What makes a great Kitchen Garden - location, location, location!

Creating the kitchen garden of your dreams begins with selecting the best location. There are four key priorities to consider before choosing the perfect spot for your kitchen garden: sunlight exposure, water proximity, convenience and aesthetics.

Of course, the top priority is as much sunlight as possible. Aim for at least 6 hours per day. Some plants prefer more such as tomatoes and peppers and some will grow with less such as herbs and greens. Be sure to take note of the sun as it will move higher and lower throughout the seasons, to ensure that your plants get the maximum sunlight they need. We live in the Northern Hemisphere so place the garden on the southern side of tall structures such as the house, tree line, or fences.

Consistent water is a key priority to your success. Nature’s water is best but is not always dependable and hand watering over a distance can become a burden. Place your garden near a spigot, rain barrel or if possible connect to a formal irrigation system. The investment in irrigation is worth it.

The priority of convenience is where I break away from the conventional thinking for location. My priority for growing a kitchen garden is to use it every day in my cooking and meal prep. For me, success in the garden means it is close to the house for keeping an eye on growth, weeds, pests and ultimately for harvesting. Conventional thinking says keep it hidden or at the farthest part of the backyard in case it gets messy, overgrown or looks unkept. This is actually the way to ensure that very thing happens.

The final priority in my top four is aesthetics. If the kitchen garden is going to be steps from the kitchen door, then it needs to look beautiful and fit in with the home and surrounding landscape. Look for a natural spot such as a side yard, along a fence or as an extension of an existing structure such as a deck or patio. My garden is actually in the front yard and I love when the arched trellis is full of sugar peas and cherry tomatoes. If designed properly, a kitchen garden in the French tradition has a myriad of colors and shapes that intermingle herbs, flowers, fruits and vegetables. “It’s a beautiful thing.” – quoting from Martha Stewart.  

In addition to the top four priorities, there are a few other items to consider: size, time and money. Many enthusiastic gardeners end up with too much garden to handle, with too little time to care for it. I recommend creating a master plan that starts small and allows for expanding over the years as time and money allow. Time in the garden is a precious commodity; a rejuvenating experience with nature. Once established and if close to the house, a garden only requires 5 to 10 minutes a day. There is an initial monetary investment in starting a garden which can add up quickly yet that should not deter you from the long-term benefits a garden can provide. The best investment being nutrient dense food for better energy and health which is worth every penny! For more information check the Goodenergygarden.com website.