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What’s a Kitchen Garden and Why It’s Time for a Revival

“So, what exactly is a kitchen garden? Is it a garden inside the kitchen?” (I get this question a lot).

Called kailyards in Scotland and known as potagers in France (sounds fancy, right?), a kitchen garden is a place closely connected with your kitchen and everyday life. It’s a distinct area of your home and landscape where vegetables, fruits, and herbs are grown for culinary use.

A kitchen garden can be as small as a collection of garden boxes on the patio or deck or it can be as large as a formal stone garden that covers hundreds of square feet. No matter the size, the purpose is the same: a garden that’s tended regularly and used frequently in everyday meals.

It’s not a vegetable patch or homestead. It’s much smaller and doesn’t require nearly the amount of work those do. Unlike a farm, which is cleared all at once, planted all at once, and harvested (you guessed it) all at once, a kitchen garden is tended regularly.

Why a Kitchen Garden revival?

Kitchen gardens, though we may have forgotten the term, aren’t a new concept. They’ve been a thing for thousands of years. But somewhere along our way of progress, we lost the kitchen garden. With the input of technology and industry, our food systems have changed dramatically over the last century. And while not all the change has been bad, the kitchen garden is something that should’ve stayed.

To create whole and happy lives, for the beauty in our homes, for the benefit of our community and for the good of the world, it’s time for a kitchen garden revival. A revival is a magical thing. Perhaps this book will be that seed. (Fingers crossed!) But I’ll need you to bring the rain and the sunshine.

HOW TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP IN THE KITCHEN GARDEN REVIVAL

If you’ve never grown a thing before, don’t forget the Gardenary (gardenary.com) step-by step plan.

There are loads of resources in addition to the journal to help you start growing herbs or salad greens right away. Grab yours at gardenary.com/book

Once you’ve begun to enjoy herbs and greens from containers or small planters, you’ll feel the nudge to go bigger. It’s time to install a full kitchen garden (even if it’s just one raised bed), add trellises or supports, and start growing roots and fruits.

Already growing or can’t stop talking about your garden experiences? We’d love to have you on the Gardenary platform as a Kitchen Garden Business or a Gardenary coach. Don’t forget: My mission isn’t just to bring back the kitchen garden but also to make gardening a viable profession.

So, if you’ve fallen in love with gardening and want to share that passion by coaching and helping others, Gardenary is the place for you. And bonus—you’ve already completed step one in the application process by reading this book!

As always, share your kitchen garden moments—the wins and the struggles—using #mykitchengardenrevival anywhere you post on the web. I’ll be looking for you!

Woody Herbs (Lamiaceae Family)

• Begin with locally grown plants
• Harvest outside and lower leaves regularly within 2 weeks of planting
• Water conservatively

Lettuce & Greens (Asteraceae Family)

• Begin with seeds
• Thin if necessary
• Water consistently
• Harvest outside and lower leaves frequently within 4 weeks of planting

Root Crops (Umbellifer, Brassica, and Amaranth Families)

• Begin with seeds
• Thin if necessary
• Water consistently
• Moderate fertilizer
• Harvest a few at a time within 45 to 90 days after planting

Fruit Crops (Solanaceae and Cucurbit Families)

• Begin with seeds or locally grown plants
• Water deeply
• Fertilize weekly or bi-weekly
• Prune regularly
• Protect, if necessary
• Harvest 60 to 100 days after planting

Add water to the potting soil mix and mix in thoroughly.

Fill the cells to the top with moistened soil mix.

Using a dibber, make the planting hole to the proper depth.

Place the seeds at the proper depth in each hole.