Happy Wednesday loves! Thank you all so much for all your words of support and encouragement about our decision to downsize. We are really excited about it and are looking forward to the process.
So I don't know about ya'll, but I am waaay over winter! This winter season has been brutal and dreary and sucky. I'm ready for spring so I thought in today's post we'd talk about something to get us, well at least me, psyched about warmer weather.
The other day we thought we'd make a list of "New House Must Haves" to help guide us as we navigate the market for our next home. While we aren't looking for move-in ready perfection, this time around we are going to be much much more scrutinizing about things than we were on our hunt for our current house. At the top of the list is a home with a large lot. Before I step foot in a house I'm heading to the backyard. If its not large enough I'm walking away. No matter what the house has to offer, a large backyard is non-negotiable.
There's a good reason for me being so critical about the size of our yard: I want a kitchen garden. Like a legit, grow-a-mess-a-stuff type garden. My grandmother always kept a large garden year round and I've always wanted one of my own. A huge goal of mine is to try to grow as much of our produce as possible, so having a nice area to create a garden space is essential. I've done quite a bit of research and have decided on a potager style kitchen garden. Just in case ya didn't know:
Potager is a French term for an ornamental vegetable or kitchen garden. . Often flowers and herbs are planted with the vegetables to enhance the garden's beauty. Its utilitarian in nature, but the goal is to make the function of providing food aesthetically pleasing.
I love potager gardens. Our next house definitely has to have enough space for me to section off a portion of our yard to create one. I think they are just beautiful, and they aren't just for French estates and English cottages. They are also smart way to grow a lot in a small urban setting as well.
Come on Spring! The tomatoes and cucumbers are calling my name! So what do you think? Do you have a kitchen garden? Would you want one? Until next time...
Xo-Shavonda
Yeah that kind of garden would totally be a dream come true!
ReplyDeleteOh, I love gardening so much. Your posts are just going to be so inviting for me to read as you go on this journey to find your new home. When you are looking at all those backyards for garden possibilities, remember to factor in the space for your shed and greenhouse, if you'll have one. A designated space for all your tools is fun to decorate and organize, too.
ReplyDeleteoh so pretty!!!! i adore these spaces... i want a charming british cottage style garden! but i don't love to garden so much, so i need a charming british gardener. a cute accent is a plus.
ReplyDeleteI am such a huge fan of those, in theory. But I know myself well enough to know I could never maintain one. I'll just enjoy yours instead. :)
ReplyDeleteThe first photo is my favorite. So pretty!
ReplyDeleteI've been a fan of yours for awhile...time to speak up! Congrats on your recent magazine feature, btw.
ReplyDeleteLast year my hubs and I built six terraced garden beds on a really sunny hill in our backyard. (Our lot is a little under a quarter of an acre and hilly.) I love having a kitchen garden. I'm really going to give it my best this year. Last year's garden wasn't that successful because it was the building year. Good luck to you! And as a French minor in college, I'm loving the potager terminology. I'm on board.
I've been a fan of yours for awhile...time to speak up! Congrats on your recent magazine feature, btw.
ReplyDeleteLast year my hubs and I built six terraced garden beds on a really sunny hill in our backyard. (Our lot is a little under a quarter of an acre and hilly.) I love having a kitchen garden. I'm really going to give it my best this year. Last year's garden wasn't that successful because it was the building year. Good luck to you! And as a French minor in college, I'm loving the potager terminology. I'm on board.
These are beautiful inspiration. I love the idea of growing my own food and think we'll try our hand at a few things this summer - tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans. I LOVE that second to last photo you shared. So elegant.
ReplyDeleteSo there will be room for me and my hubby there right? Because I can't grow a thing but oh can I cook. I would love a garden like this!
ReplyDeleteI had a garden one year and loved it. I'm hoping I can grow one this year! It's a fun hobby and great way to save on produce!
ReplyDeleteI just found your blog thanks to the BHG February issue and I'm so glad that I did! You've given me so many ideas already! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThese are so pretty. I agree a back yard is important. It was in our top 3 when searching for our house. I love those types of raised beds that you are showing.
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