Long, Skinny Garden? Hear How We Tweak This Space

Written by Steven Biggs

From Lush Ornamental Foliage to Lush Edible Leaves

Not sure what to do with a long, skinny, straight-edged garden beside a driveway, patio, or building?

In this episode, we take a long, slender ornamental garden and reimagine the space with edible plants.

The garden we’re thinking about is actually a little sliver of the Joan of Arc Garden in Quebec City. But these same ideas work well in in many home-garden situations.

We talk about:

  • Crop ideas (kales, Thai basil, borage, shiso, and fern-leaf parsley)

  • Groupings vs. individual plants

  • Urns for adding height an interest in this skinny space

  • Plants that last into the fall vs. plants that fade with fall weather

If you’re looking for more on edible flowers like borage, check out this article about edible flowers.

Picture of the Space

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Steven Biggs

Recognized by Garden Making magazine as one of the "green gang" of Canadians making a difference in horticulture, Steven Biggs is a horticulturist, former college instructor, and award-winning broadcaster and author. His passion is helping home gardeners grow food in creative and attractive ways.


He’s the author of eight gardening books, including the Canadian bestseller No Guff Vegetable Gardening. His articles have appeared in Canada’s Local Gardener, Mother Earth News, Fine Gardening, Garden Making, Country Guide, Edible Toronto, and other magazines.


Along with over 30 years working in the horticultural sector and a horticultural-science major at the University of Guelph, Steven’s experience includes hands-on projects in his own garden including wicking beds, driveway strawbale gardens, and a rooftop tomato plantation—to the ongoing amusement of neighbours.


When not in the garden, you might catch him recording his award-winning Food Garden Life podcast or canoeing in Algonquin Park.

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