Artichokes

Artichokes are decorative plants worth growing in the landscape, even if you don’t want to eat them. They grow anywhere from 3 to 6 feet tall and 4 to 5 feet wide. They have silver-green leaves, and they’re famous for being edible flower buds.

Most animals won’t want to nibble on their thorny leaves. And as long as the flowers of this plant are a couple of feet away from the ground, nothing should bother them.

Lettuce

Choosing edible landscaping with various leaf colors, shapes, and textures can create an interesting mix in the garden AND on your plate.

Head-forming lettuces, like romaine, iceberg, and butterhead, are great for adding a delicious crunch to salads, and you can harvest them once the heads begin to develop. Loose-leaf lettuces, like Oak Leaf’and Salad Bowl, are looser and can be grown a bit more tightly spaced.

This is ideal for a container or filling a spot in a bed. You should try to harvest loose-leaf lettuces when the leaves are young for an at-home version of the grocery store mesclun mix.

Just bear in mind that all lettuces are frost-tender and must be picked or protected with a frost blanket if you predict any upcoming night frost.