The art of crops in pots

Get the most out of a small space by growing edibles that also work as colourful ornamentals. Lucy Bellamy shares her inspiring containers for the summer

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As summer approaches, our thoughts turn to eating outside, making the most of longer days and warm weather. Even in a small space, it's easy to grow delicious things to eat and, where space is limited, there's no reason why your edibles can't do double duty and look as good as they taste. Containers are perfect for this, giving you the freedom to experiment with combinations of plants in different colours, textures and heights.

Imagine the dusky blue of ripe blueberries matched with the bright-blue flowers of rosemary or the red flecks on a 'Freckles' lettuce leaf paired with ruby-red chicory 'Rossa Di Treviso'. If you've already started experimenting with colour-themed containers after part one of this series, you'll have some pots on the go, but it's not too late to start now. Either way, the crops you pot up this month will give you plenty to pick later in the summer.

One joy of creating vibrant, colourful containers is how flexible it is. You can either use my tried-and-tested ideas as they are, or as inspiration to create your own from scratch. Whichever you choose, it's fun and incredibly rewarding to make a garden that is both beautiful and delicious. Make sure everything you include is edible, such as any flowers, so that there's no chance of eating something you shouldn't.

Red and peachy