World of Design: 10 Home Gardeners Show Us Their Sweet Summer Harvests

One in a series from Houzz international editors on how our lives shape home design around the world

There’s a special satisfaction in tasting the sweet juiciness of a homegrown tomato or cutting a head of lettuce straight from the ground, morning dew still on its leaves. These 10 home farmers from around the world know such experiences many times over, as they’ve all cultivated gardens that allow them to bring fresh produce to their tables regularly. No two gardens are alike, from the beds of carrots and sweet peppers thriving on a garage roof in Moscow to the corrugated iron planters that transform a front yard in Sydney.

1. Holistic Gardening in Italy

Location: The countryside near Turin, Italy
Who gardens here: Angelica Meschini, a mum, housewife and part-time tailor
Size: 25 square metres

“I’ve always dreamed about having an edible garden of my own, but it only became a real possibility after moving to the countryside,” Angelica Meschini says. “When I was a kid I used to live in the countryside as well, milking cows and walking with my father around the rice paddy fields.”

Her first year she lost everything to snails, but she tried again, replanting in new raised beds her husband built from the wood of an old bridge and gardening with biodynamic and organic practices. “I have to say they work perfectly; just some snails still go around the plants now,” she says.

Why do it: To provide better food for her family and live closer to the rhythm of nature.

A typical day: Each day is different, depending on the time of year, and might involve sowing, transplanting or harvesting. “Every day I have to do some upkeep, clearing dead leaves and watering,” Meschini says.


What’s growing: Eggplant, peppers, cardoons, cabbages, savoy cabbages, broccoli, celery, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, goji berries and herbs such as parsley, basil, coriander, mint and rosemary.

What she loves most: “I love to see the cycle of seasons; for me it mirrors the human life cycle.”

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2. Resourceful Gardening in the UK

Location: London, England
Who gardens here: Esiah Levy, who works for Transport for London and also works as a freelance designer of edible gardens
Size: 12.5 square metres

“My garden was 90 percent lawn when I first moved in,” Esiah Levy says. Using his own variation on ‘no dig’ gardening, he layered horse manure, cardboard, coffee grounds, cocoa shells, topsoil and compost, all sourced for free, on top of the grass. He converted the lawn into a fertile and productive space, growing everything from pears to garlic and much more.

“This has transformed the garden into one which attracts bees, butterflies, squirrels, ladybirds, robins and lots of spiders,” Levy says. “This garden is now truly my own, and better than that, it gives me food on a regular basis.”

Why do it: “Buying organic fruit and vegetables in a supermarket was becoming so costly,” Levy says. “By using recyclable materials, such as coffee grounds, cocoa shells and mulch, I have found growing and maintaining my edible garden is no cost at all.”

A typical day: “Adding mulches, when needed, on the top of the soil, adding rotten, chopped fruits and vegetables underneath the mulch and checking the pH levels of my soil. I also sit and use my garden as inspiration for designing edible gardens for private clients and large community projects.”


What’s growing: Pears, apples, guavas, black currants, wild strawberries, potatoes, medlars, butternut squash, rutabaga, silverbeet, cherries, quinoa, soybeans, rhubarb, garlic, chives, curry plant, loganberry, damson, peaches, plums, serviceberry, pomegranate, raspberries, lingonberries, elderflower, goji berry, carrots, beets, asparagus, peas, tomatoes, blackberries, walnuts, kale, pinkberry (a variety of blueberries but pink), lavender (to flavour cookies and also to attract pollinators to the garden), gooseberries, grapevines, quince, turnips, onions, adzuki beans, black turtle beans, aronia berry and kiwi issai. Next season he wants to grow Meader American persimmon, Akebia Quinata ‘Chocolate Vine’, Sternapi apple, sweetcorn and First Berry ‘Full moon’.

What he loves most: “When people see it, they can’t believe what I have managed to grow in such a small space,” Levy says. “I also love that I can treat my garden like an artist does a painting.”

