Kitchen Gardens: Beyond the Vegetable Patch - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1889538051 ISBN 13: 9781889538051

Publisher: Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 2001

Synopsis

Presents designs for kitchen gardens, with information on building raised beds, preparing soil, and plant selection

About this title

Reviews

The difference between vegetable gardens and kitchen gardens, writes Turner in her introduction to Kitchen Gardens, is that "a kitchen garden has style." No more straight boring rows of vegetables: culinary gardens can now be made in a variety of styles and laid out in intricate patterns that include plenty of flowers among the edibles. Recognized garden writers address this style in 17 chapters: Suzy Bales on kitchen gardens in bloom, Renee Shepherd on essential vegetable plants, Cathy Barash on kitchen gardening in the Northeast, and so on. Grouped by theme (design, basic techniques, plant material, region), these short essays provide the inspiration and basic information to get any gardener started. The Gertleys' book concentrates on just one of the possible design styles for a kitchen garden, based on the parterre de broderie, which achieved its ultimate glory at Versailles. Beginning with simple geometric shapes, their designs become increasingly complex as they use Celtic knots, Japanese crests, and quilt patterns as their inspiration. These gardens demand much of their creators, as they must be meticulously laid out, carefully groomed, and even harvested with care in order not to destroy the patterns made by the vegetables. Unfortunately the diagrams for the various garden layouts are hard to decipher, putting an unnecessary burden on the gardener. A better volume to follow up on the ideas of Kitchen Gardens is Susan McClure's Culinary Gardens (LJ 10/1/97). For specialized collections.?Molly Newling, Piscataway P.L.,
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Brooklyn Botanic Garden
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1889538051
• ISBN 13: 9781889538051
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 112
• Editor: Carole Turner