The traditional kitchen garden, also known as a potager, is a seasonally used space separate from the rest of the residential garden--the ornamental plants and lawn areas. Most vegetable gardens are still miniature versions of old family farm plots, but the kitchen garden is different not only in its history, but also its design.

The kitchen garden is a landscape feature that can be the central feature of an ornamental, all-season landscape. It is a source of herbs, vegetables, and flowers, but it is also a structured garden space, a design based on repetitive geometric patterns.

The kitchen garden has year-round visual appeal and can incorporate permanent perennials or woody plantings around (or among) the annual plants.

References

• Bartley, Jennifer R. Designing the New Kitchen Garden: An American Potager Handbook. Timber Press: Portland, 2006. ISBN 978-0-88192-772-6.