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The Elegant and Edible Garden: Design a Dream Kitchen Garden to Fit Your Personality, Desires, and Lifestyle
Discover how to partner ornamental plants with edible ones for a garden that offers both storybook appeal and a plethora of culinary delights.
*Winner of the GardenComm 2023 Laurel Media Awards Silver Award in the Book Publisher/Producer General Readership Category*
Stylish and celebratory, The Elegant and Edible Garden takes food growing to a higher plane. Host of The Potager Blog (@potagerblog) , author and garden stylist Linda Vater, shares her vision for creating a garden space where food and flowers grow side by side . Known as a potager , these gardens are formal in their framework yet flexible and personal in their edible yields. A potager garden is both lovely to look at and productive . Doubling as an outdoor living area , it is also the perfect place to entertain family and friends .
Inside you’ll
Create a garden that rejoices in seasonality while still allowing your style and personality to shine. The Elegant and Edible Garden is a vision of the very best things a garden can offer : food, beauty, connection, and a place to breathe.
*Winner of the GardenComm 2023 Laurel Media Awards Silver Award in the Book Publisher/Producer General Readership Category*
Stylish and celebratory, The Elegant and Edible Garden takes food growing to a higher plane. Host of The Potager Blog (@potagerblog) , author and garden stylist Linda Vater, shares her vision for creating a garden space where food and flowers grow side by side . Known as a potager , these gardens are formal in their framework yet flexible and personal in their edible yields. A potager garden is both lovely to look at and productive . Doubling as an outdoor living area , it is also the perfect place to entertain family and friends .
Inside you’ll
Create a garden that rejoices in seasonality while still allowing your style and personality to shine. The Elegant and Edible Garden is a vision of the very best things a garden can offer : food, beauty, connection, and a place to breathe.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2022
144 people are currently reading
193 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
January 11, 2022
Gorgeous, holistic & inspiring.
Full review tomorrow.
Thanks to publisher, Cool Springs Press, and author Linda Vater for this digital review copy, it was a pleasure.
Full review tomorrow.
Thanks to publisher, Cool Springs Press, and author Linda Vater for this digital review copy, it was a pleasure.
March 11, 2024
Great inspiration for my garden. The author created her garden pretty much all by herself. She has clay soil so I very much related to it.
March 1, 2022
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
The Elegant and Edible Garden by Linda Vater is an amazing and beautiful guide to keeping the perfect garden. The book contains gorgeous full-color photos of gardens, and the author gives us tips and tricks for growing our own gardens and keeping them like the ones in the photos. According to the description, readers will "discover how to partner ornamental plants with edible ones for a garden that offers both storybook appeal and a plethora of culinary delights."
Overall, The Elegant and Edible Garden is a gorgeous book that would make an excellent coffee-table book as well as a guide to gardening. One highlight of this book are the amazing photos. I was blown away by how beautiful some of the gardens looked. Another highlight are the wonderful tips that the author gives us from her experience growing beautiful gardens. It felt very relaxing to read the author's words. If you're intrigued by the description, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in April!
The Elegant and Edible Garden by Linda Vater is an amazing and beautiful guide to keeping the perfect garden. The book contains gorgeous full-color photos of gardens, and the author gives us tips and tricks for growing our own gardens and keeping them like the ones in the photos. According to the description, readers will "discover how to partner ornamental plants with edible ones for a garden that offers both storybook appeal and a plethora of culinary delights."
Overall, The Elegant and Edible Garden is a gorgeous book that would make an excellent coffee-table book as well as a guide to gardening. One highlight of this book are the amazing photos. I was blown away by how beautiful some of the gardens looked. Another highlight are the wonderful tips that the author gives us from her experience growing beautiful gardens. It felt very relaxing to read the author's words. If you're intrigued by the description, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in April!
May 26, 2023
The book was fine and helpful. More of a “find what you like and then find a version that works for your garden”. Lots of design tips. But was I the only one who notices the garden on the cover has an…interesting design?
March 1, 2022
This book is worth buying for the photos alone. Her garden is GORGEOUS. Vater mentions that she has acute imposter syndrome, and she need not! She may not have a official master gardener title, but she is the master of her own garden. This woman knows what she is doing.
In addition to the drool-worthy photos, this book also has a lot of practical tips and advice. Some of it you have heard before, and some of it is much more detailed and in-depth in other books that cover that particular subject, but this book, as a whole, is an excellent starting point and overview for any gardener. I especially appreciated her advice of garden stewardship and being able to let go of things in the garden if they just aren't working or you have reached a stage in your life where you just can't make it work. Maybe I was particularly emotional today, but the Emotional Chlorophyll and Comfort stories and the section on Community and Seasonal Celebration actually brought tears to my eyes. I appreciated this personal touch.
