This week I gave a presentation on kitchen garden design to the Lopez Island Garden Club.  As examples of kitchen gardens, I used photographs that my husband Scott took this past July of more than a dozen kitchen gardens here on Lopez Island. From his work, I selected photos of garden gates, vegetable beds, tomato houses and berry enclosures to illustrate the wide range of design options in each of these areas.  My thanks to all the Lopez Island kitchen gardeners who shared their gardens, apologies to those whose gardens I missed, and special thanks to Scott for taking the photographs.

Gates: Welcome to the Kitchen Garden

Garden Beds: Lots of design options

Ground level beds

Raised beds at different heights

Beds sided with different materials: wood, metal, stone

Beds separated by paths of different materials: dirt, grass, wood chips, gravel

Beds that are part of landscaped lawns

Beds that are enclosed by fences

Permanent Garden Beds: Lots of advantages

Keep the growing area free of foot traffic

Build up good soil

Improve drainage

Provide a surface for attaching fencing or hoop houses

Create a comfortable height for tending beds

Accommodate sloped terrain

Tomato enclosures: plastic, polycarbonate, glass

Berry enclosures: frames and netting