The Heritage Herb Garden at the Ozark Folk Center graces the park with visual colors and textures, sweet and pungent aromas. With their natural display, the herbs help us to interpret the history of the human use of plants.

A Kitchen Garden is practical and illustrates the beauty of vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers. The location of the garden should be near the kitchen to give the cook easy access to fresh produce. The plants grown in a Kitchen Garden require full sun, loamy, fertile soil and excellent drainage.

To begin, establish the boundaries of the garden. Completely uproot, remove and compost unwanted vegetation from the area. Build permanent raised beds by transferring the top soil from the paths to the surface of the growing beds. Leave a level path so that work in the garden is a pleasant, safe experience.

Mulch the paths with materials that are produced in your area. In northern Arkansas shredded bark and well-rotted saw dust are available. Add nitrogen sources such as soybean or feather meal before spreading wood mulch. Wood removes nitrogen from the soil as it breaks down. Plant-based mulch provides soil building benefits. Gravel or paving stones may be a good choice for other gardeners. In the end, a finished path should please the eye, be easy to weed and will not get shoes muddy when the garden is wet.

Test your soil to determine what is needed to grow healthy plants. The soil type of the Ozark Folk Center’s Kitchen Garden is silt. It is composed of weathered sand and lacks organic matter in its natural state. Without help, it does not support vigorous growth of vegetables and herbs. To improve the tilth and fertility of the soil we amend with copious quantities of compost, coarse sand, oyster shells, agricultural meals, and crushed minerals.

Mulch the planting beds with wheat straw (not hay) or other plant-based material for vegetables. Mineral mulches such as oyster shell, sand, and lava rock are the best materials to use on perennial herb beds because they act as a barrier between soil-dwelling fungal organisms and lower leaf surfaces. Mulch discourages the growth of invasive weeds, curtails erosion and helps retain moisture by restricting evaporation. It breaks down slowly and enriches the soil. It gives the garden beds a “finished” look. 

Fatal plant diseases are controlled by removing infected plants as soon as they are discovered. Fungal disease symptoms include black plant tissue on stems and leaves, wilting when the soil is moist and sudden death.

Insect pests are controlled by rotating vegetable crops from year to year. For example, when harlequin beetles become problematic in the brassica vegetables, we stop growing kale, cabbage, and mustard and raise cucumbers, beans, and squash instead. We monitor plants for pest outbreaks and control by hand-picking and occasional organic sprays. Companion plants such as marigolds and garlic are grown to repel pests from the garden.

What to Plant in a Kitchen Garden

A Kitchen Garden is for plants we can eat. Poisonous plants such as daffodils, iris, foxglove, and larkspur are attractive nuisances that should not be included.

Perennial herbs include several varieties of culinary sage, rosemary, thyme, lemon thyme, winter savory, lovage, garlic, French tarragon, Mexican mint marigold, sorrel, chives, and Italian oregano. These are best grouped together in permanent beds.

Annual herbs include several varieties of basil, summer savory, dill, chervil, and cilantro. Parsley, though a biennial, is grown as an annual.

Edible flowers are also gathered and used in the Skillet Kitchen as culinary herbs. Calendula, pansy, borage, nasturtium, and signet marigolds are grown for their color in the garden, and used in salads as garnish.

Vegetables for salads may include spinach, arugula, kale, mizuna, Japanese greens, and various lettuces. Edible pod peas, beans, cucumbers, Swiss chard, squash, and okra, are planted for use in stir fries, soups and ‘garden sass’.

Picking, Cutting and Preparing Produce for the Table

According to the online Chef Guide for Chefs, http://foodservice.chef2chef.net and personal experience,

Use garden scissors to snip herbs and stems of produce. If the herbs are to be used fresh, early to mid-morning is the best time to harvest. Cut the stems into a bowl or basket. Take them into the kitchen and tie them into bunches at the stems. Plunge them, upside down, into water and vinegar solution several times, then into fresh rinse water.   Spin or pat dry. Place them into a narrow container like a bouquet of flowers. Add enough cool water to the container so that the stems are standing in an inch and a half of water. Wrap with plastic wrap or a plastic bag and place into the refrigerator. They should remain crisp and full of flavor for up to a week.

Food should be free of bugs and soil. Wash all produce in water and vinegar solution, then rinse in plain water. Spin dry greens, flowers, and herbs.

Enjoy the process of growing and using your Kitchen Garden. If I don’t see you in the future—I’ll see you in the pasture!