During the Middle Ages, monks in France typically created kitchen gardens with geometrically shaped beds separated by paths and enclosed within a wall or hedge. Our French-style kitchen garden plan reflects this aesthetic with a central diamond-shaped bed and four larger raised beds, with wide brick pathways running between them. A row of ornamental perennials or shrubs can serve as a hedge around the perimeter, set off by a white picket fence. The raised beds are filled with a variety of vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers, as a nod to the efficient yet beautiful gardens of Medieval monasteries.
Plants Suggestions for a French Kitchen Garden Plan
- 1 'Safari Yellow' marigold
- 2 Thai basil
- 3 Anaheim pepper
- 4 'King Richard' leek
- 5 'Emerite' pole bean
- 6 'Tomatoberry Garden' tomato
- 7 Genovese basil
- 8 Garlic
- 9 'Plato' zucchini
- 10 Nasturtium
- 11 Okra
- 12 Loose-leaf lettuce
- 13 Cutting celery
- 14 Jalafuego pepper
- 15 'Double Zahara Strawberry' zinnia
- 16 'Orange Banana' tomato
- 17 Dinosaur kale
- 18 'Valencia' tomato
- 19 'Long Green Improved' cucumber
- 20 Sweet alyssum
- 21 Scarlet runner bean
- 22 Sweet basil
- 23 'Rainbow' kale
- 24 Purple bush bean
- 25 Tall zinnia
- 26 Mixed butterhead lettuce
- 27 'Granny's Bouquet' zinnia
- 28 Flat leaf Italian parsley
- 29 Spanish lavender
- 30 'Chocolate Cherry' tomato
- 31 Romaine lettuce
- 32 Red oakleaf lettuce
- 33 'Fairy Tale' eggplant
- 34 Lemon basil
- 35 'Kentucky Colonel' mint
If you aren't able to find these exact cultivars, use substitutes in similar colors, shapes, and sizes. And, since in certain climates, some plants can become overly aggressive and spread out of control, before planting, always check which species are considered invasive in your area.
Get the Free French Kitchen Garden Plan
The garden plan for this design includes an illustrated version of the planted garden, a detailed layout diagram, a list of plants for the garden as shown, and complete instructions for installing. Free, one-time registration allows unlimited access to all garden plans, available as printable PDFs.