fact, some veg varieties are so colourful and attractive that they look great mixed in with flowers, in beds and in containers – or even on their own.

With some, it’s the flowers – that’s where runner beans score highly; other beans bring us pods in shades of gold or purple. For others, it’s the stems and chard now comes, almost literally, in a rainbow of shades. But for most pretty produce it’s about the colour and shape of the leaves, and every year brings new (and increasingly colourful) varieties.

Pretty and nutritious

Don’t think that good looks is all they have to offer, though. Many years ago there used to be a beer advert that older readers might remember: “Looks, good, tastes good – and by golly, it does you good!” That’s exactly the deal with these ornamental vegetable and salad crops.