Themed Kitchen Gardens
Good cooks usually plan their kitchen garden or gardens with menus and favorite dishes in mind. They indulge their whims with gardens designed to let them cook a variety of specialties, French, Italian, Asian, Mexican, or vegetarian dishes. If you are a diabetic or have heart problems there is also a kitchen garden with your health needs in mind.
Before you rush out and plant a kitchen garden, spend a little time thinking about how you cook and how your family eats. Do you like salads, low-carb and low-calorie cooking, pasta, or hearty chowders and stews? My personal favorite is the summer salsa garden. Once you’ve made your own salsa fresh from the garden you will never go back to the jar salsa.
You will want to plant herbs too. To decide which herbs you’ll need, look at the jars of dried herbs you already have in your kitchen. These are probably the ones you’ll eventually want in your garden. Add new herbs as your taste demands.
What you find to eat in your garden also depends on the season. In some areas of the country, you can grow lettuce, broccoli, cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers all together during the summer. In the warmer areas, lettuce and other greens are grown in the spring and fall; tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and similar vegetables are grown in the summer.
You might also consider planting some edible flowers among the vegetables. Flowers and herbs will attract bees for pollination. Even if you only use the flowers for decoration on your plate, they will be beneficial to your kitchen garden.
Number of Plants Per Person
Vegetable Plants per person Vegetable Plants per person
Bean, snap 2-3 Melon 2
Bean, snap (pole) 1-2 Mustard 4-6
Bean (shell) 3-4 Okra 1-2
Beet 10-20 Onion 10-30
Brussels sprouts 1 Parsnip 10
Cabbage 2 Pea, snap 3-4
Cabbage, Chinese 2-3 Pepper 1-2
Carrot 30-50 Potato 1-2
Cauliflower 6-10 Pumpkin 1
Celeriac 1 Radish 20-60
Celery 1-2 rutabaga 3-6
Collards 2-5 Salsify 2-10
Corn, sweet 5-6 Shallot 4-10
Cucumber 1-2 Spinach 3-7
Eggplant 1 Spinach, New Zealand 1
Garlic 4 Squash, summer 1
Kale 2-3 Squash, winter 2
Kohlrabi 4-6 Swiss chard 1
Leek 6-10 Tomato 2
Lettuce, head 3-4 Tomato, paste 3
Lettuce, leaf 2-4 Turnip 8-15
Watermelon, bush 1
I’ll start with the French Kitchen Garden and list only authentic ethnic varieties. Now, you can tell everyone you are growing a true “French” garden.
The varieties listed have the seed catalog (by code) next to it. The codes match the following seed catalogs.
ANN Annie’s Heirloom Seeds AnniesHeirloomSeeds.com
BAK Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds rareseeds.com
BOT Botantical Interest botanicalinterest.com
BOU Bountiful Gardens bountifulgardens.org
COM Comstock Seeds comtockferre.com
COO The Cook’s Garden cooksgarden.com
GOU Gourmet Seed International gourmetseed.com
JOHN John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds kitchengardenseeds.com
SEED Seed Savers Exchange seedsavers.org
SOU Southern Exposure Seed Exchange Gardens@SouthernExposure.com
TER Territorial Seed Company territorialseed.com
TERR Terroir Seeds underwoodgardens.com
THO Thompson & Morgan tmseeds.com
The French Kitchen Garden
Artichoke:
Violet De Provence A French heirloom noted for its fine flavor and purple buds. Source: BAK
Bean (pole):
Blue Coco (OP) 79 days. French heirloom pods are bluish-purple, with chocolate-colored seeds. Fleshy, slightly curved flattened pods 6-7 ½ inches long. Produces under hot dry conditions. SOU
Blue Coco bean Photo courtesy Southern Exposure Seed Exchange
Bean (French filet):
Rocquencourt 54 days. Fench heirloom with long thin pods with black seeds. Source: GOU
Bean (Wax):
Beurre De Rocquencourt French heirloom. Bush plants set good yields in most climates. Source: BAK
Bean (fava):
D’Aquadulce A Tres Longue Cross 85 days. French variety. Cold tolerant 3′ plant. Use as salad greens, edible flowers, very young green pods, or shell like edamame or as dry bean. Source: BAK BOU
