A Circular Vegetable Garden - An Edible Landscape


This is not my vegie garden - it belongs to Martha Stewart, literally down the road from my office.

A day ago I attended a cocktail party at the New York Botanical Garden celebrating Martha Stewart and her Edible Garden there. As usual, it was a gracious event, much as all Martha's endeavors are.

Martha Stewart's Herb Garden at NYBG  in spring


Martha Stewart's Herb Garden at NYBG in summer - cynara (CARDOON) in the center



I walked through her Culinary Herb Garden, a display of the finest culinary herbs personally selected by Martha. The three tuteurs  (I call them metal obelisks but what do I know?) in the garden were the lovely feature of the herb beds.....


The tuteur in Martha's Herb Garden


This herb garden is referred to as an edible garden. I call it an herb garden..this leads me to ask - How is an edible garden different from an herb or vegetable garden?  The contents? The layout? The location? The intent?

Garden to the left is also Martha's...

Whatever the answer to that question I would like to share my circular 'edible garden' with you ...or what I call a great design for a vegie garden....

It derives from my opinion that edible plants prefer to grow in circle (biodynamic principles appeal to me). It also makes it more manageable and easy to maintain - and I am a veteran of the straight row vegie gardens - I know what I am talking about here. Circles win every time.



Charles Hubbard Garden in Nova Scotia

So won't you follow me into a circular edible garden? I made this video yesterday - please ignore the overhead airplane noise..

Colocasia  ( an edible aroid) in my edible garden














Comments

  1. the garden harlotSeptember 26, 2010 at 9:51 PM

    darn that martha ! i like the blocked in herbal escapade and wish i had room for it in my small backyard.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jan JohnsenSeptember 27, 2010 at 7:54 AM

    small backyards are the best...we just need to lay it out carefully....my postage stamp backyard is my haven ( no herb garden though)

    ReplyDelete
  3. BrittSeptember 27, 2010 at 3:06 PM

    Jan- I really like the videos! It is a great touch to the blog. It seems so personal, like I am going on a walking tour with you through the spaces. I miss your lectures and class.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jan JohnsenSeptember 30, 2010 at 8:09 AM

    Hi Britt! thanks for that...now you should design a garden for dancing....

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousJanuary 5, 2011 at 1:17 PM

    Hi Jan,
    Thank you for this wonderful idea. My garden in my new home is organic, terraced, and curvy...so not formal and straight. I have been thinking about doing something radically different with vegetable beds, and this was just the spark I needed. Now I cannot wait for spring...a long time away in northeastern Wisconsin, but it gives me time to dream, plan, and draw. I would love to see an overhead layout posted if you have one available.
    Thanks again,
    Cynthia

    ReplyDelete
  6. Jan JohnsenJanuary 12, 2011 at 5:56 PM

    Cynthia - I am so glad! I hope this helps you - edging is the key! edge the beds with somethign - brick, rocks, cobblestone, flagstone set on end, anything like that

    ReplyDelete

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