I got so much inspiration and heart warmth from this book. Thank you NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Cool Springs Press for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
In addition to the drool-worthy photos, this book also has a lot of practical tips and advice. Some of it you have heard before, and some of it is much more detailed and in-depth in other books that cover that particular subject, but this book, as a whole, is an excellent starting point and overview for any gardener. I especially appreciated her advice of garden stewardship and being able to let go of things in the garden if they just aren't working or you have reached a stage in your life where you just can't make it work. Maybe I was particularly emotional today, but the Emotional Chlorophyll and Comfort stories and the section on Community and Seasonal Celebration actually brought tears to my eyes. I appreciated this personal touch.
I got so much inspiration and heart warmth from this book. Thank you NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Cool Springs Press for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
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January 6, 2025My favorite gardening book I have…and I have a lot of them! Great if you are interested in the basics of design and structure. Gorgeous cottage garden photos for inspiration.
March 22, 2022
The Elegant and Edible Garden is resplendent with splendid photography and information about gardening in general but particularly author Linda Vater's garden, that of Barnsley House and those of friends. Not only does her garden look gorgeous in front of and behind her "fairy tale" house but it is also a practical potager garden from which she harvests fruits, herbs and vegetables. As a master gardener who gardens part time in pitiful Zone 2a and part time in the beautiful Mediterranean I am in awe of Vater's ambition, knowledge and skills without any formal gardening or horticultural training. My sister is like that. Her gardens are the prettiest for many, many km around and her knowledge and experience would rival that of the most experienced with horticultural degrees. This book is about starting from scratch, making and revising plans and making and learning from mistakes. Gardening is therapy and teaches one about life in so many ways.
Potager gardens are amongst my favourites and I have had the fortune of seeing hundreds all over Europe. Though I am unable to grow many of the plants in this book including box, rosemary and blackberries in our 90 frost-free days a year in Canada, it is shocking what we CAN. This book inspires and fires my curiosity anew. The author's sweet pumpkins story is so relatable! I love that her garden is structurally stunning, full of whimsy, lush, uses the rule of 3, full of her mindful signature touches, incorporates secrets and surprises, uses texture and pattern and follows a rhythm. The importance of colour and repetition is outlined. Also explained is square foot gardening and gardening in tiny spaces such as balconies with tower planters and containers. Not only that but she talks about gardener responsibility and stewardship, attracting pollinators, pest management, climate restrictions, what to grow, drainage and harvest.
New and experienced gardeners will find reasons to love this book, regardless of the climate or skill level. The author reminds us that gardening is about discoveries, wonders of nature, trial and error. It does not provide instant gratification but is a learning process, incredibly fulfilling! Every day you see something new. Have I mentioned the enchanting photography?
My sincere thank you to Quarto Publishing Group - Cool Springs Press and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this sublime book.
Potager gardens are amongst my favourites and I have had the fortune of seeing hundreds all over Europe. Though I am unable to grow many of the plants in this book including box, rosemary and blackberries in our 90 frost-free days a year in Canada, it is shocking what we CAN. This book inspires and fires my curiosity anew. The author's sweet pumpkins story is so relatable! I love that her garden is structurally stunning, full of whimsy, lush, uses the rule of 3, full of her mindful signature touches, incorporates secrets and surprises, uses texture and pattern and follows a rhythm. The importance of colour and repetition is outlined. Also explained is square foot gardening and gardening in tiny spaces such as balconies with tower planters and containers. Not only that but she talks about gardener responsibility and stewardship, attracting pollinators, pest management, climate restrictions, what to grow, drainage and harvest.
New and experienced gardeners will find reasons to love this book, regardless of the climate or skill level. The author reminds us that gardening is about discoveries, wonders of nature, trial and error. It does not provide instant gratification but is a learning process, incredibly fulfilling! Every day you see something new. Have I mentioned the enchanting photography?
My sincere thank you to Quarto Publishing Group - Cool Springs Press and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this sublime book.
March 2, 2022
Welcome to the Elegant and Edible Garden! If you know of Linda Vater, the beauty of this book will not surprise you. Linda is an Oklahoman youtuber who is self taught and well known for her design aesthetic, media work and gardening is life philosophy. Linda is also known as the host of The Potager Blog (@potagerblog), --potager are based in a the idea of a French "kitchen garden" a style of gardening that incorporates herbs, fruits, and vegetables with flowers and ornamentals. The idea is that these gardens are functional and beautiful!
