Book Review: The Art of the Kitchen Garden

I have always dreamed of planting a beautiful little kitchen garden outside my back door. One with multiple beds filled with a wonderful mix of herbs, flowers and vegetables within easy reach. The Art of the Kitchen Garden by Jan & Michael Gertley sent my brain into overtime as I looked at the 125 color photos of marvelously designed beds of blooming flowers and delectable vegetables. Unfortunately, my backyard is not suitable for a vegetable garden because of a heavy tree canopy, but this book helped me realize that I can interplant veggies and herbs in my front yard and no one would be the wiser. As a matter of fact, the garden layouts in this book will work just as well for annual and perennial beds – sans the vegetables.

This married couple has taken square foot gardening to a whole new level with their interesting garden designs. No one could ever accuse them of not thinking outside of the box. Their designs range from simple (including window box and container plans) to more intricate, and include accompanying plant lists, plant layout plans and measurement grids. I especially like her idea of placing a table and chairs in the center of the kitchen garden where you can relax and drink in the fragrant smells of herbs and flowers or, enjoy an outdoor lunch. I think that is a great idea, plus it gives the gardener a place to sit for a spell and watch her veggies grow.

All of the gardens in this book are very pretty in style and are simple enough to do on a small or large scale. Anyone with a small backyard could eliminate the grass altogether and create a beautiful and easy to maintain mix of flowers, herbs and vegetables. They are practical in the sense that they appear to produce a fair amount of produce, herbs and cutting flowers. I thought the cages they created for climbing veggies, such as tomatoes, cukes, beans, and more were very clever, and I wasted no time in pointing them out to my husband as soon as he came home from work:). The chapters include information on how to create your own designs (quilters will love this section), mixing colors, adding textures, combining heights, growing from seed or buying seedlings, garden preparation and maintenance, installing features, and harvesting.

Anyone who has ever dreamed of creating their own (little or large), unique kitchen garden will inhale this book. The garden designs will definitely add a wonderful element to any garden, and a gardener with an artistic eye will wish they had more space in which to create.

I purchased my copy of The Art of the Kitchen Garden through one of Amazon’s used book dealers. I’ve had great luck purchasing used books, and every one of them has been in the condition that was described. This book is no exception. It is in “brand new” condition. Purchasing used books is a great way to save lots of money, especially if you love books like I do.

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