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3. Beach Bounty in New York City

Location: Belle Harbor, New York
Who gardens here: Jacqueline Cashen, owner of Big Dog Imprints; Gary Streisand, her fiancé; and a few neighbors
Size: The front garden is about 484 square feet (45 square meters) and a small side garden is 90 square feet (8.4 square meters)


Jacqueline Cashen​’s beach community in the Queens borough of New York City was devastated when Hurricane Sandy hit nearly three years ago. “We had about 3 or 4 feet of sand covering the property and all over the streets,” she says. “We had no electricity, no heat, no streets to travel on.” Instead of replacing the front lawn, she decided to replant it with edibles.

Now, a year after planting, the garden provides Cashen — seen in the previous photo with fiancé Gary Streisand, left, and neighbor Dan Epstein — and her friends a place to gather and weed, water and reap the bounty.

“​This, to me, was the way to rebuild,” Cashen says. Her daughter Michelle works with the Brooklyn Grange and Edgemere Farm, two large urban farms in New York City. “She was a big influence and big help,” Cashen says.

Why do it: “It’s so hard to get fresh organic produce here in the Rockaways,” Cashen says. “We have to take bridges to get to the mainland, and it’s always a trek to get to a healthy store.”

A typical day: “Watering, weeding and feeling good. I inspect the plants for any dead leaves or bad fruit and pull out what could potentially become moldy or infected,” Cashen says. “The compost, which we do in the backyard, is occasionally applied onto some of the soil to feed the plants. The time-consuming job is tying up the tomatoes to the trellis; I need four hands.”

What’s growing: In the larger front plot there’s sweet corn, broccoli, beans, red leaf lettuce, zucchini, kale, collard greens, Swiss chard, peppers, cauliflower, eggplant, potatoes, beets, carrots, arugula, spinach, cucumbers, ground cherries and tomatoes. In the smaller side plot are fennel, leeks and assorted herbs.

“This is so much more beautiful and useful than a front lawn​,”​ Cashen says. She wants to grow more ground cherries, more lettuces, more corn and learn more about system growing.

What she loves most: “The peaceful feeling of watching the seed become a plant that we then eat.”

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4. Rooftop Gardening in Russia

Location: Moscow region, Russia
Who gardens here: Marina Ogneva, a graphic designer at an oil and gas company, and her 5-year-old son
Size: 266 square feet (24.7 square meters)

“I spent my childhood years in Siberia and I took gardening habits and traditions from my family,” Marina Ogneva says. When it came to her own home, which didn’t have room for an extensive edible garden, she turned to the space above the garage, transforming it into an open-air living room and kitchen garden for summer.

“The idea worked out really great,” she says. Raised planters surround the roof’s perimeter, protected from wind and with plenty of sun, and she can access the garden directly from the kitchen and living room.

Why do it: “When you spend five days a week in the capital, you really want to get away from the city on the weekends and work in your garden,” Ogneva says. “Now it’s a constant source of pleasure and entertainment for me.”


What’s growing: Tomatoes, pumpkins, carrots, celery, sweet peppers, eggplant, gourds, peas, arugula, basil, coriander, dill and thyme. “I even have a small watermelon, but it’s only just sprung up,” Ogneva says. “We’ll see if it’s going to be warm enough for it to make good fruit … at the end of summer or beginning of autumn.” Next season she plans to grow her crops using seeds harvested from her own plants.

What she loves most: “When you have a kitchen garden close, you don’t have a lot of trouble with snacks and food,” Ogneva says. “It’s also nice to just sunbathe on a chaise longue among fresh coriander plants.”

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5. Different Front Yard in a Sydney Suburb

Location: Hunters Hill suburb of Sydney, Australia
Who gardens here: Melanie Rankin, a mother of four, and Tops the dog
Size: About 538 square feet (50 square meters)

Melanie Rankin’s edible garden not only feeds her entire family but is also a talking point for the quiet street on which they live. People who were once strangers now stop by for a chat, and are sometimes treated to excess fruit and vegetables. The five raised beds are made from corrugated iron and have transformed the once-typical front yard into a functional space that many enjoy.

Why do it: “Purely for the pleasure of eating what I sow,” Rankin says. “I love fresh fruit and vegetables, and I thought it would be a bit of a challenge to see if I could grow my own.”

