We’ll be starting our spring yard clean-up soon and I’m already excited to work on some of the blank spaces we cleared last year and continue pruning, shaping, trimming, and pulling things that are a little out of control. I’m also excited about some of the ideas we have for the future and one of those is a kitchen/cutting garden outside of our side door. This is the entrance everyone uses since it’s off the driveway and we’d like to make it look a bit more charming and less utilitarian. Last year, we painted the trim, shutters, garage door, and cellar doors. We also added new lights and made the kitchen window larger. Very late in the season, I planted some Japanese holly bushes and liriope in the beds and I’ll some more to that this spring.
We would eventually like to build a small portico and make the stoop just a tad bigger to add some architectural interest and provide some shelter from the rain. You can read a post all about that HERE. We also need to get the sidewalk, which has sunken in front of the stoop, repaired or replaced.
But, what I want to talk about today is this little patch of yard just across from the side door. The only pictures I have of it are ones I took last year when we were trimming the L-shaped hedge that borders it and provides some privacy from the street. Jeff wanted to take the hedges out, but I love how they create this little nook that is perfect for a small four-square garden.
Here are the hedges mid-trimming, but you have a better look at the corner of the L-shaped hedge.
I love the idea of walking past it each time we come home and of stepping outside the kitchen door to clip herbs and flowers. My vision is to have the garden be a kitchen/cutting garden. We would grow a bunch of herbs, and a few vegetables, and mix some flowers in.
I’d like to build a traditional four-square garden plan with a picket fence around it to (try to) keep the rabbits out. We’ll build slightly raised beds to make them easier to tend and to fill with a healthy mix of soil. I’m not sure what we’ll use around the beds, but we’ll likely make gravel paths. Grass paths look pretty, but I think it might be too challenging to trim given the space we have the work with and the need for a fence.
I took a picture of this garden a couple of weeks ago when I went to Renfrew park in Waynesboro, PA between appointments.
I’m sharing this picture of the gardens I took at the Zion Springs Bed & Breakfast because I like the feel of it. We won’t be adding stone paths or an arbor, but I like how there is a mix of plants that look a little wild and unruly mixed with trimmed hedges and fenced areas. There is a curved sidewalk next to the area where we want to build the garden (which will be square), so there will be some room to plant outside of the fence and add some more textures.
I am in love with the elements of this garden by @gillsgreenfarm on Instagram. I think it will be so fun to make and/or source trellises, cloches, and other practical and pretty garden accessories to use.
I also love this four-square garden from @meadowsmithhouse. The size of our raised beds will likely be closer to these, but I don’t think we’ll have a feature in the center. I also like the design of these raised beds with a small ledge on top. It becomes a practical place to kneel or set garden tools. I also love her wire cloches.
In addition to the simple picket fence, I’d like to design and build a custom gate with Jeff. We have some beautiful gates in our neighborhood that I often admire and take pictures of when out on a walk. It would be fun to take inspiration from a few and create our own.
As with many other projects and ideas, I’m doubtful the kitchen/cutting garden will happen this year, but it might! If Jeff and I get a wild hair about it, we just might get going. We’re both excited about the idea of growing some of our own vegetables and more herbs (we’ve grown some in pots.) And, I’m particularly excited about growing some flowers specifically for the purpose of making bouquets to enjoy in the home and for still-life props.
A part of me looks forward to the projects ahead, excited to see them unfold and another part of me wants to fast forward 3-5 years when they are done and we’re just enjoying them…
20 Responses
The artist/author Susan Branch has a lovely fenced kitchen garden at her home in Martha’s Vineyard. She even did a watercolor painting of it a few years ago showing the plants and flowers she grows. It’s surrounded by a pretty white picket fence. If you look on her website or instagram you can find it. I’m sure yours will be just as lovely.
You will love having a kitchen and cutting garden! There is nothing like running outside with scissors…errr…I mean “WALKING” outside with scissors to cut some fresh herbs for something on the stove. We had several peony bushes I just adored for the wonderful cut flowers for the table. Now that we have left that home I plan on starting another herb and cutting garden. There is nothing like it.
I also thought of Susan Branch when you were describing what you wanted. Her garden is lovely.
I’m in an apartment now and am truly envious. I had a raised garden at one time…plus others, but the raised garden was like this and was such a pleasure.
Marion, take a peek at southern home and garden on Instagram! I think you’ll find lots of inspiration. Two things I’d like to recommend: make your raised beds higher so you can sit on the edge and no grass around the beds!
Marian please do not use landscape fabric or plastic under your new garden bed areas or pathways It is not food safe and does nothing to control the weeds. Same for pressure treated wood.
I have raised beds myself and use a pathway wood mulch in the pathways, it is fine pieces and very easy to walk on. It naturally breaks down and feeds the soil under it Any little weeds that show up come right up when pulled. If I could, (I rent) I would have planted dwarf clover mixed with a creeping thyme or another creeper as both are walkable and don’t really require mowing. And cool on the feet, that is why you see grass paths in so many gardens. Pea gravel can get really hot and very reflective. Another thing to consider is width of the path, needs to be wide enough to get up and down without hurting yourself or your plants. I speak from experience! I had to reset my tall raised beds last year to make a wider path, it was a ton of hard dirty work, but worth it. I look forward to seeing what you and Jeff do !
