Culinary Herb Garden - Living Lab Gardens

Culinary herb garden blooming in Oct 2022 at IFNH

On the southwest sunny patio of the Institute of Food, Nutrition, and Health (IFNH), the Culinary Herb Garden flourishes in a framed planting bed. The perennial herbs planted here provide seasoning for meals at the Harvest Cafe.

Design: Emily Otterbine & Alexis Lo, Introduction to Environmental Design II Studio

Advisors: Holly Nelson & Arianna Lindberg, Landscape Architecture; Chef Ian Keith (original design) & Alexandra Ceribelli, Harvest Cafe

Installation: 2017 Byrne Seminar, “The Harvest Garden: Creating an Edible Landscape on Campus”

Maintenance: Rutgers Green Team and Facilities/Grounds

For the Culinary Herb Garden Plant List click here.

Garden Evolution

Deer browse and damage are great challenges to gardens on campus. However, most culinary herbs are aromatic and repel deer which enables this garden to grow and flourish. The few non-aromatic edible plants, like annual pansies planted do get eaten by deer even though they in close proximity to herbs. Therefore, the planting palette is limited to deer proof plants.

Before the Culinary Herb Garden was planted, this planting bed was a demonstration of a green roof garden and planted as such in 2016. For several reasons, including deer herbivory, the Green Roof planting design was not successful and the Culinary Herb Garden was planted to replace it.

Planting details of the Green Roof Demonstration are below