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There’s An Edible Revolution On The Patio
Year
5/15/12April 2010 — Warminster PA — Patio gardens have boomed as a design trend in recent years, but for 2010 fruits and space-saving vegetables will be prominently featured in patio garden designs across the nation, according to leading garden company W. Atlee Burpee & Co.
"This year we can expect to see bell peppers spouting from urns, cherry tomatoes cascading from hanging baskets and edible flowers mixed with fragrant herbs in planters," says Burpee Chairman and CEO George Ball.
The patio garden trend, according to Ball, is driven by practical, aesthetic and social factors.
- Practical: The need to grow more in less space is driving the trend of integrating ornamentals and edibles into a cohesive patio garden design, especially for gardeners who are city dwellers or live in apartments and condominiums.
- Aesthetics: The addition of fruits and vegetables to the patio garden adds another layer of visual interest while also making the garden more dynamic. “People are beginning to see the ornamental value vegetables and fruits add to the garden,” notes Mr. Ball. “Out of the context of the garden bed and kitchen table, you see their jewel-like beauty with fresh eyes.”
- Social: Food gardening has emerged as a chic new hobby, benefiting both gardeners and the environment. Additionally, growing fruits and vegetables on the patio becomes a delicious conversation-starter. Their presence also inspires children about the pleasures—and tastiness--of homegrown produce.
Burpee reports a 20% jump in sales in patio garden seeds and plants over last year, with an accompanying boost in customer interest in patio plants, patio container design and space-saving vegetable varieties.
To successfully cultivate an integrated patio garden at home, Burpee's garden experts recommend the use of space-saving varieties that thrive in containers, planting with quality potting soil and the use of pots and urns with holes that allow for proper drainage. Find us on Facebook for more patio garden tips and tell us what you plan to grow on your patio this summer.
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