Check out gardenary.com
For GREAT inspiration check out Linda Vater on YouTube. You can go back and see her former home as well as her newer home. She is such a darling too. Her book, “The Elegant & Edible Garden” is a treasure of advice and beauty.
PS….I am now back to getting you daily ….?
Raised garden beds are wonderful, but speaking from experience, make them higher that you planned, middle and old age is just around the corner for all of us, and eventually you will be forced to quit gardening because you will not be able to get down to weed, or even bend down that low.
A great idea. I love the potager gardens so popular at the kitchen door. I do not have room for much, but I keep a small herb garden. Do you have a source for the last picture of the beautiful gate? It is so pretty and I am sure whatever you build will be as well. Thanks.
That is my photo. I took it in my neighborhood. I’ll have to do a round-up of all of the cute gates in our neighborhood because there are some great ones.
Marian,
Thank you for posting your lovely pic of our back garden at Zion Springs. I look forward to showing you what is in the works the next time you’re in our area…. it’s over the top in the “farm to table” mindset as well as more flowers than ever! Bring mom and stay for a night!
Marian,
Thank you for posting your lovely pic of our back garden at Zion Springs. I look forward to showing you what is in the works the next time you’re in our area…. it’s over the top in the “farm to table” mindset as well as more flowers than ever! Bring mom and stay for a night!
It will be fun to watch everything develop and grow! I’m willing to be your gate will be stunning~
Marian,
I love your ideas for a cutting/herb/vegetable garden. It will add so much to your yard. It’s satisfying to be able to cut fresh herbs from your own garden.
I always enjoy your posts and I am inspired to be patient on projects around my home and take them as finances and ideas develop.
Karen B.
Having designed several potagers/kitchen gardens over the years in different houses, I can say that you will LOVE having one! All the other commenters have given great tips. I want to add that one of the best materials for the walls of the beds is STONE. Either natural or the basic thick blocks that you can get at any of the big box hardware stores. The premade stone blocks are very easy to work with other than their initial heftiness, but their regularity makes for easier and precise shaping. They barely if ever heave from frost and snow and I live in Canada where we have lots of it! You also need the walls to be at least 18″ deep for good root zone area for your plants.
If you do use wood for your raised bed walls, then it needs to be food safe and rot resistant, so cedar is the best choice as it withstands wetness the longest. It also weathers to a nice silvery gray. You will be needing to completely rebuild and replace any wood over the years vs. stone walls which don’t decay.
Also, the path width is an important consideration if you intend to have this as a working/crop producing garden. If they are as wide as your wheelbarrow, you will be okay. But the other idea is that if you just want a small, pretty, puttering garden and you don’t have a tendency to move quickly or trip, small and narrow can suffice. But keep in mind that you will be regularly adding soil/compost over the years, cleaning up the garden, weeding it, etc. and you will want easy access.
The base of the beds should be right on the natural ground, but if you want an initial weed barrier, use some cardboard or paper at the bottom before you add soil.
My backyard kitchen garden currently has grass/clover paths, but I am tiring of the maintenance of these after several years. Gravel or cedar mulch is easier, or best of all, pave the paths with more stone.
Any and all trees and hedges around your beds will all be competing with your garden for the nutrients in the garden bed soil, so you will be losing out on the fertility of your beds to the larger and greedier trees and shrubs. Nevertheless, you will still be able to produce plenty of flowers, herbs, and food!
If you can possibly install drip irrigation into your beds, that is a great time saver, but if you’re like me, you’ll be happy to water by hand with the hose or a watering can and enjoy the gazing time tending to your happy plant children!
Oh I’m so glad you made it to Renfrew! They also have several nice events there throughout the year…free summer concerts are lovely out on the lawn.
You might also enjoy the Beyond the Garden Gates Garden Tour in downtown historic Frederick…so many lovely historic gardens and homes! I think it’s May 18th and 19th this year.
We did some very similar raised beds and gardens at our B&B and enjoyed them for many years. I’m sure you will too – and so will the birds and bees! <3
I would definitely keep the hedges and check into seasonal garden raised beds. Nothing will ever prevent weeds from growing. I use a homemade weed killer then apply Preen to the areas involved.
When building your garden beds, make sure you can reach the center without having to compact the soil in your garden box. I agree with above posters- don’t use landscape fabric and agree with the use of mulch/wood chips in garden paths. Mulched paths are easy to weed and when it breaks down, add more mulch. You can get free wood chips from your local tree guys.
So fun! Good luck 🙂 Commenting to share my favorite herb to grow – lemon thyme. Originally I grew it for the smell but luckily it has been hardy and stuck around for many years, and spread a bit, and eventually I discovered how delicious it is. My fave use is on par-boiled then fried potatoes in olive oil with salt and pepper. It is also love to walk on with bare feet!