The most divine dining experiences often include dishes made with fresh ingredients. It’s an experience your soul will thank you for with flavors your taste buds will never forget. No need to book a fancy flight or drive to undergo this ordeal; you can craft the class and comfort of a five-star establishment or a farm-to-table restaurant in the comfort of your backyard with a culinary garden.
Why A Culinary Garden Should Be On Your To-Do List
Generally speaking, gardening can be done in a space of any size and has great health benefits as it's a wonderful form of exercise that also connects you to the planet.
A culinary or kitchen garden, however, has more purpose. This method of growing fresh, organic foods enhances your meals and builds a fond relationship with every plate you eat.
Give up the idea of relying on Walmart for their produce. Are they out of the ripe tomatoes you need for your pizza recipe? Well, you can grab them from your garden instead.
With fewer trips to the grocery store, you may even start embarking on your homesteading journey. Homesteading is a lifestyle that’s becoming more popular with Millennials where people live off their land. They make their own food, tools, and clothes that they consume or sell.
If that lifestyle is too drastic for you we can focus on the other benefits of a culinary garden such as healthier eating habits, cooking more often, and getting family and friends of all ages interested in growing their food.
What Your Garden Should Grow
A culinary garden should include a balanced mixture of fruits, vegetables, and herbs. If you don’t know where to start, think back to the recipes you cook the most and begin there. I must give a fair warning that this is not an easy journey to embark on. Your best bet is to combine your common ingredients with the foods that are the easiest to grow, or the hardest to kill.
Easy Vegetables
- Peppers
- Cabbage
- Garlic
- Carrots
- Radishes
- Green beans
Easy Fruits
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Strawbeeues
- Raspberries
Easy Herbs
- Basil
- Chives
- Cilantro
- Mint
- rosemary
Best Practices for the Best Results
Create Good Soil
You may want to get your soil tested to ensure your food can thrive in your environment; good soil leads to good produce. The good news is any soil can be crafted to bear fruitful vegetation by utilizing compost, manure, and mulch.
Buy or DIY Raised Bed
If your soil isn’t the best and you don’t have time to develop it, a raised bed is your next best option. Raised beds may be a better option because they are above ground. This allows for better draining of your plants to protect them from root rot. They’re also enclosed with materials like wood or rocks making them more appealing to the eye and while they protect your food from pests.
Start your raised bed with a combination of pre-made soil and easy plants, and you’ll culinary garden will be ready in no time.
Set A Watering and Tending Schedule
Remember these are plants, and unless you have timed sprinklers or hired labor, you can’t get lazy about this. Regular care will lead to the best-tasting and highest-reaping produce you can grow.
Beware of Pests
We mentioned raised beds are protective from pests, and while that’s true, this mainly keeps away the wild animals like deer, rabbits, and groundhogs that like to snack on all your hard work. Other pests like bugs and flies will need a form of pesticides. It’s best to use a natural pesticide like neem or vegetable oil spray, but the choice is yours.
Grow, Cook, and Eat All in One Place
Now that you have cultivated this natural life, it’s time to showcase it to your guests. Engage them in their meal by having them help harvest your produce, prepare the meal, and even cook it outdoors.
This part of the culinary garden journey is optional and will require assistance, but the rewards outweigh the cost. Depending on your area, fitting this experience into one space can be a hassle.
I’ve had friends with large elaborate backyards in Maine and Connecticut that had no qualms fitting the cooking, growing, and dining experience in their outdoor spaces. Being in Pennsylvania, I was blessed with the landscapers near me who were used to making the most out of tight outdoor areas.
Enjoy Farm Fresh Living Today
Start your lifestyle of only using fresh, home-grown foods, and begin your culinary garden this spring. Amaze your dinner guests and let their taste buds dance with the produce you tilled with your hands. A culinary garden is a true craft that takes patience and practice. Set out on your journey and see what feelings, and foods it will bear.