From Plan to Plate: Pro Tips for Small Kitchen Gardens

Written by Renee Soucy

Clear expectations and considered solutions elevate the pleasures of all things alfresco, especially spaces devoted to food preparation and entertaining. At the start of the peak growing season, we caught up with one of NYC’s finest, Clay Gruber of Harrison Green, to discuss the challenges and rewards of designing small scale kitchen gardens.

Early Expectations

You can never ask too many questions in the discovery phase, but asking the right ones upfront can save time and potential headaches. Clay explains: “The first questions are: How much is the kitchen going to be used? And then if the kitchen is going to be used [regularly], how much will the kitchen garden actually be used? There are some clients who just like the idea of having a kitchen garden, so the first task is to understand and manage expectations.”

In the “dream vs. reality” discussion around a small kitchen garden, it is essential to determine if the desire for the garden is decorative or utilitarian. The good news is that there’s no wrong answer.

 “I've worked on large regenerative agricultural projects to small scale kitchen gardens and the expectation that you always have to manage is that utilitarian gardens can be a bit unkempt if they're actually being used. They're not always picturesque. So, if your client is someone who's going to really use the herbs, you have to set that expectation that this is a working landscape even at a small scale of a terrace or a backyard and it's going to present that way much like a farm would. [Alternately] there are some people who just want a sprig of thyme or rosemary; lovely plants whether you're using them in an edible capacity or in an ornamental capacity. 

“There's definitely that balance [to address] but if we have a client who we know is really attracted mostly to the idea of it, then we’ll lean into varieties that are hardy and look beautiful like a rosemary or a thyme and integrate them into the broader ornamental garden. If there’s a client who really wants utility, the response is ‘Let's have at it! Let's get the more tender plants such as a basil or parsley or chive. Just understand that these are regenerating throughout the summer and therefore will be a little unkempt.’ That's part of the fun of it. I think it's just more [about] setting the expectation of use versus aesthetics.” 

Design: Terra Firma Design
Photography: Birdhouse Media

The Down Low on Growing Up 

There was a time – not so long ago – when many Pinterest and IG feeds sprouted snaps of vertical gardens and walls bursting with herbs and plants growing en masse from small, slightly marsupial-looking pouches.

Clay’s take on going up? “I haven't designed many vertical gardens. My instinct is the reason why. They always feel a little out of place to me and I think one of the big reasons is that plants grow in the earth. A lot of vertical gardens don't have the soil capacity to sustain a healthy environment for a plant long-term.” Perhaps that’s why we’ve seen a precipitous drop in those pouches in our feeds? “I think it's soil and water conditions that are driving a lot of plant failures in vertical gardens. That's my instinct from seeing them.” 

While taste is subjective, and (to some degree) the client is always right, any design that relies on little pouches or other unorthodox approaches is probably going to be short-lived. If you’re going to be growing vertically, devote a shelf (or shelves) to potted plants or – better yet – choose a clip-in container with generous depth. 

Photography: Melanie Bellemare

Material Concerns 

When asked about choosing container materials (metal vs. terracotta etc.) Clay responds, “I think there's something in the American imagination of associating terracotta with an arid climate – with plants like rosemary or lavender – and with a kind of reverence for the Mediterranean – but one of the great things is that stylistically you can really work with any material.” 

Design: Frontiers Design + Build

Planning for Success

Just like the mythical concept of ‘effortless style’ requires know-how and effort, a petit potager requires planning beyond sunlight analysis and watering sources. Lifestyles, regional climates, and personal tastes all enter the equation. Whatever the combination, designing the kitchen and the kitchen garden together will always deliver a more cohesive, holistic result. “Most of the plants I’ve mentioned are hardy plants and like any material or pot. So that's where I think you can really integrate [containers and plantings] with the ornamental and stylistic components of your architecture.”

Pocket Potager Essentials

Rosemary

'Foresteri' Rosemarinus

Thyme

'Caraway-Scented Thyme'
Thymus herba-barona

Sage

'Dwarf Green'
Salvia officinalis

Dill

'Bouquet'
Anethum graveolens

Chives

Allium Schoenoprasum

Mint

'Moroccan'
Mentha spicata var. crispa

Header Image Credit
Design: Harrison Green
Photography: Nicholas Calcott⁠

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