The book is organized by Apriation (why) , Inspiration, (how) and Motivation (he when, or now). Best practices and advice are contained in every chapter to assist you from designing your dream garden to upkeep and maintenance. It is so lovely - it is elegant just like the title. You won't need much motivation once you see the photos! If you are a gardener, gardener want to be, farm to table lover, or just a vegetarian plant lover like me, #TheElengantandEdibleGarden is for you! #NetGalley
#Quarto
The book is organized by Apriation (why) , Inspiration, (how) and Motivation (he when, or now). Best practices and advice are contained in every chapter to assist you from designing your dream garden to upkeep and maintenance. It is so lovely - it is elegant just like the title. You won't need much motivation once you see the photos! If you are a gardener, gardener want to be, farm to table lover, or just a vegetarian plant lover like me, #TheElengantandEdibleGarden is for you! #NetGalley
#Quarto
April 7, 2022
The elegant and Edible Garden by Linda Vater I picked to read due to my intentions on exploring the possibility of growing things myself. I would say that this is not a beginner’s type book as there were some plants and herbs spoken off that I was not familiar with, and not enough details were given for me in the book to figure out their purposes. I also felt that the book did not tell you much the plants history, or the herbs, how to grow it, form the soil types to the zones. I do not have a green thumb, but I love plants. I would say this was a gorgeous layout and planning book for a gardener to have and the pictures were awe inspiring. All in all, though, it makes for a great starting point for someone with a home garden that they want to plan which will be an oasis, but with functionality. This review was given on the ARC copy received from the Publisher via NetGalley in return for my honest opinion.
April 11, 2022
When I first opened this book, I have to admit; I was in pure awe. Many of the pictures are what I pictured The Secret Garden looking like as a child. These gardens are truly the dreams of not just little girls but gardeners everywhere. I love how the author makes having your own dream kitchen garden approachable. While they are big projects, she shows you how to start small or pick what is perfect for your lifestyle. As you can guess, there is quite a bit of information, and this isn’t one of those books I recommend trying in one sitting unless you want to be overwhelmed by all the excellent information. That being said, I genuinely believe The Elegant & Edible Garden by Linda Vater is a must for any gardener!
April 8, 2022
I was so impressed by this book - a kitchen garden has long appealed to me (I plot out my dream kitchen garden for stress relief and fun) and this highly inspirational author shows and explains the how-to’s.
Gorgeous photos and recommended for any hopeful kitchen garden creator and caregiver.
Fantastic book that made me think of long ago-Victorian kitchen gardens and also inspired me to start out plotting my own kitchen garden now that we’ve settled down in one place for the long haul.
eARC kindly provided by Cool Springs Press / Quarto Publishing Group and NetGalley. Opinions shared are my own.
Gorgeous photos and recommended for any hopeful kitchen garden creator and caregiver.
Fantastic book that made me think of long ago-Victorian kitchen gardens and also inspired me to start out plotting my own kitchen garden now that we’ve settled down in one place for the long haul.
eARC kindly provided by Cool Springs Press / Quarto Publishing Group and NetGalley. Opinions shared are my own.
August 24, 2025
high 4 stars for me, would love more pictures. i know there are many but i love lots of them, i think cooking, plants, etc. need surplus of them. the more the better. i enjoy Linda's videos on YouTube, she has great ideas. i have her new book coming in October 2025. i have a used book coming soon, don't recall that name. i am thinking ... having some coffee table books to enjoy ... this will be included. i enjoy learning, no matter the skills ... really enjoy being outdoors, doing the day and gardening is fun, if only we all had the money (plants for suppliers) like Linda does. wouldn't that be awesome??! fun times.
February 4, 2024
A friend has this book on her table, and as a fellow Oklahoman, I was intrigued. The book delivers very well on the "elegant" promised in the title by including many great questions and design elements to contemplate.
However, there was very little "edible" anything in the book, and that was a disappointment. The focus was definitely on how to plan your garden and has lots of great pictures.
My big takeaway is to think about why I like a garden and not just whether I like it, and to analyze how I might replicate that in my own yard or garden.
However, there was very little "edible" anything in the book, and that was a disappointment. The focus was definitely on how to plan your garden and has lots of great pictures.
My big takeaway is to think about why I like a garden and not just whether I like it, and to analyze how I might replicate that in my own yard or garden.
