How to Design an Ornamental Kitchen Garden

If you've always thought there were two kinds of gardens - the kind that produce food and the kind that are beautiful to look at - think again. Imagine a patchwork of colorful vegetables and fruits, pungent culinary herbs and fragrant flowers to pick by the basket load.

Difficulty: Moderately challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Garden Spades
• Lawn Edgers
• All-purpose Flour
• Pencils
• Graph Papers
• Pencils
• Pencils

Visualize Your Dream Garden

1. Study your intended planting area. How much sun does it get? Most vegetables and herbs and many flowers perform their best when they get at least 10 hours a day of sun (what the garden books describe as 'full sun'). Some, however, will tolerate partial sun - six hours a day - though they may not produce as abundantly.

2. Decide what purpose your garden will serve. Do you want a source of food and flowers for a large family and a steady stream of guests? Or for two, with a little extra for occasional visitors?

3. Do some research. Read some of the many books and magazines devoted to beautiful food gardens and study the pictures. Note the ones that appeal to you and why. Or, visit a botanical garden or horticulture school that has an ornamental kitchen garden - many do these days. Call first before heading out; if they don't have one, they can probably steer you to one that's close by.

4. Think realistically about how much time you want to spend tending your garden. Decide on a size you think you can handle comfortably, then reduce it by a third. (You can always enlarge it later.)

5. Decide on the plants you want to grow. Again, books and a few rounds of garden touring will help you decide. Think particularly in terms of heirloom plants. These older, often ancient, varieties of fruits, vegetables and herbs are almost always more flavorful than modern hybrids and often more colorful as well; the flowers are usually more fragrant, too.

Plunge In

6. Determine the garden design (or combination of several designs) that appeals to you, and sketch its outlines on paper. You needn't draw it to scale; simply note the dimensions.

7. Remove any sod covering and prepare the site for planting (see Related eHows).

8. 'Draw' your design on your planting site, next, using all-purpose flour. Sizes and shapes look different on the ground than they do on paper, so play with the spaces until you're happy with them (just brush away the flour and start over).

9. Mark the outlines you like in more lasting form. If your design consists primarily of straight lines, it's easy to use stakes and twine to indicate the edges of your beds; for curves and freeform shapes, use a spade or lawn-edging tool to mark the ground.

10. Erect any fences, walls or trellises, and lay out paths - whether of brick, sod or gravel - before you plant.

Tips & Warnings

• In your search for inspiration, consider not only plants, but also design features such as pathways; fences, walls and trellises; and the sizes and shapes of planting areas. And don't forget useful and beautiful extras, such as birdbaths, sundials and fountains. You might also want to add a table and chairs or a cozy seating area to your garden.