Plant a Kitchen Garden | Grow a Potagers Garden

KITCHEN GARDENS…..These are relatively small gardens that provide super easy access to fresh lettuces, greens, and vegetables during meal preparation. Learn how to plant a kitchen garden today!

These small gardens are usually located just outside the kitchen or porch door. They differ from the mainstay crops in a larger vegetable garden or homesteading garden.

Having a smaller garden close to the kitchen makes a quick trip to the garden for a few fresh veggies or herbs so much easier! Lettuce, spinach, greens, scallions, shallots, celery, tomatoes, and carrots are all crops that can be grown in a Kitchen Garden.

Plant a Kitchen Garden

In the past, people needed to grow their food. Larger gardens produced most of the crops, like potatoes, corn, carrots, onions, beets, and turnips.

These gardens were often far from the main house, making it difficult to collect food right before cooking.

Kitchen gardens became popular because they made it easy to pick fresh lettuce and greens for salads, along with side vegetables like baby carrots, peas, and beans.

Ideas:

Here are some tips for making your own garden space. You can grow plants in a small area near your kitchen or use containers on your deck, patio, or balcony.

I’ve grown tasty lettuce in pots and even grow bags!!

The goal is to create a small and easy way to collect fresh food daily, right before cooking!

Step One: Choose the Best Spot:

Pick a place that gets at least 6 hours of sunlight each day; 8 hours is even better.

If you need help finding the right spot for your garden, check out How to Pick Your Garden Location.

Step Two: Decide What you Want to Plant

Cut and Come Again Lettuce varieties like : Red Sails or Red Oak Leaf and Black Seeded Simpson are both perfect for small salad gardens.

All of these are old standbys; easy to grow and great producers. If you are new to gardening, it is a great idea to start with easy-to-grow varieties.

Red and Green Leaf Lettuce

I highly recommend all of these. Red Sails is a beautiful red-tipped lettuce, while Black Seeded Simpson is a ruffled, hardy green leaf lettuce.

• Lettuce Baby Mesclun Gourmet Mixes are also fun to grow and will give you both a nice variety and colorful harvest.

These particular lettuces can be harvested by pinching off the larger leaves and letting the smaller ones continue growing or simply trimming an entire section by cutting the row down to approximately 2 inches above the ground.

Do not pull the plants if you want them to continue growing.

Simply trim the entire plant back but leave at least 2 inches of the lettuce plant. These plants will continue growing and can be harvested again in about 10 days.

It is a marvelous way to have lettuce all season long! Remember: Cut and Come Again!

Easy to Grow Vegetable Ideas

• Radishes are a wonderfully easy crop to grow in your small garden. French breakfast radishes are wonderful.
• But think about Easter egg radishes which include at least 4 color variations of radishes…so fun and easy to grow. These are so fun and easy to grow!!!

• Bloomsdale Long Standing Spinach is another easy crop to grow. To harvest spinach for salads, simply pinch off the larger leaves and allow the smaller leaves to continue growing.
• Kale and chard are both great greens to grow in your Kitchen Garden.
• Snow Peas or Snap Peas are also easy to grow. These can be planted early in the spring as soon as the ground can be worked. Once they start producing, keep picking both of these, and they will continue producing. Snow peas and snap peas are perfect additions to fresh summertime salads!
• Scallions (green onions) are wonderful in your small garden. These are super easy to grow and perfect for stir-fry, vegetable trays, and anytime you want fresh onion flavor. These can be direct seeded in your small garden plot.
• Tiny Tim Tomatoes are one of my favorites for small gardens or pots. These are easy to grow and are prolific. Tiny Tim tomatoes are a determinate variety, which means they only grow to a certain height. Indeterminate tomato plants continually grow and will need to be staked. Determinate tomato varieties are perfect for small areas, porches, patios, and decks, as they only grow to a certain height.
• Napoli Carrots grow quickly and can be harvested when they are small and finger-sized. They are very sweet and tasty! If you have too many, check out this Store Your Carrots for Winter!!! It’s easy enough for anyone to do!
• You can also try growing Beets for extra healthy greens!

Step Three: Design Your Garden Space

Grab your paper and pencil to design your garden. Instead of using only straight rows, mix it up by making some rows horizontal and others vertical.

Alternate red and green lettuces for more variety. Don’t forget to plant some marigolds and nasturtiums for extra interest!

Sunflowers will also add a bright splash of color!

I love my vegetable gardens to be beautiful……so make sure you consider moving your rows around a little to create interest.

You will be glad you did as each time to go out to pick your fresh greens, it will brings a sense of pride and joy!!

This is your garden space! Make it the way you want……. ♥

Helpful Information: Preview Lesson from the best Introductory Herbal Course  

Also, remember……you can simply plant in planters like this:

Step Four: Start Planting

I realize this might be a little late for some gardeners, but we actually had snow last night! So there is time… I am always pushing the envelopes. Trying new things and ideas.

Even if it seems a bit late for some veggies, lettuces, spinach, radishes, and scallions, you can still plant them as they all grow fast. Some lettuces are ready to pick in 30 days as baby lettuce!

Now, consider how you are going to plant your seeds by either starting them indoors or directly seeding them into your garden soil or flower pots.

As you are preparing your soil, add an organic all-purpose fertilizer or compost to your dirt as you are planting a kitchen garden in your backyard.

Plant your seeds according to the individual instructions. For potted plantings, using a balanced planting medium is the best.

I really encourage you to use organic garden soil if possible for your lettuces, greens, and veggies. Plants that grow quickly need great nutrients right from the start!

Related Post:  10 Garden Seed Starting Ideas

the kitchen garden

The Modern Kitchen Garden

Do Not Forget to Get Your Salad Spinner!

I use this, and I really like it! Look for something similar to wash and crisp your fresh greens and lettuces.

Some Top Garden Picks from Amazon:

Dr. Earth Organic Tomato, Vegetable & Herb Fertilizer

Sow the Right Seeds Classic Collection

Kitchen Herbs Organic Seed Collection

In Conclusion:

Kitchen gardens make it easy to add fresh vegetables and herbs to your meals. Freshly picked veggies can enhance any dish!

So why not start your own kitchen garden today and enjoy homegrown goodness in every meal?

Pin It for Safe Keeping!