Designing and maintaining a kitchen garden can be a wonderful experience for any gardener that enjoys cooking with the freshest, most flavorful ingredients available. Contrary to the herb gardens of the past, many of today are not just for the sole purpose of food production. By incorporating herbs into our existing landscapes, we can have the best of both worlds &8212; an attractive garden that&8217;s almost too pretty to eat.

The evolution from the traditional vegetable garden to one that contains herbs, fruits and edible flowers is ever-changing as we adapt the concept to our own personal needs. Still, the basics remain the same. A close proximity to the kitchen, an area with sunny exposure, a source of water and good soil are all necessary ingredients.

An old garden adage that still holds true today is, &8220;don&8217;t put a two dollar plant in a 10 cent hole.&8221; Raised beds are &8220;a must&8221; in the Miss-Lou so that the soil can drain properly during periods of heavy rainfall. Whether you plant your edibles within your existing landscape beds or create a special area for them, the soil should also contain plenty of organic amendments. The most important part of any garden is healthy soil.

The word &8220;design&8221; can have a somewhat intimidating sound to it, although quite simply, it means arranging the plants in a pleasing manner. Taking into consideration height and spread, texture, shape and the color of the plants you use, in combination with the amount of space you have to work with, is all that&8217;s needed. Of course, these are not rules&8212;only suggestions.

Growing edible plants can be useful, but that doesn&8217;t mean it can&8217;t be fun too. Use your imagination and combine plants in a way that is pleasing to you. This applies to containers too. Parsley and pansies are a classic edible combination that&8217;s lovely for any size garden. Today&8217;s edible gardens don&8217;t have to be derived from a cookie cutter design and contrary to what some folks may insinuate, there are no garden police.

If you want to combine cayenne peppers and pineapple sage for height, with dwarf basil and daylilies (edible flowers) in the foreground, do it. Heck, you could even edge the combination with onion chives and place a structure for cucumbers vines to grow in the vicinity. Better yet, plant all of it smack in between your foundation plants in the front yard. You&8217;ll have color, scent and food all in one place. And, the neighbors will have something new to talk about.

Gardening with edible plants is the same as any other type of gardening. It&8217;s all about preparation, proportion, prettiness and most important, individuality. Go from bland and boring to delicious and diverse by adding some flavor to your landscape, and taste the difference.

Traci Maier

writes a weekly column about gardening in the Miss-Lou. She can be reached at

ratmaier@bellsouth.net

.