Beets:
Crapaudine Old French variety. Carrot-shaped roots have rough dark colored skin that resembles tree bark. Almost black flesh. Source: BAK
Brussels sprouts:
Half Dwarf 120 days. French hybrid variety that is medium-size on compact plants. Smooth sprouts have flavor improved with frost. Source: GOU
Cabbage (pointed head):
Couer De Boeuf Des Vertus French heirloom. Bull-heart tall pointed heads. Source: BAK
Cabbage (savoyed):
d’ Aubervilliers 75 days. French heirloom. Large, closed head with crinkled leaves and excellent taste. Source: GOU
Carrot:
Juane Obtuse Du Doubs Bright lemon yellow carrot from France. Big, thick carrot with sweet taste. Source: ANN BAK COM GOU
Juane Obtuse Du Doubs carrot Photo courtesy Annie’s Heirloom Seeds
Celery:
Giant Pascal 100 days. Favorite of French chefs. Large ribs are easily blanched. Source: GOU
Chicory:
Broad-leaved Batavia 90 days. French heirloom variety. Broad, light-green nearly plain leaves. Heavy full head. Source: BOT COO
Chicory, Frisee (endive curled):
Frisee Endive 60 days. Triple-cut curly heirloom from France. Feathery, fine-branched pale leaves. Big heads and blanched hearts. Source: BOU TERR
Chicory, Escarole (endive not curled):
Cornetto di Bordeaux 65 days. French endive. Large upright escarole with full, crunching, white stems. Heart is self-blanching. Source: ANN GOU
Corn Salad (mache, lamb’s lettuce):
Verte A Coeur Plein 2 French heirloom. Short, roundish, half-erect, stiff leaves. Small plant is fairly cold hardy. Source: BAK
Cucumber (pickling):
De Bourbonne 50 days. Old French heirloom used to make the 2 inch long Cornichon pickles. High yielding vines. Source: BAK
Eggplant:
Listada De Gandia (OP) 75 days. French heirloom. 5-6″ egg-shaped fruits. Purple with irregular white stripes. Drought tolerant, sets fruit well under high heat. Best in long warm growing areas. No need to peel before cooking. Source: ANN BAK JOHN SEED SOU
Listada De Gandia eggplant Photo courtesy Annie’s Heirloom Seeds
Leeks:
Blue Solaise (Blue de Solaise) 100-120 days. 19th century French heirloom. Holds well over winter. Deep-blue green leaves. Source: BAK COO SEED
Lettuce (iceberg/crisphead):
Rouge Grenoblaise (OP) 55 days. French heirloom. 16 inch heads have glossy, ruffled red leaves and is bolt resistant. Source: BAK COO
Lettuce (butterhead, bibb, buttercrunch, Boston):
Brune D’Hiver Compact, hardy French heirloom butterhead. Crunchy green leaves blushed in reddish-brown color. Requires little space. Source: BAK
Lettuce (French crisp, Batavia, loose heads):
Arianna Batavian (OP) French beauty with thick, shapely mint-green leaves adorning tall, open rose-shaped heads. Widely adapted, tolerant to heat. Source: JOHN
Lettuce (romaine/cos):
Rouge D’Hiver (Red Winter) (OP) 60-62 days. French heirloom has red and green leaves with deep-red tips. Forms semi-open romaine. Best color comes in cooler weather. Source: ANN BOT BAK COM JOHN SEED SOU
Rouge D’Hiver (Red Winter) Photo courtesy Annie’s Heirloom Seeds
Lettuce (looseleaf):
Cocarde 49 days. French oakleaf has large dark-green leaves edged in dark-red. Source: ANN
Lettuce (mesclun, lettuce blends, microgreens):
Mesclun Lettuce Mix Traditional French heirloom mesclun salad mix. Includes Salad Bowl, Red Salad Bowl, Rouge d’Hiver, Paris Island Cos, Lollo Rossa, Chervil, Rocket Salat Arugula and Endive di Ruffec. Source: ANN
Melon (cantaloupe);
Noir Des Carmes 75 days. A true French heirloom. Rich black-green skin when mature. Ripens to orange mottled with green. Orange flesh. Tends to split when ripe. 3-6 pounds. Deeply ribbed with smooth skin. Source: BAK SEED
Melon (honeydew):
White Antibes Winter Melon 100 days. French heirloom has small seed cavity. Source: JOHN
Melon (Charentais):
Charentais 75-90 days. French heirloom. Smooth, round melons mature to a creamy gray with faint ribs. Originated in the Poitou-Charentes region. 2-3 pounds. Orange flesh. Source: BAK BOU COO GOU JOHN SEED
Melon (Canary):
