GARDENING: Create a feast for the eyes and the table

Adding colourful vegetables and fruit to meals at table has become so popular, and the natural extension of this is transforming the vegetable garden from dull shades of green to an eye-catching rainbow effect.
Conference pear is blossoming well this year. Picture by Tom Pattinson.Conference pear is blossoming well this year. Picture by Tom Pattinson.
Conference pear is blossoming well this year. Picture by Tom Pattinson.

Try ‘Goldmine’, a yellow courgette, or the oval, striped variety ‘Piccolo’.

There’s a garden pea with purple flowers and pods called ‘Blauwschokker’, and a runner bean ‘Saint George’ that adorns the supporting wigwam with red and white blooms. The pods are tasty too. I like the climbing French bean option of three, long, stringless varieties in purple, green and yellow at £3.49 for 45 seeds (Suttons).

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘Lollo Rosso’ leaf lettuce is a perfect partner for the green ‘Salad Bowl’, and the succulent swiss chard ‘Bright Lights’ will illuminate any veggie patch.

‘Borlotto Firetongue’ is grown like a broad bean. The pods and seeds are beautifully mottled, and there’s an option of eating the beans fresh or drying them for use as haricots.

The beetroot variety ‘Chioggia’ reveals red and white rings when cut open, but ‘Rainbow Mix’ excels in pink, white, yellow and red.