Take a Tour of This Backyard Garden Oasis

Rooted Garden designed and installed this backyard getaway space in Hunters Creek Village, Texas, for our client Kris and her family.

Thanks to its layout, every corner of this garden is easily accessible so Kris can step out to pick and enjoy her garden harvests, no matter which direction she enters the space.

Kitchen Garden Design

When I first started Rooted Garden and was researching garden design ideas, I learned that the word garden comes from an old French word garda, which means "enclosure", or a space defined by a fence line. Throughout history, gardens were enclosed to protect the plants growing inside (and in some cases, the gardeners themselves) from the outside world and unwanted visitors—large and small.

In today's fast-paced world, our bigger need is for a sense of privacy. We crave peaceful places we can retreat to for moments of calm and quiet. That got me thinking about how I could design a garden to feel like an enclosure, a private oasis in the backyard.

Two sides of this garden are lined by the homeowner's fence, which was already landscaped beautifully with vitex trees (aka chaste trees) and magnolia trees. The other side borders a pergola.

We created a further sense of enclosure with the four L-shaped raised beds. This garden layout is called a formal potager, and it works best in areas that are at least 20 square feet.

Together, the beds make you feel as though you're in a very special outdoor room.

Corten Steel Raised Beds

When I first saw corten steel raised beds used in kitchen garden designs, I was intrigued but also concerned that the material would get too hot during Houston's summers. I finally had a client insist on corten steel raised beds, so I found an excellent steel designer and had the beds installed in June. You could say it was a trial by fire at the start of our hottest months, but to my surprise, the garden thrived!

Since then, corten steel has been a popular choice for raised bed material.

Steel is a durable material with a small footprint, thanks to the thin edges of the container. These garden beds take up significantly less room than raised beds made of cedar or stone, which means you can grow a lot more in a small space.

Corten steel also lends a formal yet earthy aesthetic to the garden space. If you're looking for a raised garden bed material that will last for decades and make the most of every square inch of growing space, you can't go wrong with corten steel.

The Fountain

Formal potagers often feature a fountain, fruit tree, bird bath, large planter, seating area, or table as a focal point of the garden space. Our client, Kris, wanted a bubbling fountain, and it ended up being one of the Rooted Garden team's favorite features in this garden design.

It's always nice to bring water features into your kitchen garden design. Not only is the sound of running water relaxing, but you're also providing a water source for wildlife. In theory, pests that snack on your cherry tomatoes are actually in search of water; a birdbath or fountain can, therefore, quench the thirst of your little garden "friends" and prevent them from going after your fruits.

The homeowners already had this pot, and we loved how the earthy tones complimented the patina of the corten steel beds.

Adding this fountain did mean we had to run electricity lines into the garden, but the added beauty and sound made the extra step totally worth it.

The Arched Garden Trellises

Arch trellises add a sense of grandeur and permanent visual interest to kitchen gardens, while also maximizing the available growing space. In formal potager designs, arch trellises create entryways into the enclosure.

Thanks to Houston's warmer climate, arch trellises can support beautiful and edible plant growth year round—sugar snap peas and snow peas in the winter; cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and pole beans in the spring and fall; and malabar spinach, luffa gourd, Armenian cucumber, and yard long beans in the summer.

Our design team had to do a little searching to find arch trellises that were sturdy and wide enough to span the walkway of this large garden. We often opt for custom trellises to match unique design features on the home.

Stepping Stones

Garden pathways covered in gravel and punctuated with stepping stones make it so easy to hop out to the garden (even barefoot, if you want) and cut a sprig of sage or pluck some cherry tomatoes for dinner.

Gravel also helps to keep the garden space clean, aids with drainage, and prevents competition between the lawn and the good stuff growing in the kitchen garden. With the addition of stepping stones, you have a nice, flat surface that won't hurt your feet. That's why you don't need stepping stones covering the entire garden area—just enough to help in high-traffic areas.

This garden has stepping stones both outside and inside the enclosure created by the four raised beds so that Kris can access the beds comfortably from all sides.

Herbs, Flowers, Fruits, and Veggies

Thanks to Houston's warmer climate, herbs and greens can grow year round.

This garden features perennial herbs like rosemary, oregano, thyme, and sage along the borders of the raised beds to make the most of the corners. Many of these herbs have made this garden their home for months already and will stay here for years to come.

While the plants in the middle of these raised beds will come and go as we pass through each growing season, these herbs will simply need a good prune and will just keep on growing. Our expectation is that Rooted Garden clients can grow enough herbs in their kitchen gardens to enjoy fresh and save for later to last them an entire year.

Cucumber plants grow well on these strong and sturdy arch trellises. Cucumbers have little tendrils that grab onto climbing structures, and so by giving them strong vertical supports, you can ensure the plant stays healthier and produces lots of delicious fruits.

Horizontal vines are more subject to pests and disease because they have limited access to good airflow and sunlight. By encouraging vines to grow up instead of out, you make sure that each leaf receives sunlight and fresh air—plus, you remove easy access for pests and soil-borne disease.

If you've ever doubted the magic of plants, witnessing a vine grow and attach itself securely to a garden trellis will make you a believer, for sure.

Cherry tomatoes vine up the other large arch garden trellis. Thanks to Houston's long warm season in the spring, vining tomatoes can often reach the top of an arch trellis and then continue on down the other side. In addition to enjoying the beauty of such a lush vine, the gardener is rewarded with a ton of delicious fruit.

Kale is a kitchen garden staple. We love the ornamental appeal of plants like kale and swiss chard, but it doesn't hurt that their leaves are also delicious and that the plants can continue producing for years.

Strawberries love the long, sunny days in Houston. If you'd like to grow strawberries in your own kitchen garden, keep in mind that you'll have to keep each plant's spread in check. If you don't act aggressively, you might end up with an entire bed of nothing but strawberries.

Peppers also love the sunshine and warmth. Bell peppers are so beautiful as they form and ripen on the plant, but if you're a beginner grower, we recommend sticking with smaller peppers like shishitos or jalapeños first. They're attractive plants that thrive even during the hottest months of the year and produce a ton of fruits.

Even though this is a rather large garden, Kris has still made use of every single square inch by planning out her space and planting intensively. This way, she can enjoy max production of all her favorite edible plants.

I hope you enjoyed touring this backyard garden. Kitchen gardens like this one showcase the joy of growing a little bit of your own food and inspire all of us to find our own spaces where we can grow, too.

Explore more Rooted Garden designs here.

If you're still waiting to set up your own kitchen garden, find a Gardenary-certified consultant near you to help you through every step of the way. They can help you create a beautiful and productive hardscaping piece in your outdoor space, just like this formal potager.