So Your Garden Style Is: Cook's Garden
Grow all the nutritious food you desire, plus add a little design panache into the mix...
Vegetable gardens used to be all about practicality and productivity, with not a flower or decorative element in sight. While they were not designed to make your heart sing they could supply enough produce to feed a large family seven days a week.
Not all vegetable gardens were so utilitarian though. In grander properties you might have seen a potager garden with neatly trimmed hedges, beautifully arranged herbs, flowers, fruit trees and vegetables. The antithesis of the utilitarian food gardens these designer cook’s gardens were often dismissed by ‘real’ gardeners as a fanciful trend and unlikely to catch on.
Fast forward a few decades and the fanciful trend has become a mainstream movement with some landscape designers reporting queues of clients wanting to have their lawns, ornamental borders, courtyards and balconies converted into productive but pretty cook’s gardens. Many are motivated by a desire to eat as organically as possible, and what better way to achieve this than growing your own produce? Other gardeners want to save money or like the idea of teaching their children where food comes from. For others still, it’s just about enjoying the taste of fresh produce direct from the garden. And with outdoor space such a precious commodity, many of these contemporary kitchen gardeners also prefer their vegie plots to be as much about good looks as good food.
With all this in mind, here’s how to convert your vegie patch into a stunning cook’s garden.
Not all vegetable gardens were so utilitarian though. In grander properties you might have seen a potager garden with neatly trimmed hedges, beautifully arranged herbs, flowers, fruit trees and vegetables. The antithesis of the utilitarian food gardens these designer cook’s gardens were often dismissed by ‘real’ gardeners as a fanciful trend and unlikely to catch on.
Fast forward a few decades and the fanciful trend has become a mainstream movement with some landscape designers reporting queues of clients wanting to have their lawns, ornamental borders, courtyards and balconies converted into productive but pretty cook’s gardens. Many are motivated by a desire to eat as organically as possible, and what better way to achieve this than growing your own produce? Other gardeners want to save money or like the idea of teaching their children where food comes from. For others still, it’s just about enjoying the taste of fresh produce direct from the garden. And with outdoor space such a precious commodity, many of these contemporary kitchen gardeners also prefer their vegie plots to be as much about good looks as good food.
With all this in mind, here’s how to convert your vegie patch into a stunning cook’s garden.
HOW TO:
Plan an attractive layout
With all gardens a good layout is essential and cook’s gardens are no exception. Look to traditional French potagers for ideas but adapt them to the style of your existing garden and house so they all work together as a harmonious whole. This contemporary potager in Melbourne has raised beds made from timber sleepers and gravel paths in between, its simplicity mirroring the strong forms of the architecture and the rural landscape.
The simplest designs are usually the easiest to create with most people opting for a square or rectangle divided into four equal beds. However, if you’re a dab hand with a measuring tape and like a challenge, go for something a little more complex such as repetitive, concentric circles. Remember to mark out the area accurately before you start digging.
Plan an attractive layout
With all gardens a good layout is essential and cook’s gardens are no exception. Look to traditional French potagers for ideas but adapt them to the style of your existing garden and house so they all work together as a harmonious whole. This contemporary potager in Melbourne has raised beds made from timber sleepers and gravel paths in between, its simplicity mirroring the strong forms of the architecture and the rural landscape.
The simplest designs are usually the easiest to create with most people opting for a square or rectangle divided into four equal beds. However, if you’re a dab hand with a measuring tape and like a challenge, go for something a little more complex such as repetitive, concentric circles. Remember to mark out the area accurately before you start digging.
Choose materials to suit context
The raised beds in this rural cook’s garden in Adelaide are made of corrugated iron and timber slats. Because these materials are seen everywhere in the local countryside the garden suits its location perfectly. Using thin branches to form teepees over the gardens (that can also be covered in mesh to ward off bugs) adds to this garden’s delightful rural character.
The raised beds in this rural cook’s garden in Adelaide are made of corrugated iron and timber slats. Because these materials are seen everywhere in the local countryside the garden suits its location perfectly. Using thin branches to form teepees over the gardens (that can also be covered in mesh to ward off bugs) adds to this garden’s delightful rural character.
Use strong shapes
The bold circular forms and steel structure of these raised beds makes an emphatic design statement in this sustainable Perth garden. The round shapes are repeated in the paving circles and the path flows organically around the side of the garden.
The bold circular forms and steel structure of these raised beds makes an emphatic design statement in this sustainable Perth garden. The round shapes are repeated in the paving circles and the path flows organically around the side of the garden.
Paint structures to add colour
Painting is one of the easiest and most cost effective ways to personalise a space inside or out. In this very cute cook’s garden the chartreuse colour of the climbing frame and window box pops against the dark walls and green plants.
Painting is one of the easiest and most cost effective ways to personalise a space inside or out. In this very cute cook’s garden the chartreuse colour of the climbing frame and window box pops against the dark walls and green plants.
Build elegant screens
Vegetables need to be sheltered from wind and cold driving rain. Traditional potager gardens were sheltered by clipped, low hedging or walls of woven willow, brick, stone and/or timber. Ideas for built screens in contemporary cook’s gardens include timber trellises (as used in this Perth garden), corrugated steel, plastered concrete, brushed aluminium or brick.
Vegetables need to be sheltered from wind and cold driving rain. Traditional potager gardens were sheltered by clipped, low hedging or walls of woven willow, brick, stone and/or timber. Ideas for built screens in contemporary cook’s gardens include timber trellises (as used in this Perth garden), corrugated steel, plastered concrete, brushed aluminium or brick.