A typical day: “I’m lucky because it’s rare we spend a whole day in the garden. It’s pretty low-maintenance. As I walk past, I generally remove any stray weeds, pick caterpillars out of the brassicas and water anything that’s thirsty. When we change over a bed to plant out a new season, it takes an afternoon to add new layers of manure, hay and compost to the ‘no-dig beds,’ then plant seeds out in the top layer and give it a good water.”





What’s growing: Zucchini, five types of lettuce, kale, Tuscan cabbage, broccoli, beets, peppers, thyme, parsley, sage, rosemary, oregano, curry bush, nasturtiums, snow peas, pumpkin, passionfruit, garlic, leeks and spring onions. For spring planting, Rankin plans on adding watermelon, cantaloupe, French beans, tomatoes, eggplant, corn, radishes and more citrus trees, if there’s room.

What she loves most: “Sharing it with others, showing people how easy it can be to grow your own food and learning from other people about their gardens.”

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6. Terrace Herb Garden in France

Location: Orsay, south of Paris, France
Who gardens here: Philippe Grolier, a photographer and architect
Size: 54 square feet (5 square meters)

Philippe Grolier uses his terrace to grow edibles he doesn’t have in his garden on the other side of his house. Moroccan mint, small chives from Denmark, curly parsley, Thai basil, TomTato (a plant that grows potatoes and tomatoes) and strawberries are among the plants he grows in containers on the terrace.

Why do it: “We have three kids and really wanted to eat organic” and live self-sufficiently, Grolier says.

A typical day: “I like to wake up early on the weekends,” Grolier says, as he prefers the early-morning temperatures. “Birds are everywhere, and the light is great.” He checks the vegetables to see if the snails have caused any damage overnight and waters the edibles while drinking his coffee. “I rest during the afternoon, when it is warmer, and go back to it before dinner, to pick them and cook them.”


What’s growing: “During summer I grow tomatoes to cook and can,” Grolier says. He also grows eggplant and herbs, such as basil, chives and rosemary. Next season he intends to plant cabbages and black and red currants.

What he loves most: “Garden or terrace, there is no limit to growing your own food.”

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7. Year-Round Harvest for a Family in Spain

Location: Barcia, in the Principality of Asturias, northern coast of Spain
Who gardens here: Moisés Álvarez, a city employee, María del Valle, an online community manager, and their four sons
Size: About three-quarters of an acre (3,000 square meters)

“More than work, my garden is a hobby for me,” Moisés Álvarez says. “Though it is a hard job, it is also great fun and very gratifying.”

He and María del Valle have been gardening this plot they bought about 3 miles from their home for a year and a half, growing vegetables that will feed their family of six throughout the year. “Moisés loves tomato sauce, and he always makes sure to grow enough tomatoes for the whole year,” Del Valle says. The family also cans peas and Brussels sprouts to eat out of season.

Why do it: They had fun growing edibles in containers on their terrace and bought some land to grow more things.

A typical day: The family spends most of its time in the garden on weekends. “In the morning we normally do the toughest work,” including weeding and preparing the land, Álvarez says, followed by lunch prepared with some of their bounty. “We also spend a lot of time picking up snails, slugs, worms and a lot of different bugs that can ruin the harvest.”


What’s growing: Green beans, sunflowers, tomatoes, lettuce, beets, potatoes, radishes, garlic, peppers, fabes (a traditional bean from northern Spain), cabbage, onion, corn, pumpkin and leeks

What they love most: “We know exactly where everything we eat comes from,” Del Valle says, and they love that they can feed their children the best food.

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8. Learning to Garden Together in Japan

Location: Zama, Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo, Japan
Who gardens here: Shoji Mimura, a corporate employee, and his wife and two children
Size: About 65 square feet (6 square meters)

This edible garden is part of Hoshinotani Danchi, a recently renovated housing complex in Zama that used to be company housing for one of Tokyo’s largest commuter rail companies. Blue studio, the design firm behind the renovation, redesigned the entire property, including creating an edible garden for the complex.

