Our kitchen garden has evolved over the years into a homegrown three-room space with a vegetable garden, two dining areas, and a firepit. Set apart from the house, it feels like its own little world and is a favorite spot for informal summer gatherings.

Because we wanted to keep things tidy, raised vegetable beds were the only way to go, along with some serious fencing to keep critters away. We kept the beds narrow—no more than 4 feet wide—to make weeding and harvesting easier. An irrigation system is another must-have, and ours also supplies water to a secondhand sink that’s handy for washing vegetables and hands. The sink doubles as an ice cooler for parties.

A pergola covered with ‘Cooke’s Purple’ wisteria divides the dining and firepit areas and provides a shady lunch spot. Christmas lights purchased on sale after the holiday make for inexpensive and atmospheric lighting. The surrounding plant “walls” that encircle the firepit area are giant miscanthus, ‘Annabelle’ hydrangea, and ‘Royal Purple’ smoke bush. These plants provide large swaths of dramatic and ever-changing views through the year. We cut the miscanthus to the ground every March, and by early summer it has grown enough to enclose the firepit with a tropical feel.

There is something special about walking through a vegetable garden to dine outdoors, picking a ripe tomato off the vine to whet the appetite. Can you think of a way to bring this “farm to table” feeling to one of your outdoor living areas? Even a potted tomato plant or some herbs near a dining area can help make this connection.

Strolling through the vegetable garden just got more inviting. With a dining table overlooking abundant edibles, the connection between garden and table is a natural theme for gatherings set here.

A sheltered nook that feels roomy and relaxed will draw guests in. This vine-covered pergola provides shade from the sun as well as a spot to hang lights for evening entertaining. Two dining tables provide plenty of room for guests. Pea gravel is an easygoing surface that gives the dining and firepit areas a composed and unified look.

The details that make it work:

• Well-defined garden beds
• Spacious seating areas
• Pergola for shade and shelter
• Functional sink

Key plants:

Giant miscanthus (Miscanthus ‘Giganteus’, Zones 4–9)	‘Annabelle’ hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’, Zones 4–9)	‘Cooke’s Purple’ wisteria (Wisteria sinensis* ‘Cooke’s Purple’, Zones 5–9)

*Invasive Alert: Wisteria sinensis ‘Cooke’s Purple’

This plant is considered invasive in AL, FL, GA, IL, IN, MD, NC, NJ, PA, SC, TN, VA, WI, and WV.

Please visit invasiveplantatlas.org for more information.

Key plants photos: Carol Collins (miscanthus and hydrangea), Courtesy of Catharine Cooke (wisteria)

Fine Gardening Recommended Products

Gardener's Log Book from NYBG

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

This weatherproof five-year log book includes the following features: · Sturdy waterproof cover to protect pages from rain and muddy soil · Lined pages and gridded paper for plotting beds · Five years of 12-month bloom and harvest grids for recording what you planted and when · Authoritative appendices on composting, pruning, pest and disease control, and container gardening · Useful reminders by season on fertilizing, mulching, and transplanting · Space for listing your favorite sources and suppliers.

Buy at Amazon

Berry & Bird Rabbiting Spade, Trenching Shovel

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Ideal Tool for All Gardeners Use: Our heavy duty trenching shovel is designed by a professional gardening tool designer. Lifetime Durability: This heavy duty drain spade is made of high-quality stainless steel, it is very strong and durable, even if it is used for high-strength work, it will not bend. Ergonomic Wood Handle: The handle of this planting spade is made of ash hardwood harvested from FSC-certified forests and has an ergonomically streamlined design, making it very suitable for everyone's hands. Multi-Use: This digging shovel is generally used for digging trenches, digging holes, transplanting, edging, moving compost, cutting thick turf and furrowing. The sharp blade allows you to cut, scoop, dig, lift and dice in hard soil.

Buy at Amazon

Corona® Multi-Purpose Metal Mini Garden Shovel

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Longer Service Life: The blade of this round small shovel is made of carbon steel, which can effectively improve the hardness by high temperature quenching, and the surface has anti-rust coating to avoid rusting. In the process of use when encountering hard objects will not bend and deformation. Sturdy Structure: The small garden shovel with D-handle, ergonomically designed grip can increase the grip of the hand when using, the handle is made of strong fiberglass, will not bend and break under heavy pressure. Quick Digging: Well-made digging shovel has a sharp blade, and the round shovel head is designed to easily penetrate the soil and cut quickly while digging to enhance your work efficiency.

Buy at Amazon