Cornerstone Cornucopia | All Tossed In Ann Conrad Stewart garnishes salads with homegrown nasturtium flowers and Johnny-Jump-Up blooms.
Perennial Favorite | Given great drainage and infinite sun, lavender lives in the boxes year after year.
House Rules | When they were young, the children were taught to only harvest flowers from the square beds—the surrounding inedible hydrangeas were off limits.
Designer Labels | Stewart keeps track of her rows with metal labels.
Suburban Outfitter | Ann keeps a pair of gloves for every task: These are perfect for fine work.
Productive Potager | Although some beds are planted solidly with herbs or vegetables, others are mini-parterres. Front and center here is lettuce and Johnny-Jump-Ups surrounding peas trained up a trellis.
Drainage Issues | Half the width of each bluestone was buried below ground for stability. The boxes were also fitted with a drainage gap to prevent saturation problems.
Cornerstone Cornucopia | Everything from lavender to artisanal kale is within footsteps of the house’s side door.
Living Off the Grid | Contained with bluestone and framed in peastone, every one of the 16 raised beds measures five feet square—it’s the distance that Ann Conrad Stewart can easily reach to harvest without stretching.
Roped In | Along the catwalk between the house and studio, rope swings are suspended from the crossbeams.
Squash Court | Zucchini and summer squash drape over the side edges of the stone boxes.
Boxed Greens | With tomatoes for a centerpiece surrounded by various kales, the family has salads covered for the entire growing season.
Peppering the Rainbow | Every year is different, but Stewart was on a pepper craze last season (including spicy red peppers and sweeter versions).
Ripe & Ready | After frost, tomatoes are lined up on the windowsill to ripen.
Beyond Beefsteak | The full spectrum of tomatoes (and relatives) includes cherry tomatoes and tomatillos.
When printmaker Ann Conrad Stewart and her family made the switch from New York City to a gorgeous four acre New Canaan home, Stewart decided to turn their slick driveway into a year-round fruitful garden; growing everything from asparagus to lavender.
