My appreciation for the kitchen garden started with the one we had at home when I was a boy. I was lucky enough to grow up with an abundance of fresh produce on our doorstep – the garden was Mum’s pride and joy, and her Sri Lankan heritage was a big influence on what she grew and how we ate it. The immense pleasure she gets from tending her garden and cooking whatever is in season (and sharing it with everyone she knows!) goes to show how the simple act of growing food can enrich our lives in so many ways (see pages 146–153 for the story of Mama Durie’s garden).
A successful kitchen garden doesn’t have to be large – you’ll reap the rewards of growing even a few herbs and vegies. Once you’ve experienced the satisfaction of eating homegrown produce, though, it’s hard to resist planting more. My most vivid memory of taking something out of the ground, cooking it and eating it was on a beach holiday with friends. They were growing potatoes and I dug some up, threw them into a saucepan and ran down to the surf to fill it up with seawater. We boiled them and ate them with dobs of butter and freshly ground black pepper – I can still recall the amazing flavour of those spuds. There is nothing quite like the taste of food straight out of the soil, and that’s why growing edibles is so addictive. Before you know it, you’ll be composting, seeking out heirloom seeds and installing a chicken coop!
When you start planning your kitchen garden, don’t fall into the trap of thinking it can’t be as attractive as an ornamental one. Just take a look at the Chiswick garden on pages 168–179 – it’s living proof that if you put a bit of thought into the design of a productive garden, the results can be absolutely stunning.
