As Auntie Beak was toiling over her previous entry on unusual vegetables, I was at the University of Connecticut, attending the 2010 Garden Conference. The keynote speaker was Rosalind Creasy, Garden Writers’ Hall of Fame member, lecturer and photographer. The topic of Creasy’s talk was “Edible Theme Gardens,” and it was terrific – entertaining, informative, and above all, useful.

Rosalind Creasy: photo from her website

Rosalind was one of the very first proponents of mixing edible and ornamental plants. This is definitely timely concept during the current resurgence of interest in growing one’s own food. Space is never an issue, Creasy says, if you simply mix useful food plants, bushes and trees with the purely pretty stuff. If you choose your plants wisely, you can have a beautiful and edible landscape.

Creasy’s website is full of practical advice, plant sources, and gorgeous photos. Click here to check it out.