April 14, 2022
This is a glorious book - just looking through it offers peace and joy. I really love it, the photographs are amazing, the information is solid and the fact that it encourages self expression, is enlightening.
The book chapters include -Aspiration - Inspiration- Motivation within are featured -beauty/sensual appeal garden design, life styled and wellness and much, much more.
A book to truly inspire and creative a garden. A garden that one would love to live in.
The book chapters include -Aspiration - Inspiration- Motivation within are featured -beauty/sensual appeal garden design, life styled and wellness and much, much more.
A book to truly inspire and creative a garden. A garden that one would love to live in.
July 2, 2023
This book had beautiful photos and some very good advice for beginner gardeners but I felt the title left much to be desired. When I saw Elegant Edible I envisioned a book with recommendations on creating landscapes with primarily vegetables, fruits, and herbs. Instead this book had a lot of advice on finding inspiration and the gardening lifestyle. The food aspect of gardening also seemed a bit lost in and amongst all the general advice.
I did get some good bits out of reading. Advice like starting small and building out, and a couple photographs that really got my design inspiration going. However I feel this book fell short on the titles promise.
I did get some good bits out of reading. Advice like starting small and building out, and a couple photographs that really got my design inspiration going. However I feel this book fell short on the titles promise.
May 4, 2022
What a beautiful book.
I have huge very grand ideas of what I want my gardens to look like now.
This book would be a beautiful physical book, as I had the ebook it was a different experience, however I loved the pictures.
The writing was accessible and now I feel ready to take on the spring!
I have huge very grand ideas of what I want my gardens to look like now.
This book would be a beautiful physical book, as I had the ebook it was a different experience, however I loved the pictures.
The writing was accessible and now I feel ready to take on the spring!
March 19, 2024
Five stars for the photos, three stars for the text. Absolutely gorgeous gardens but the title didn’t really match the contents of the text—it was really more general garden design advice rather than specific advice about incorporating edible plants into your garden as the title indicates. Very puzzling…
December 13, 2025
The first thing I noticed about this book is how authentic the author is. Zero pretense or snobbery, everything here is something you can do with a little research and hard work. Happy to know the author also struggles with clay soil, so frustrating.
I had to chuckle at the garden on the cover. Certainly a feminine looking design, reminding us to put the mother back in Mother Nature.
I had to chuckle at the garden on the cover. Certainly a feminine looking design, reminding us to put the mother back in Mother Nature.
April 28, 2022
A refreshingly different garden book, written by a non-pro for non-pros and focusing on how to take your yard from a boring blank slate to what you envision in your dreams. Vater does this wonderfully, with great directions on how to get concrete ideas, how to plan things out for the real world, and how to stay encouraged and inspired when things inevitably don't work out the way you hoped. Loved her attitude, her advice, and the pictures of her lovely garden. Very inspiring book.
December 19, 2022
Wonderful book with beautiful designs and ideas, as well as techniques and great tips to simplify. I was absolutely stunned that the author lives in Oklahoma and her garden looks like it is out of England.
December 30, 2023
Practical garden design
Very practical and welcome gardening advice from Linda Vater. The photos are inspirational but not in a stuffy way. I might not ever grow a clipped hedge but I will focus more on greens and textures as she has. This is a lovely garden book.
Very practical and welcome gardening advice from Linda Vater. The photos are inspirational but not in a stuffy way. I might not ever grow a clipped hedge but I will focus more on greens and textures as she has. This is a lovely garden book.
April 13, 2022
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Love the blog and love this book! Potager gardens are elegant and food friendly, and gorgeous photos. Recommended reading!
Love the blog and love this book! Potager gardens are elegant and food friendly, and gorgeous photos. Recommended reading!
April 23, 2022
*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Since we are redoing our yard this year i thought this would be a cool book to read! Going to use some of the ideas i read in this book for sure!
February 3, 2023
A wonderful and educational book with outstanding photography.
May 5, 2023
Solid and inspiring advice on how to create the garden of your dreams.
August 25, 2023
Beautiful pictures! Great advice! Will be a great reference! I follow her on you tube and have learned so much from her! I absolutely loved the book!
December 20, 2023
Beautiful pictures. Not that much relevant garden info. A few great points.
August 1, 2024
Absolutely stunningly beautiful! Gorgeous photos of the Potager.
September 27, 2024
She is so easy to read. I can hear her talking as she writes this book. Linda is a treasure and her words are inspiring and comforting to me. Good read
October 21, 2024
Loved the content and pictures. Felt like I was walking through the gardens. Gathered much inspiration and will enjoy this book as reference and for the beauty captured in it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews