Kitchen garden chic

WWII-era War Food Administration Poster

Growing spinach in the White House lawn? Replacing flowers with vegetables at Capitol Park in Sacramento? You too can have a victory garden.

First, a distincition. The term victory garden was used during World War II to refer to gardens grown by citizens at their residences as a means of helping out with the rationing efforts. Even though victory garden has been used to refer to the recent trend of people growing their own food at home, kitchen garden seems to be the preferred designation of the moment. (However, some people may still be using victory garden for philosophical reasons, such as the desire to live more sustainably or the attempt to prune back spending habits. Yes, pun intended.)

I don't want to brag, but I've had a kitchen garden (which I refer to simply as garden) for the last four years. Fortunately, I have been blessed to live in a quirky apartment complex in South Pasadena that includes a sizeable plot of land surrounded by a short brick wall. When my wife and I moved in, the plot was full of succulents. I asked my landlord if he minded us growing things in this area. He said that he didn't, and over the last four years it has gradually been turning into a garden. As new neighbors have moved in, they have started cultivating new vegetables, as well. We grow Swiss chard, basil, rosemary, red-leaf lettuce, mint, tomatos, squash, and sage. And I'm probably leaving out some other herbs and veggies we've got in the garden.

I'm interested to know how many other people have vegetable gardens? How long have you had a garden and why did you start one? Do you grow enough vegetables to actually make a dent into your grocery budget? What do you like to grow, and what seems to grow best for you? Check out the slide show below to see pictures of my garden.