6 Tips From Experts On Designing A Kitchen Garden

by Nikita Keshwani | January 21, 2024 | 6 mins read

Expert tips on designing kitchen garden

It’s time to sprinkle some green into your kitchen with these inspiring kitchen garden ideas.

The pandemic made us fall in love with the idea of gardening and growing our own food, and blessed us with more than enough time to do it diligently. Even people living in compact urban apartments took to gardening to bring a bit of the outdoors inside. If you too have been thinking the same but don’t have the luxury of space, the kitchen is a great place to start. 

But how do you plan a kitchen garden? First and foremost, find a spot in the kitchen that gets direct sunlight. Without ample sunlight, it can get difficult to keep the plants in your kitchen garden alive for long. You don’t need a spot that has sunlight from morning till evening. Even a few hours will do the trick.

Designing a kitchen garden needs smart space planning because kitchens usually don’t have too much free space available. Failing to plan beforehand may make your kitchen look cluttered and messy. To help you out, we sat with our expert designers to get their insights on the top kitchen garden ideas. Follow these tips to get the most out of your space for your kitchen garden.

Start Small If You Are Designing A Kitchen Garden For The First Time

This is one of the most important pieces of advice when it comes to designing a kitchen garden. If you are doing this for the first time, don’t go all out and fill every available space in your kitchen with plants. Cultivate a kitchen garden that you can comfortably manage. It is easy to get carried away, but what’s more important is to take it one step at a time. These small plant stands are the ideal choice for beginners. Placed in a corner that has direct access to sunlight, these small plants look like they were made for such compact corners! Once you’re confident about being able to take care of these plants, go ahead and fill the floor space near the window wall with more plants!

Kitchen garden that you can comfortably manage
Begin your kitchen garden with small planters

Don’t Be Afraid To Soil Up Your Kitchen Countertop

Have a beautiful kitchen with a sparkling countertop, but it seems just plain and boring? Use small planters to breathe life into it. Take these two kitchens, for example. You can easily beautify your kitchen countertop with some DIY home kitchen garden ideas. Be it the stylish geometric shape planters in the all-blue kitchen, or the pickle pots in the dual tone kitchen — both jazz up the kitchen space effortlessly. Place them together or in different spots on the kitchen countertop to create the desired look. What we love about this kitchen garden idea is that it is fun and does not require any splurging to create a refreshingly fresh kitchen.

Small plants on a kitchen countertop
Pickle pots as planters on kitchen countertop
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Create A Kitchen Garden That Utilises Corners

You don’t always need an elaborate area to grow a kitchen garden. Here’s how you can add a splash of greenery and beautifully decorate the kitchen walls too! This all-white kitchen has wall-mounted wooden planters fixed in its corners that utilise the vertical space efficiently. We love how unique the placement of the planters is, and how well it harmonises with the sleek design of this modern kitchen. This is one of the best kitchen planter ideas that not just looks organised but also breaks the monotony of the white kitchen cabinets. The proximity to the windows helps the plants flourish without much effort from your end. 

Kitchen garden that utilises corners
A low maintenance indoor kitchen garden idea
Looking for the best materials & finishes for your modular kitchen

Simple Kitchen Window Herb Garden Ideas For Your Home

While the best way to start a kitchen garden is with small indoor plants, why not grow vegetables and herbs that can be used for cooking?  Have you considered a jar herb garden? You can use these stylish hanging jars to grow herbs like coriander, basil, mint and curry leaves which are commonly used in Indian kitchens on a daily basis. Can you imagine the fresh smell of mint that will fill your kitchen? How soothing is that! And anytime you need a virgin mojito, the main ingredient will always be within your arm’s reach. The best part of these kitchen herb planter ideas is that they add a style quotient to your space without taking up any floor space in your kitchen! This makes them the best kitchen garden design for small kitchens in compact apartments.

Kitchen window garden ideas
DIY kitchen window garden ideas for growing herbs

Ceiling Planters Are A Great Kitchen Garden Idea For Flats

If you’ve utilised the kitchen walls and shelves but want some more plants for your kitchen garden, turn upwards for extra space. Use the ceiling to suspend flowering plants in hanging planters and add bright colours to your kitchen. Hanging planters are budget-friendly and the plants infuse a fresh aroma into the kitchen space. Moreover, these kitchen planters are a great substitute for expensive hanging lamps. Check out this grey and white kitchen garden design that is livened up by the addition of colourful hanging plants. 

Kitchen garden ideas with ceiling planters
Revitalise your kitchen with colourful flowers

Explore more about indoor hanging plants that infuse style into your home

A Shelf Full Of Plants Is A Great Modern Kitchen Garden Design

The intent behind designing a kitchen garden is to make your kitchen more attractive and add a hint of freshness. An open shelf like this one beautifully fulfils those criteria and helps you display indoor plants on it. It is visible from all sides and right in the centre of the kitchen, so it ensures maximum visibility. Place indoor plants like succulents, rubber, fig, arrowhead, corn, and spider plants on this kitchen garden shelf. There is no right or wrong way to organise the planters, just ensure that the plants are not too big for the shelf as it can restrict their growth.

A shelf full of plants that makes kitchen more attractive
An open shelf with plants for a refreshing look

These are some of the best kitchen garden designs and indoor kitchen plant ideas for compact urban homes, as suggested by DesignCafe experts. We hope these tips answer your questions about ‘how do I start a small kitchen garden?’ Check out our other blogs for more inspiration and ideas on revamping your kitchen.

Also, read more about small garden ideas for small spaces.

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Nikita keshwani is a content writer in DesignCafe

Nikita Keshwani

A fashion-designer-turned-writer, Nikita Keshwani’s love for reading was propelled out of sheer boredom from after-school hours. Her interest in writing ignited when she read the first Harry Potter book. She is a Senior Content Writer at DesignCafe and comes with 6.5 years of total work experience. When she's not fantasizing about travel plans, curating a travel wardrobe or writing content, she loves sipping Chai on her couch with a book.

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