5 Things to Consider Before Starting A Kitchen Garden
Who, What, Where, How Much + Why
At Moonflower Kitchen Gardens, we know that a garden needs to be as individual and unique as the gardener — that’s why when we meet with you for a new Garden Design Consult appointment, you’ll have a different experience than you would with most other landscape industry service providers. We spend time getting to know you by learning what your specific needs and interests are for your space, and how your new kitchen garden will fit into your life.
Before you think about starting a new kitchen garden, or as you’re prepping for a Garden Design Consult with us, consider reflecting on the five questions we’ll guide you through that will help inform your garden plans and set-up.
1. Who
Who will be involved in your new garden?
Who is the garden for? Who will spend time in and enjoy the garden?
This will include who will do the garden install —the heavy lifting to set up the garden (whether that’s you, us, or someone else), who will plant and tend the garden, who will spend time in the garden and who will harvest from and enjoy the garden.
Moonflower Kitchen Gardens can handle the hard work of estimating, sourcing, ordering and delivering materials as well as the labor to take your garden from our digital design to your reality.
When you’re ready to install, we’ll manage the full project. If we can’t do any element of the project ourselves, we’ll connect you to the best specialized installers to do the job right and provide oversight of the work.
Who will do the work of install, maintenance and general upkeep chores or planting, tending and harvesting?
We can also help plant and tend the garden — when you work with us for an install project, you’ll receive 12 months of coaching support sessions at a discounted rate for your first full year of enjoying your garden. We’ll meet regularly with you and anyone else you want involved in the garden and guide you through all the upkeep tasks for your new kitchen garden.
Or, if you’d rather not do the regular upkeep of your garden yourself, we can offer you garden maintenance services. Keep in mind many of the plants you’ll want to grow are annuals that only spend about 90 - 120 days growing in the garden total, meaning your garden will need to be replanted once every three months.
2. What
What are you planning to grow and what are your goals for the garden?
This is the most exciting part — and you probably already have priority plants in mind that you can’t wait to harvest from your new garden. In Florida, the options are wide-ranging and plentiful thanks to our mild climate.
We can grow from seed, called direct sowing, or from transplant plants in Florida during each season.
If you’re not sure what you want to grow or want to get a bit of experience with everything, we can also help guide you through the decisions you’ll make on what you’ll plant from seed or from transplant into the garden every season.
Often, it can help to consider what some of your favorite meals are to make and what you’re frequently buying from the grocery store. If we know the plants you’re envisioning of growing, we can ensure we set you up for success.
3. Where
Where do you plan for your kitchen garden to be within your yard space?
You’ve probably also got the perfect spot in mind and a place you’re already picturing your new kitchen garden, whether small or large-scale. If not, or if you’re not sure where a garden will do or look best, we’ll help you understand your options. We’ll prioritize sunlight, accessibility and proximity to a convenient water source.
Where you choose to locate your garden can impact the amount you can harvest and your success in general growing a variety of fruits and vegetables.
When we meet you in your space, we’ll walk the yard and narrow down the location to the best-situated area, and we’ll stake out the space so you can visualize your new garden. We’ll also ensure there aren’t any immovable obstacles in the way and that the space is as directionally oriented to the sun as possible.
4. How Much?
Think about how much space, budget and time you can dedicate to your garden, in addition to how much production you expect.
The space you have for your garden may be limited by your existing landscaping or the size of your yard, but it’s important to consider what the size of your new kitchen garden will be — whether large or small-scale. We generally recommend a minimum growing space of 16 square feet in order to make the install of a raised garden bed and any additional garden structures such as trellises, pathways, ground covers and borders worth your investment.
When you have enough garden space, you can experiment with more varieties of plants, and plants that take up more space in the garden, such as large bush beans.
How much money do you have budgeted for your new kitchen garden? We can work with you no matter your budget and have options even for DIY kits — but it’s helpful to have a range in mind (such as less than $1,000, up to $5,000, between $5,000 - $10,000, etc.) so we can give you a better understanding of what’s possible to plan for based on your general budget.
Think about how much time you have to tend to your garden each week and make it part of your new routine — and consider that the larger the garden, generally the more maintenance that will be required. And lastly, how much would you like to harvest from your new garden?
5. Why?
What’s inspiring you to set up a new kitchen garden?
Tell us about what’s most appealing to you about the prospect of having a kitchen garden — is it growing your own produce to improve your or your family’s diet or meet specialized health needs, or is it an interest in learning new things and getting the experiential return that a new hobby can bring? Or, maybe you’re primarily looking forward to the aesthetic appeal that the garden will bring your landscape or that you want to live a more sustainable lifestyle?
We want to understand what’s important to you and can’t wait to get growing and for you to discover the joy of gardening, no matter what brings you to it.
Schedule a New Garden Design Consult Today
The best time to get started on your new kitchen garden is now.
To ensure the best service for our clients, we schedule a limited amount of consults, coaching sessions and garden installations each season. Appointments fill up fast — don’t wait to make your booking so we can get you gardening this season.