WHAT IS A KITCHEN GARDEN?

Feb 18

First things first, what is a kitchen garden?

A kitchen garden (also known as a potager garden) is a small area of your landscape, typically located near the kitchen, dedicated to growing herbs, fruits, vegetables, and flowers for household use. Unlike your typical vegetable garden, kitchen gardens are designed for both functionality and aesthetics, elevating your landscape in a way traditional in-ground gardens do not, while still providing bountiful harvests.

At Kitchen Garden Design House, our organic gardens are designed to help you grow intentionally so you can meet your garden and health goals, nourishing your mind and body. Built with ease and functionality in mind, our kitchen gardens eliminate a lot of the weekly maintenance required with in-ground gardens. Now don’t get me wrong, kitchen gardens still require some commitment of care, but it’s not like tending to a victory garden of the past.

Kitchen gardens can vary in size and design from a simple raised bed or containers on a patio to more elaborate layouts featuring pathways, trellises, fountains, and other ornamental features. Whatever design you choose, the overarching goal is to provide your family with fresh, flavorful ingredients for cooking healthy, garden-to-table meals. From culinary herbs to salad greens to your favorite root vegetables, your kitchen garden can be customized to your specific tastes. Some gardens also feature flowers, both for the beautiful blooms among the growing veggies in the garden, but also for cut bouquets and to attract pollinators and beneficial insects, contributing to the overall health of your garden.

Garden-to-table living can be the first step toward a healthier lifestyle for your family. Eating fresh, nutrient dense foods fuels your mind and body, boosts your energy, and lifts your mood. Plus, you have the satisfaction of taking a hands-on approach in bettering your health.

Why everyone should have a kitchen garden

What could be better than immediate access to fresh, delicious produce? When you grow your own fruits and veggies, you know exactly how they were grown. I hate to break it to you, but most produce in grocery stores is grown in mass quantities with harsh chemicals and toxic pesticides, then shipped hundreds of miles in a trailer, before being shelved at your local supermarket. No wonder the flavor is bland and the texture is always weird. I’m sure you’ve purchased a plastic container of salad greens, only to open it up at home and find slimy, wilted leaves. You can say goodbye to those problems when you grow your own food in a kitchen garden. No chemicals, no shipping; just fresh, delicious, nutritious veggies harvested at peak ripeness.

While installing a kitchen garden may be more expensive up front, those costs will quickly pay for themselves when you can conveniently harvest nutrient dense foods just steps from your house. When you choose a Kitchen Garden Design House garden, you know your garden beds are built with the highest quality materials, the design is personalized for your landscape and aesthetic, and the soil and plants in your garden are handpicked by me. Even though a kitchen garden does have a higher initial investment, the savings come back to you fairly quickly.

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You’ll reap these rewards when you start growing an organic kitchen garden:

I see a huge reduction in my grocery bill during the growing season, and over time savings can add up particularly if you prefer to buy organic or specialty items from stores.
When you grow your own food, you’re investing in your health. Improving your nutrition and moving your body out in nature are two powerful ways to combat health issues. Plus, if you’re new to gardening, you’ll be learning a new skill set, which will boost your brain plasticity, keeping that mental acuity strong.
Gardens provide a hands-on learning experience for every age. The process of planting, nurturing, and harvesting crops allows you to take a closer look at your surroundings and really become a part of nature. When children garden, they learn where their food comes from which promotes healthier eating habits. Plus, it’s a family friendly bonding activity in the great outdoors (instead of in front of a screen 😉)!
There are so many auxiliary health benefits to gardening. Gardening is proven to reduce stress levels and increase mindfulness. You strengthen your connection to nature and reap the health benefits of digging your hands into soil. And you have the opportunity to enjoy the rewards of your work with delicious garden-to-table meals! Imagine the satisfaction you would feel sitting down to a home-cooked meal with produce harvested from your own backyard!
Fruits and veggies grown in your own kitchen garden just taste better. The fact that the produce is super fresh and harvested at peak ripeness means that not only are you getting the highest nutrient density, but it also tastes delicious. When you cook with high quality foods it infuses so much joy into the process of meal prep and allows you to show off your culinary skills.

The gift of a kitchen garden can empower you to live a better life, truly.

You can:

take ownership of your health
nourish your family with nutritious foods
live a more sustainable lifestyle
understand where your food comes from
and connect with nature.

Even if you start with just a few herbs or salad greens in containers, you’re well on your way to a healthier lifestyle. I know you can do it!

Need a little extra help starting your organic gardening journey? Work with us!

We promise functional designs with elevated aesthetics. Kitchen Garden Design House works with gardeners at all experience levels and budgets. We have tiered service offerings so you can customize the exact garden experience you require. For DIYers who don’t mind putting in some sweat equity there are a la carte services you can mix and match, or for those of you who are ready to just walk out into the luscious garden of your dreams, we have a full turnkey installation service.

And for those of you who are somewhere in the middle, or aren’t quite sure what you want, let’s get you started with a garden you can grow into. Even if your budget is tight, but your dreams are big, we can help you design your full dream garden and then break it down into seasonal steps for you to reach those goals. Kitchen Garden Design House will prep your space for the long-term goal, and help you consistently reach each milestone to create the kitchen garden of your dreams.

This is more than landscaping. Kitchen Garden Design House provides the expertise of consultants who specialize in growing food.

When you install a Kitchen Garden Design House garden, you know you can rely on our team to help you and your garden thrive season to season. Don’t wait another day. Dig in, and let’s get growing!