Garden: why not add a kitchen garden?
Find out why setting up a kitchen garden in your garden is such a good idea!
Do you have a house with a garden? Why not add a kitchen garden or a herb bed for your guests to enjoy?
Why offer a kitchen garden?
Offering your guests a kitchen garden is a real bonus for you too. Eating well and local produce matter more and more to people. So if you invite your guests to help themselves and taste your delicious tomatoes this summer, they will be delighted!
Out of season, you can also offer jams, tomato sauces or pickles made with produce from your own garden! It really will make a difference, we promise.
If you have the time, you can create it yourself and plant, for example: squash, tomatoes, strawberries, peppers, lettuce... And if not, there are solutions for made-to-measure kitchen gardens!
Short of space?
You don't have enough space for a proper kitchen garden? Then go for a herb bed!
Smaller but just as pleasant and fun for your guests, it puts plenty of herbs within easy reach for cooking!
You could plant:
- Chives
- Parsley
- Thyme
- Mint
- Rosemary
To help it thrive, place it in a sunny, open and warm spot. You can buy a ready-made one or build it yourself. If you fancy giving it a go, here's how:
- Assemble 4 wooden boards measuring 1.20 m x 20 cm to form a square
- Add compost mixed with garden soil. If you have some, you can even add a little sand.
- Using a thick rope, mark out several squares according to the number of plants you want
So, are you tempted by our kitchen garden idea? Do send us your photos if you create one!
And if you would also like to make your property child-friendly, here is our advice.
Two options are available depending on your available space and ambitions.
| Option | Suggested plants | Setup | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full vegetable garden | Tomatoes, squash, strawberries, peppers, lettuce | DIY or custom-made | Adequate space, well-exposed |
| Herb square | Chives, parsley, thyme, mint, rosemary | 4 wooden planks (1.20 m × 20 cm), compost, soil, rope | Open space, sunny, warm |
| Main advantage | Wide range of flavors and fresh vegetables | Small footprint, fun for guests, fresh herbs for cooking | – |
| Off-season use | Jams, tomato sauces, pickles | Same | Same |
Frequently asked questions
Should I really let guests help themselves in the vegetable garden? Yes, otherwise it serves no purpose. A garden you can look at but not touch is a garden nobody dares to walk into. Tell your guests plainly what they may pick and what they should leave alone, and they will actually enjoy it.
I don’t have room for a vegetable garden. Is there an alternative? A raised herb bed. It is smaller, just as pleasant and fun, and it puts fresh herbs within reach for cooking. That is often enough to stand out.
Which plants should go in a herb bed? Chives, parsley, thyme, mint and rosemary. These are the herbs people reach for most when they cook on holiday. Nothing stops you adding others if the bed is big enough.
How do I build a herb bed myself? Assemble four wooden boards, 1.20 m long and 20 cm wide, into a square. Fill it with compost mixed with garden soil, plus a little sand if you have some. Then mark out several sections with a thick rope, depending on how many plants you are planning.
Where should the herb bed go? In a spot that is sunny, open and warm. That is what it takes for the bed to thrive instead of limping through a single season. Without that corner, there is little point starting: it will not give you much.
What about out of season, when the garden produces nothing? You turn what the garden did produce into jams, tomato sauces and pickles. A homemade jar left in the kitchen makes a real difference, even in midwinter. And nothing goes to waste.
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