Is it possible to have a beautiful vegetable garden?
Overheard at kitchen garden consults:
"My husband's preference is to hide the kitchen garden behind the garage over there."
"I'm wondering if we should put the garden back here with the pool equipment since it won't look that great throughout most of the year."
"I'd never put my garden in the front yard or make it visible from the street—I know there will be times when it looks unsightly."
My clients' words make it obvious: when thinking of a vegetable garden, most people picture an overgrown, dilapidated section of the yard.
But it doesn't have to be this way. The system I created with Rooted Garden and now train Garden Coach Society members with uses design principles that stand the test of time and create a garden that looks beautiful year round, no matter what's growing (or isn't).
Use these four design secrets as you set up your own kitchen garden, and you won't have to worry about hiding your kitchen garden from the rest of the neighborhood again.
Kitchen Garden Design Ideas
Kitchen gardens, when done right, can be as beautiful and dependable as ornamental trees and bushes, as shown by our top 10 favorite kitchen garden designs. But the key to a beautiful garden that you'll want to show off, rather than hide, is the set up.
Follow these four principles for kitchen garden setup and you'll want the whole world to see your garden.
Design Idea Number One
Separate the Kitchen Garden Space from the Other Parts of the Landscape
By creating a special space that's dedicated to your kitchen garden, your garden will feel tidy and more beautiful, even when plants are overgrown or just starting to sprout.
When the kitchen garden is just tossed out in the middle of the yard somewhere, it's bound to look messy or unkept, simply because it's not distinguishable from the rest of the yard. Take some time to separate the garden, showing that it's special and unique.
Design Idea Number Two
Explore Garden Design with Raised Beds
Consider using raised beds instead of in-ground gardens for most of your vegetable production. Raised beds will provide enduring beauty throughout the entire year because they look beautiful on their own, whether they're made of corten steel, cedar planks, or stone. One thing that often makes a vegetable patch look wild is the lack of a hardscaping piece. Raised beds can provide that structure for the garden that you were missing with simple rows or piles of soil.
From a practical standpoint, they also keep your crops growing healthy, ensure your gardening success, and make tending a kitchen garden so much more enjoyable. Read more about why we recommend growing your edible plants in raised beds.
Design Idea Number Three
Plant Your Raised Garden Beds with Border Plants That Are Perennial or Evergreen
Annual plants like cherry tomatoes and cucumbers look beautiful for a season. Perennials (plants that take several years to complete their life cycles) and evergreens (plants that keep their foliage throughout the growing seasons) provide continuity and consistency throughout the year. While annual plants in the interior of your garden will rise and fall each season, a border of perennial greenery will serve as a promise of more greenery and new growth.
You getting the theme here? Consistent and permanent features in the kitchen garden are what can keep the space looking beautiful even as the seasons change and the plants go from seed to harvest. So, choose some perennial and evergreen features to plant around the exterior of your kitchen garden to feel consistently great about the way your garden's looking all year long.
Design Idea Number Four
Use Trellises as Important Pieces of Architecture in the Garden
Trellises are the crowning touch of beauty in your kitchen garden.
Trellises add height and structure, both when they’re covered in summer vines and even when they’re bare in the dead of winter.
Reaching six to eight feet above your raised beds, trellises provide a vertical element that brings the whole look of your kitchen garden together. Your eyes (and the eyes of your neighbors!) will love the visual interest of the garden structures. You'll feel as if you're observing a work of art, not a sprawling veggie patch. (Determine which type of trellis is best for your garden with these considerations.)
Ready to Design Your Own Garden?
Don’t hide your kitchen garden from your neighbors and friends, or worse yet, avoid going for it because you’re afraid it’s going to be a mess. Instead, apply these four design secrets to create a space that's beautiful season after season.
Thanks for helping us bring back the kitchen garden!
