Kitchen gardens bring fresh herbs, vegetables, flowers to the table

You may have heard that Michelle Obama and a group of fifth graders have broken ground on the South Lawn of the White House to begin a ‘kitchen garden.’ The White House chefs put in their order, and 55 different vegetables will be grown. The garden was the result of a campaign by a group called ‘Kitchen Gardeners International.’ What is a kitchen garden? It is not the typical vegetable garden with long straight rows of carrots, peas, beans and lettuce. The best description of a kitchen garden is a place to grow the things you bring in for your table, including herbs, vegetables, fruits, berries and even cutting flowers.


In the 16th and 17th centuries, royal palaces in Europe had extensive vegetable gardens that were designed to be both productive and beautiful. Over time, these gardens were copied on a small scale by home gardeners. This was especially true in France, where the humble garden is called a ‘potager’ or kitchen garden.

There are certain elements that make a kitchen garden. Often vegetable gardens are placed in the most remote part of the yard and they are a pain to get to or are forgotten and neglected. The garden should be placed close to the kitchen. If that is not possible, put it in a site that can be enjoyed visually, such as by the patio or outside the window of a favorite room. Some gardeners are removing their front lawn to make a garden. Wherever it is sited, it must have at least 6 hours of full sun to grow flowering vegetables, such as tomatoes and peppers. Avoid low-lying areas so that the drainage is good.
The boundaries of a kitchen garden are usually outlined with a fence, wall or hedge. This helps to keep the rabbits and other critters out. Arbors may be used to delineate the entrance. Pathways give form and define the place for people and for plants. They should be about 3 feet wide, which is enough room for a wheelbarrow. The pathways may be as simple as pea gravel or a mulching material or can be as complex as a brick walkway.


Symmetry is a hallmark of a kitchen garden. The traditional garden is designed in a foursquare pattern, which is a rectangle split into four equal parts. However, this is not a requirement. Use string and stakes to lay out your design creating squares, triangles, diamonds or even circles around a central axis. If you want a more attractive and easy to manage garden, build raised beds. Make the dimensions two times the distance you can easily reach, because you can reach in from all sides. Add plenty of organic matter to the beds.

Plant the vegetables, herbs, flowers and fruit in blocks and in pleasing combinations. Try to end up with a quilt of colors and textures. Flowers not only add to the beauty, but they are essential in attracting pollinators such as butterflies, hummingbirds and beneficial insects. Include some edible flowers, such as Bee Balm (Monarda), Chives, Daylily, Cornflower, Signet Marigolds (lemon, tangerine, or gold gem), Nasturtium, Calendula, pinks, scented geranium and others. Use low growing plants like Alyssum, parsley, marjoram and basil for edging.

Vegetables can also be good looking. Picture purple or green basil next to a tomato plant, scarlet runner beans growing up a bamboo tower, shiny purple eggplants, or colorful kale. Pay attention to the mature sizes of the plants you select so you know how many will fit in the given space. Rotate tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and potatoes to different beds each year. Fill in voids left by harvested crops with quick growing radishes and lettuce. 

Garden art is an appropriate addition to the garden. Ideas include a woven bee skep, a rosemary topiary or a sundial. It is not a good idea to use a birdbath where you are growing edibles. Tuteurs or trellises are not only attractive, but allow you to train plants upwards, adding depth and height and leaving more ground space.

The kitchen garden can be an attractive outdoor room. It provides fresh and healthy food without the cost of transportation from the supermarket and far-flung parts of the world. It can nourish your soul.