Tuesday, January 19, 2010

GARDEN SPECIALIST

Doctors, lawyers, engineers & more have specialties. ELLEN OGDEN is the KITCHEN GARDEN specialist.
Whether you have acreage or a tiny city apartment you can have a kitchen garden. Beautifully & easily.
.
Ellen & I spoke at the same symposium in Vermont a couple of years ago. Wow. Author, speaker, gardener. She's been living a kitchen garden lifestyle for decades.
.
No, dahlings, kitchen gardens aren't boring or ugly. Think potagere. The French concept of vegetables-herbs-fruits-flowers-flowering shrubs in lovely combination.
.
Garden & Be Well, XO Tara
.
Pics from Ellen's site, Kitchen Garden Designs.
.
Note: You think a kitchen garden will be too much work? The work my garden does on me is more important than the work (playing*) I do in my garden.
.
* We don't say, "I work tennis, I work football, I work golf." Ha, "I play tennis, I play football, I play golf." However, with thanks, my garden does, indeed, work on me.

7 comments:

La Petite Gallery said...

Hello,
My first visit. Believe me there will be more visits. Love your site.

Yvonne from Maine USA

the gardener's cottage said...

Hi Tara,

So well put.

I also loved your post (a few back) regarding gardens of our mothers compared to the slick layout garden of today. I just loved all the thinking behind that. My garden (w/o a sprinkler system) will never be a fancy pants garden. It's a pretty garden that is what it is. Fancy pants doesn't work here.

~janet

Vera @ Cozy Little Cabin said...

Oh Tara! This is just what I needed to hear right now as we transition from one home to another.

One of my favorite books, is "The Art of French Vegetable Gardening". . . it's already packed, but I know where it's at & once moved will pull it out and daydream!

All last week I heard people talk about all the "work" we put into this garden & all the "work" we spent digging up & moving plants. I kept saying it wasn't work . . . we "like" doing it. I will be quoting you from now on about how we DON'T say I'm working tennis, etc. Perfect Tara . . . . just perfect!

Blayne Macauley said...

Last year I had all my veggies and herbs separated from my flowers, but if I can just get it together this year, I hope to integrate the two a bit more!

Unknown said...

Beautifully put as always! We began a pottager last year, and have plans on expanding this year....indeed, it grows and grows!

debra @ 5th and state said...

work you ask?

not at all, in my mind. i want the kitchen garden in "it's complicated".........perfect; no bug damage, no weeds, decorative, and restive while harvesting one's bounty casually in the latest garden fashion. yep, that is what i want!

TTI said...

I remember reading a document about 'ideal exposure' for plants and gardens. So, what is ideal exposure for a kitchen garden? Or, is it more of a matter of direct light versus shade?