Beautifully designed keyhole kitchen garden compliments this historic stone house in the Upper Arlington area of Columbus, Ohio. This was a custom design and installation for a longtime client who recently moved to a new home and needed a new vegetable garden.

A common gardening myth is that you need a lot of space to grow food. However, all you really need is sun, soil, and water.

Finding the right space and set up for kitchen gardens makes all of the difference.

This is especially true for this twin kitchen garden that we installed in 2020 in the Upper Arlington area of Columbus, Ohio.

The first thing we do during a consult is review our client’s yard and existing landscaping.

Our wonderful client recently moved into this home in Plain City and knew that she needed a kitchen garden. She has been gardening for years and for her, spending time in her garden brings her peace and joy. She wanted a space that was beautiful and complimented her lovely home and yard.

As growers, we put so much love and care into our gardens. Watching a vegetable plant get decimated by a pest or disease can feel so frustrating and discouraging. However, pests are a part of organic gardening, so finding ways to deal with them is essential. 

The best way to describe this client’s experience with her kitchen garden is…pure joy!

I love watching clients go from uncertain or reluctant gardener to full blown confident, happy gardener.

And watching this client grow in her beautiful kitchen garden has been so amazing.

I met this client during our consultation in early 2020, just weeks before the stay at home order went into place.

She had an existing kitchen garden, but felt that it was hard to maintain and it was having some structural issues. They had a beautiful backyard in Merion Village and wanted a kitchen garden that complimented their space.

This Central Clintonville yard got the VIP treatment.

A new fence, an amazing kitchen garden, and a beautiful new patio completely transformed this space.

During the consult, this client confided that she was not sure whether or not she could keep vegetable plants alive, but she was really excited to try.

This client had such an amazing vision for their kitchen garden.

During the consult we found two locations that could work for a kitchen garden. The first was a very small space in their backyard. The second was much larger and was located in their front yard.

Most frost tolerant crops can withstand temperatures as low as 26 degrees Fahrenheit. Meaning you can continue to enjoy them well into Fall. Here in Columbus, Ohio you can expect to keep harvesting from your garden thru October, November, and potentially beyond depending on that fickle Ohio weather.

A lot of our clients are brand new to growing food at home. They are interested in trying, but feel very nervous about getting started. Almost every single one tells me that they are afraid they will kill everything.

It’s October in Columbus, Ohio. I bet you’re thinking the planting season is over? Think again! Now is the perfect time to plant garlic in the garden. 

It all started with a consult…

I met with our wonderful client at her Upper Arlington home in January of 2020. She had an existing tiered kitchen garden. Some of it had done well, well other things had suffered.

During garden consultations, one thing I spend a lot of time discussing with clients is the different growing seasons of Columbus. Many people think that the growing season starts in May and ends in September. However, our gardening season can actually last through November, or even longer depending on the weather.

While you are dreaming about future PSL’s and apple picking you might not be thinking about planning your garden. But fall is actually the BEST time of year to plan and install your kitchen garden.

There’s a common misconception that you can only plant in the garden in mid May and that the growing season is over by the end of September. However, you can actually begin planting in early April and you can continue to plant every single month until October. Depending on what you plant you can even continue to harvest into December or later.

This formal potager garden was a dream to design. We included 4 very large, cedar raised beds with plenty of space in the center of the garden for a farm style table.

We recently installed is delightful, front yard kitchen garden for a young couple in Reynoldsburg. During a coaching session this client revealed to me that gardening had been somewhat emotional for her thus far.

Believe it or not, there are still vegetables that can be planted in your kitchen garden in July here in Columbus, Ohio.

Personally, I make it a point to plant something in my garden every single month from April to October.

Earlier this spring we had the pleasure of installing this beautiful kitchen garden in New Albany, Ohio.