We humans have been growing our own produce for over 10,000 years, even if the act of creating what we now call a kitchen garden has gone in and out of fashion many times over that period.
Most recently the Covid lockdowns incentivized many of us with outdoor spaces to become home gardeners. Add to that a desire to eat more healthily and, where we can, cost-effectively, you get the feeling that the kitchen garden’s moment has truly arrived and is here to stay.
And although it's recently been overlooked in favor of ornamental gardens, the kitchen garden is now enjoying an exciting visual renaissance too. Our new book The Kitchen Garden will bring you up to speed on this trend and is the first global survey of an important garden type, bringing it to the fore and exploring its rich history.
With a foreword by Aaron Bertelsen, previously the vegetable gardener at Great Dixter, (and author of The Great Dixter Cookbook) the book is written by Dr. Toby Musgrave (author of The Garden: Elements and Styles). A keen grower himself, Toby is the perfect guide to the more than more than fifty gardens featured in the book.
Organized geographically, readers are taken on a journey to the world’s most inspiring kitchen gardens. This is a truly global survey, with accessible texts and detailed captions packed with information about each garden’s story and design.
There are plenty of useful takeaways for gardeners of all abilities, given the diverse range of gardens showcased: from historic walled gardens, medieval and renaissance potagers, to community projects, urban rooftop ‘farms and private gardens.
One of the more unusual locations included is the remote kitchen garden at Bahia Bustamante Lodge on Argentina’s Atlantic coast. Here, the owner Astrid Perkins has battled harsh conditions to produce a bountiful harvest including her own variety of marine tomatoes.
Iconic gardens are also featured throughout, including Bunny Mellon’s Oak Spring Garden, Alice Waters’s Edible Schoolyard project in the US, Château Villandry in France, the rewilded garden at Knepp Castle and Charles Dowding’s no dig flagship, Homeacres in the UK and Patrice Taravella’s work at Babylonstoren in South Africa.
Six pieces of insightful writing dive deeper into a range of topics from soil nutrition to protected cropping and organic techniques, offering useful information for those who want to start growing their own in 2026.
Richly illustrated throughout and with an embossed illustration on the cover, The Kitchen Garden is the first book to showcase kitchen gardens around the world, revealing just how inspiring and attractive they can be. Take a closer look at The Kitchen Garden.
