Building a Kitchen & Cutting Garden
After a few summers of learning how to grow in raised beds on the weekends, we decided to build a “real” kitchen & cutting garden in Vermont. Here’s what happened!
Planning & Excavating: Spring 2024
First we planned where to place the garden off the kitchen, and then we hired our friend, Rob, to help us excavate. We planned not only where to plant, but what to plant at this stage, so we are only growing what we actually use for herbs, flowers and vegetables at a second home.
Digging for Poles & Planting
This stage took several weekends. We had the pressure-treated wood delivered. Then Dave began digging the holes, cutting the side boards, and eventually adding the wire. The gate required some loving attention too, as you can see from Dave’s sketch above (wink wink!). We found the sawhorses in the basement of Pine Street while we renovated that mill.
Planting & Enjoying: Summer 2024
For the herbs, vegetables and flowers, we sourced everything locally from farms in: Dorset, Manchester, Poultney & upstate New York. The goal was to create not only an aesthetically pleasing garden, but a delicious one too!
The Cutting Garden Comes to Life
August 2024, the Zinnias, Cosmos & more show up!
Why Did We Build the Kitchen Garden?
Because it’s a luxury to slow down in open space, and to dig into the earth.
All summer long, we cook directly from our beds. Flowers make their way back and forth from Vermont to Rhode Island for friends and family.
The Cauldron
While finishing the kitchen garden, a surprise! We spotted something like this while out in Newport, RI. Dave said: “That would be cool in Vermont!” Someone was listening! Within 24 hours, a friend got us in touch with her friend who had this cauldron up the road from Alison’s parent’s house in Jamestown, RI. We brought it to Vermont, and the wood-burning, open-fire cooking has begun with the vegetables now growing in our kitchen garden!
