Kitchen gardens were once a staple in the vast majority of homes -- even those situated in dense urban environments. As its name implies, kitchen gardens are specifically for growing herbs and vegetables meant to be used when preparing meals for the family table. Over the years, kitchen gardens fell out of fashion, but like many things that were once widely seen in American landscapes, they're making a comeback.
The main purpose of a kitchen garden is to provide convenient access to commonly used herbs and vegetables. When you're in the midst of preparing a meal, for instance, and need a certain ingredient, you can simply open the kitchen door and grab whatever you need. Kitchen gardens were never meant to take the place of a family's main vegetable and herb garden -- instead, they acted as adjuncts, containing much of the same plants grown in the main garden. Many current homeowners, however, have chosen to grow kitchen gardens only. After all, household sizes are smaller now, and most people simply don't need as much fresh produce as their counterparts of the past. Even though the traditional cottage kitchen garden often achieved an effortless charm, modern homeowners are also more mindful of aesthetics.
Here's how you can ensure that your kitchen garden is both attractive and functional.
Add a Stone Fountain
A stone fountain provides both visual and audial benefits. The sound of water is a peaceful and soothing, and stone fixtures add a classic accent.
Add Hanging Baskets
Any garden looks more balanced if it's got some dimensional aspects, so don't be afraid to bring a few hanging baskets to the picture. Items that grow well in hanging baskets include cherry tomatoes, snap peas, and strawberries. As an added bonus, these will be high enough off the ground so there's little risk of losing them to opportunistic pests such as rodents and raccoons.
Go Vertical
Today's outdoor living spaces are generally much smaller than their counterparts of the past, You can make the most of a small space by adding a living wall to your kitchen garden. You can buy a vertical garden structure at your local home improvement retailer of construct one yourself -- they're basically just a structure that holds pots of various sizes that can hold herbs and flowers.
Besides vegetables and herbs, flowers are also classic components of kitchen gardens. After all, what better way to quickly dress up the dinner table by grabbing a handful of flowers from the kitchen garden? If you want to know more, try visiting sites like Williams & Williams Landscaping, Inc if you have more questions.
