114 THE KITCHEN GARDEN. [FEB. 



FEBRUARY. 



DESIGNS FOR A KITCHEN GARDEN. 



THE Kitchen Garden is a principal district of garden-ground allot- 

 ted for the culture of all kinds of esculent herbs and roots for culi- 

 nary purposes, &c. 



This may be said to be the most useful and consequential depart- 

 ment of gardening, since its products plentifully supply our tables 

 with the necessary support of life ; for it is allowed that health de- 

 pends much on the use of a proper quantity of wholesome vegetables, 

 so that it is of the utmost importance for every person possessed of 

 a due extent of ground to have a good kitchen garden for the supply 

 of his family. This garden is not only useful for raising all sorts of 

 esculent plants and herbage, but also all the choicer sorts of tree and 

 shrub fruits, &c., both on espaliers and standards ; and the annual 

 cultivation of the ground by manuring, digging, hoeing, &c., neces- 

 sary in the culture of the esculent herbage, greatly encourages all 

 sorts of fruit-trees, preserves them in health and vigor, so as always 

 to produce large and fair fruit ; for which reason, in the kitchen gar- 

 den should always be. plan ted the choicest sort of fruit-trees, particu- 

 larly for espaliers and walls; likewise some standards, if set a con- 

 siderable way asunder, so as not to shade the under crops too much ; 

 and when the trees are judiciously disposed, there will be nearly the 

 same room for the crops of herbaceous esculents as without them ; 

 so that this garden may be reckoned both as a kitchen and fruit 

 garden. 



As to the situation of this garden, with respect to the other dis- 

 tricts, if designed principally as a kitchen and fruit garden, distinct 

 from the other parts, and there is room for choice of situation, it 

 should generally be placed detached entirely from the pleasure- 

 ground j also as much out of view of the front of the habitation as 

 possible, at some reasonable distance, either behind it or towards 

 either side thereof, so as its walls or other fences may not obstruct 

 any desirable prospect either of the pleasure garden, fields, or the 

 adjacent country; having regard, however, to place it, if possible, 

 where the situation and soil is eligible, as hereafter illustrated ; and 

 if its situation is unavoidably such as to interfere with the pleasure 

 gardens, so as its fences may be thought disagreeable to view, they 

 may be shut out from sight by intervening plantations of shrubs and 

 trees. 



But as in many places they are limited to a moderate compass of 

 ground, and in others, though having scope enough, require but a 

 small extent of garden, you may, in either case, have the kitchen, 

 fruit, and pleasure garden all in one ; having the principal walks 

 spacious, and the borders next them of considerable breadth ; the 