Shoji Mimura’s family has been gardening here for about three months and is one of 31 families that grow crops in the complex. Most of the gardeners are first-time farmers, with two advisors from a farm management company supporting them through workshops and in-person advice. Everything the growers need is stored at the garden.

Why do it: “My children don’t like vegetables very much, so I thought they would like them if they grew them themselves,” Mimura says.



Shown: Shoji Mimura, left, and garden advisor Kenichi Masuda


What’s growing: Green peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, cucumbers and corn. In winter they’ll grow Chinese cabbage and Japanese white radish.

What he loves most: “The users hold seasonal gatherings on the deck next to the garden and enjoy the crops together. This is great fun,” Mimura says.

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9. Garden of Experiments in Sweden

Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Who gardens here: Elin Unnes, a music journalist
Size: 1,292 square feet (120 square meters)

Elin Unnes has rented this garden plot, an allotment from the Swedish king’s estate, for six years, planting and making it her own. “My dad built our shed around some beautiful reclaimed doors,” she says, and she also brought in chairs and a table from Massproductions, a favorite furniture designer.

“I have no official training in gardening, but I developed an obsession with growing long before I had even the smallest green patch to cultivate,” Unnes says, adding that she used to seek out gardens between writing her reviews of the concerts and festivals she covered.

Why do it: “I never liked cute, ordered gardens full of flowers and blooms. I wanted things I could really taste.”

A typical day: Spring and summer are busier times of year. “I also enjoy coming here in the winter, even though I just have a cup of coffee in the snow and feed the birds,” Unnes says.


Glass bottles-turned-candle holders hang in a plum tree behind Unnes. The bottom of each bottle has been replaced with a metal plate, where a short candle sits. A chain secures the plate and leads to the neck of the bottle, then continues up and over the branch of the tree.


What’s growing: Blackberries, hops, plums, artichokes and Brussels sprouts. Next season Unnes plans to grow more herbs. “I am fascinated by how many things they can be used for,” she says. “Elderflower makes a delicious bubbly wine, for example, and nettles do wonders for your hair.”

What she loves most: “It personifies me and my experiences, from the plants I’m still experimenting with, to various degrees of success, to the ones that are now thriving, like my ‘Loch Ness’ blackberries.”

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10. Pure Relaxation in Germany

Location: Cologne, Germany
Who gardens here: Sandra Geeck, an online marketing manager and food and garden blogger
Size: 538 square feet (50 square meters)

Sandra Geeck has rented this plot of land from a professional farmer for four years. Before the start of the season, which lasts from May through November, the farmer will prepare and plow the field. “Then my work begins,” Geeck says. “I sow some more, start watering, weeding and planting and finally reaping.”

She packs in enough edibles for two or three people to eat during the season, tries out new plants and then regularly posts what she’s growing and learning on Grüne Liebe, her garden blog. “I enjoy eating the vegetables much more now, because I know exactly where it comes from and how much work is behind a portion of self-shelled peas,” she says.

Why do it: “My balcony was always planted with vegetables for a little snack, like tomatoes and herbs. But one day it was simply getting too small for all my edibles.”

A typical day: Geeck’s day starts with a bike ride to her garden. “Once in the field, I put on my garden shoes and have a nice walk through my garden. I sip from tomatoes or physalis [ground cherries] and take pictures from the vegetable garden for my blog,” she says. Then it’s time to work. She pulls weeds, loosens soil, removes dead plants and ends the day by filling her bike basket with vegetables before riding home.





What’s growing: Potatoes, carrots, onions, sweet potato, pumpkin, artichoke, eggplant, ground cherries, purple cauliflower and edible flowers. Next year she wants to grow tomatoes, cucumbers and tiger nuts.

What she loves most: “I love to get out of the city,” Geeck says. “For me, working in the garden is pure relaxation and, if you will, a healthy workout.”

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Tell us: Do you have a bountiful edible garden? Please share a photo in the Comments and tell us which city, region or country you live in.

URL: World of Design: 10 Home Gardeners Show Us Their Sweet Summer Harvests http://www.decor-ideas.org/cases-view-id-26819.html