Yellow Canary 73 days. French canary melon with smooth yellow skin. Very aromatic flesh. Can be used as a melon for cooking. Source: BAK GOU
Yellow Canary melon Photo courtesy Gourmet Seed International images are copyrighted Bavicchi Spa of Perugia, Italy
Melon (specialty melon):
Melon De Luneville 85 days. Historic old French variety. Oval to oblate and lightly ribbed. 1-1 ½ pounds. Sometimes netted and comes in unusual patters. Orange flesh. Source: BAK
Onion (slicing, bulbing):
Cevenne 135 days. Heirloom variety from the Cevennes mountain range in France. Satin yellow skin with pale, soft flesh. Bulbs store well. Source: THO
Onion (shallot):
Grey Griselle (OP) 180 days. French heirloom is small teardrop-shaped. 1 x 1 ½ inch bulbs have a hard, gray skin and tender, pinkish-white flesh. Mild flavor. Source: SOU
Pea:
Sweet Provence 65 days. French heirloom, ‘petite poi’ tiny peas. Nice and sweet. Source: GOU
Sweet Provence pea Photo courtesy Gourmet Seed International images copyrighted Bavicchi Spa of Perugia, Italy
Pea (snow pea):
Corne De Belier Predates 1860. French snow peas have large flat pods. Creamy-white blooms. Source: BAK
Potato (yellow flesh):
Princess ™ La Ratte Fingerling 100 days. Hybrid French gourmet potato. Smooth, buff-colored skin with golden-yellow flesh. Creamy custard texture. Source: JOHN
Pumpkin:
Galeux d’Eysines 95-100 days. This French variety is peach-colored, pumpkin-shaped like a wheel of cheese and covered in bumps. Firm, sweet, bright-orange flesh. 10-20 pounds. A long keeper. Source: ANN BAK COM GOU JOHN SEED SOU TER TERR
Galeux d’Eysines pumpkin Photo courtesy Annie’s Heirloom Seeds
Radish (round):
Juane D’Or Ovale An 1885 French heirloom. Starts out as a pale tannish-white and turns a yellowish-tan as the roots grow. Source: BAK
Radish (long):
D’Avignon 21 days. This hybrid French radish has nearly cylindrical 3 inch roots. Bright red with white tips. Source: COO
Rutabaga (Swede):
Collet Vert Old standard rutabaga. Bright green tops and yellow bottoms. Popular in France since the 19th century. Source: BAK
Spinach (savoyed, semi-savoyed leaf):
Monster of Viroflay 40-50 days. 19th century French heirloom. Plants grow up to 2 inches in diameter. Huge dark-green crisp savoyed leaves. Sweet and complex flavor. Very cold hardy for winter. Source: ANN BOT BOU GOU
Squash (summer, zucchini):
Ronde De Nice (Tonda Nizza) 50 days. French heirloom. Round, green zucchini is ideal for stuffing. Great taste. Source: BAK BOT COO GOU JOHN SEED TERR
Ronde De Nice (Tonda Nizza) Photo courtesy Gourmet Seed International image copyrighted Bavicchi Spa of Perugia, Italy
Squash (summer, scallop/patty pan):
Patisson Panche Blanc Et Vert Stunning pure white scallop with deep green radial streaks. Small fruit may not show the streaking, and it can be variable. Pre-1885 French heirloom. Source: BAK GOU
Squash (winter, buttercup, flattened globe, turban-shaped):
Turk’s Cap (Turban) 90 days. French heirloom, striped in red, orange, green and white. Thick orange flesh. Source: BAK SEED
Squash (winter, other type and shape):
Sucrine Du Berry French heirloom with sweet, musky fragrance. Delicious, sweet flesh is used in jams, soups and many French recipes. 3-5 pound fruit. Deep orange flesh. Oblong, bell-shaped fruit are tannish-orange when mature. Source: BAK
Tomato (slicing):
Delizia French beefsteak weighs 1 pound and is pumpkin-shaped. Indeterminate. Source: COO
Tomato (paste, plum):
Andes (Cornice Des Andes) 70-80 days. French heirloom. Square and long, 3 x 6″ fruit. True-red, meaty, full-bodied, with few seeds. Fruits fall from the vine when they are ripe and skins fall off easily. Indeterminate. Source: TERR
Turnip:
Boule D’Or (Golden Ball, Golden Jelly) (OP) 65 days. 150 year-old French heirloom. Yellow flesh is sweeter and milder than white varieties. Fine flavor. Source: BAK BOU GOU TER TERR
For a complete list of French varieties visit: www.postagestampvegetablegardening.com The French Kitchen Garden
Bon appetite.
© Copyright 2013 by Karen Newcomb
