Gardening Garden Plans Vegetable Garden Plans A French Kitchen Garden Plan Filled with Fresh Flavors and Scents Inspired by old-world monastery gardens, this formal design will result in bountiful produce and herbs. By Viveka Neveln Viveka Neveln Instagram Viveka Neveln is the Garden Editor at BHG and a degreed horticulturist with broad gardening expertise earned over 3+ decades of practice and study. She has more than 20 years of experience writing and editing for both print and digital media. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on June 27, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email 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. Illustration by Helen Smythe 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. DOWNLOAD THIS PLAN More Edible Garden Plans to Try Small-Space Vegetable Garden Plan Colorful Herb Garden Plan Large-Scale Vegetable Garden Plan Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit