Planning a Kitchen Garden

I’m not gardening this year. As in, I’m not turning an entire acre into flower and shrub beds. However, I am still putting in a small kitchen garden. This type of garden, which is as close to the kitchen door as possible, makes it easy for you to grow fresh herbs and some of your most commonly used vegetables. Some kitchen gardens, especially those of people who don’t have yards, are on windowsills or balconies. So, even if you don’t have an acre or two of land, you can plan a useful kitchen garden.

When you are planning a garden like this, the first thing you should do is make a list of all the herbs, spices and veggies you use on a regular basis and make sure you have space for them before you plant anything else. For example, I use parsley, basil, chives, lettuce, tomatoes and peppers frequently and don’t ever use cilantro. One year, I planted a two foot square of cilantro in my prime growing space. Since I was growing it to give to someone else, it really didn’t need to be in my kitchen garden instead of another variety of basil!

The next thing you should think about is how invasive or obnoxious a plant is. I pot my tomatoes to keep their thuggish sprawl in check. When I didn’t pot up tomatoes, they viciously smothered my carrots and parsley. It also is a lot easier to pick tomatoes from a plant growing in a pot and held up with a tomato cage.

The third (But not final by a long shot! There are so many things to consider when you are gardening.) thing you should think about is the weather and your plans. If you are going to be vacationing during the height of the gardening season, you’ll come home to a jungle. If you are going to be away in midsummer, your plants will feel the effects of tons of sun and little water.

Are you putting in a kitchen garden this year?

Photo: SXC