Custom Garden Design: A Black & White Kitchen Garden

Custom Raised Bed Garden Design in Lake Geneva, WI

This black-on-white garden features design elements like:

Two 12’ x 12’ L-shaped cedar beds painted black
One 12’ x 4’ cedar bed painted black (the dedicated strawberry patch)
One custom farmhouse arch
Six custom obelisk trellises
White limestone

custom black wood raised bed garden beds with custom arch trellis. Beds on top of white gravel, surrounded by green grass and white house.

Garden Installation Process

This garden was one of my favorite design projects. The family had just completed their stunning new home, and the next step was to add a kitchen garden.

Every garden I design is tailored to the client and their property, making each one unique. When I visited this home to scout the perfect location, the sun led me to the front yard.

It was my first time designing a front yard garden, and I appreciated the trust the clients placed in me with such a prominent space. They had put so much care into their home, so I focused on creating a garden that would complement the house and enhance its curb appeal.

From the moment I stepped onto the property, I knew the garden beds had to be black—another first for me, as I typically use natural cedar.

Several elements of the home inspired the design, but one detail in particular caught my eye and became the centerpiece of my vision: the striking black paver brick driveway. It instantly drew me in.

I love how the black beds on white stone complement the home while also standing out as a bold feature.

We custom-painted the cedar beds to match the house perfectly, then chose white limestone with black edging to make the beds pop against the landscape.

Kitchen Garden Highlights

When a property already has a well-established style, my goal in designing a custom garden is to align with the existing aesthetic while accentuating and highlighting key details.

For this home, one standout feature is the custom arch. It's larger than most arches to match the scale of the house and serves as a focal point of the garden, while the obelisks at each end balance out the height and create symmetry.

The most exciting part of this kitchen garden project? The client plans to add even more edible elements to their home! This is just the beginning, so stay tuned for updates.

If you are inspired to elevate your home life and health with a custom kitchen garden? The best day to start gardening is today! Contact me and we’ll get you all set up to start growing.