Grow edible walls
Espaliered fruit trees make beautiful living screens for a cook’s garden. Espaliering involves training selected branches to grow along horizontal supports (such as wire), either freestanding or against a wall as show here, and can be used for fig, apples, pears, apricots and many other fruit trees. A reasonable degree of pruning skill is required, though. Another excellent way to incorporate fruit trees into your cook’s garden is to make them standalone hedges. Chilean guava is the perfect plant for low hedges, while citrus, feijoa and cherry guava can be used for taller screening.
Espaliered fruit trees make beautiful living screens for a cook’s garden. Espaliering involves training selected branches to grow along horizontal supports (such as wire), either freestanding or against a wall as show here, and can be used for fig, apples, pears, apricots and many other fruit trees. A reasonable degree of pruning skill is required, though. Another excellent way to incorporate fruit trees into your cook’s garden is to make them standalone hedges. Chilean guava is the perfect plant for low hedges, while citrus, feijoa and cherry guava can be used for taller screening.
Incorporate vertical elements
Making use of vertical space with frames and arches is a good way to add an important structural dimension to your cook’s garden. It’s also an excellent method for growing vegies in limited areas such as on this deck space. Don’t restrict your vertical supports to tomatoes, beans and pea plants, though. Train vegetables, such as zucchinis, cucumbers and small pumpkins, up a sturdy support so they’ll get more sun and leave more room for other plants. While there are some gorgeous frames and arches around these days, home-made structures, such as a teepee made from bamboo poles or thin branches, will do the job equally well.
Making use of vertical space with frames and arches is a good way to add an important structural dimension to your cook’s garden. It’s also an excellent method for growing vegies in limited areas such as on this deck space. Don’t restrict your vertical supports to tomatoes, beans and pea plants, though. Train vegetables, such as zucchinis, cucumbers and small pumpkins, up a sturdy support so they’ll get more sun and leave more room for other plants. While there are some gorgeous frames and arches around these days, home-made structures, such as a teepee made from bamboo poles or thin branches, will do the job equally well.
Think visually with vegetables
Planting vegetables with strong ornamental appeal is one of the easiest ways to make your cooks’ garden look gorgeous. What about a lovely row of round green cabbages (as shown here) and palm-tree-like Cavolo Nero (black leaf kale), for instance? Or consider planting bright red chilli bushes and red and yellow stemmed beets, with chives planted around the edges of the bed to surround it by pink flowers in summer.
Kale always looks great as do frilly lettuces, frothy green parsley, purple sage and basil as well as variegated thyme and golden oregano. The bold foliage of rhubarb and globe artichokes add drama, but remember these vegies take up a lot of space and are perennials (live for several seasons) so they’ll do better in their own corner of the garden.
More: Homegrown: 10 Steps to Growing and Harvesting Spring Produce
Planting vegetables with strong ornamental appeal is one of the easiest ways to make your cooks’ garden look gorgeous. What about a lovely row of round green cabbages (as shown here) and palm-tree-like Cavolo Nero (black leaf kale), for instance? Or consider planting bright red chilli bushes and red and yellow stemmed beets, with chives planted around the edges of the bed to surround it by pink flowers in summer.
Kale always looks great as do frilly lettuces, frothy green parsley, purple sage and basil as well as variegated thyme and golden oregano. The bold foliage of rhubarb and globe artichokes add drama, but remember these vegies take up a lot of space and are perennials (live for several seasons) so they’ll do better in their own corner of the garden.
More: Homegrown: 10 Steps to Growing and Harvesting Spring Produce
Say it with flowers
Mixing flowers with herbs and vegetables is a tradition that has been practised by cottage and formal gardeners for centuries. Not only will they add colour and vitality to your cook’s garden but flowers also attract bees and other pollinators ensuring better cropping.
Plants, such as borage, bee balm, calendula, catnip, geranium, lavender, marigolds, nasturtium (pictured), rosemary, sage, viola and zinnia, act as companion plants, deterring pests or enticing beneficial insects to the vegetable garden. Many are multipurpose and are useful in cooking, herbal remedies or as garnishes.
Mixing flowers with herbs and vegetables is a tradition that has been practised by cottage and formal gardeners for centuries. Not only will they add colour and vitality to your cook’s garden but flowers also attract bees and other pollinators ensuring better cropping.
Plants, such as borage, bee balm, calendula, catnip, geranium, lavender, marigolds, nasturtium (pictured), rosemary, sage, viola and zinnia, act as companion plants, deterring pests or enticing beneficial insects to the vegetable garden. Many are multipurpose and are useful in cooking, herbal remedies or as garnishes.
Think outside the square
A contemporary rooftop garden seems an unlikely place to grow vegetables but it works very well here. The designer has created a sheltered zone for eating by surrounding the table with timber walls of varying heights that double as raised beds for herbs and vegetables. Using the same material for the deck and walls integrates the space, reinforcing its contemporary style.
MORE IDEABOOKS
So Your Garden Style Is: Formal
So Your Garden Style Is: Natural
Dream Spaces: Discover a Secret Garden of Your Own
A contemporary rooftop garden seems an unlikely place to grow vegetables but it works very well here. The designer has created a sheltered zone for eating by surrounding the table with timber walls of varying heights that double as raised beds for herbs and vegetables. Using the same material for the deck and walls integrates the space, reinforcing its contemporary style.
MORE IDEABOOKS
So Your Garden Style Is: Formal
So Your Garden Style Is: Natural
Dream Spaces: Discover a Secret Garden of Your Own
You’ll love it if… You enjoy growing edible plants but like your garden well designed, with a little definition and order.
Difficulty ranking: Reasonable level of DIY skills needed to build garden beds and paths in between.
Key plants: Herbs, companion plants, such as calendula and marigold to deter pests and add colour, herbs and vegetables with interesting foliage, such as globe artichoke, purple sage or bronze fennel.