Our gardens have benefited from a huge range of plants from all over the world. It’s a double edged sword- some are tender and need to be grown again from scratch every year while others can become invasive pests.
One such area is the Central and South Americas. They have provided a whole variety of flowers for the garden and a
great choice of food for our plates. Dahlias have enjoyed a resurgence in popularity. With a choice of flower head shapes and a massive range of colours they can be kept for many years if lifted in the autumn and stored in a dry frost free place.
Originating from Central America where it was used as a foodplant by the Aztecs, it’s the national flower of Mexico. This is the home of Maize, more commonly known here as sweetcorn and Squashes such as Pumpkins and Courgettes. With these the whole plant is edible and although treated as a vegetable, botanically it’s actually a fruit like the tomato. Why not lightly roast the seeds as well? They contain antioxidants, magnesium, zinc and control blood sugar levels.
Runner beans also come from this part of the world and for the first hundred years in Britain were grown just for the colourful flowers which are as edible as the beans and can be used in salads or as a garnish. They twine clockwise which is not common in vines. In South America, one very important plant family, Solanacae has provided us with a whole range of foodplants including Potatoes, Tomatoes and Peppers. The Deadly Nightshade is also a member!
The hardy Fuchsia Magellanica, a wild shrub species from the same continent with its slim hanging purple and red flowers is also now very much a part of the landscape in southern Ireland and Cornwall. The small berries are actually edible. It would be hard to imagine these not being a part of our gardens and kitchens now but there is good
evidence that all of the plants above have been used for thousands of years before they arrived here in Europe.
Article by ANDY GOOD Blooming Good Garden Design and Landscaping City and Guilds Horticulture
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