Kitchen Garden with Seating and Shade for Comfort

Raised kitchen garden beds with integrated seating and gravel pathways under a shade structure.
Kitchen garden with raised beds arranged beneath a shade sail for summer comfort and regular use.
Fenced kitchen garden with raised beds, seating, and shade sail integrated into a residential landscape.

Overview

This project focused on creating a larger kitchen garden designed not only for food production, but also for comfort and daily use. A shade sail was incorporated specifically to provide relief from heat in an adjacent seating area, allowing the client to spend time in the garden during warmer months.

The garden layout balances productivity with usability, treating the space as one meant to be occupied and enjoyed—not just maintained.

Scope of Work

  • Site evaluation and garden layout planning

  • Design of a multi-bed kitchen garden

  • Placement of seating within the garden for rest and observation

  • Integration of a shade sail to improve comfort in the seating area

  • Installation coordinated to maintain openness and visual clarity

Design Considerations

Key considerations included sun exposure, circulation, and how the client would move through and spend time in the garden. The shade sail was positioned to provide comfort for seating without casting excessive shade over planting areas.

The design supports both active use—planting and harvesting—and passive use, allowing the garden to function as a place to pause and engage with the space.

Outcome

The completed garden provides a productive and comfortable kitchen garden suited to regular use. The integrated shade structure improves usability during peak seasons while allowing the garden to remain visually cohesive and adaptable over time.

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Formal Multi-Bed Kitchen Garden System

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Native Shade Planting on Sloped Site