A garden can provide much more for the table than a few herbs picked just before dinner. Fruit, vegetables, edible flowers and fresh herbs can become part of everyday meals during the months when they are in season.

You do not need a large vegetable garden to make use of what grows outside. Tomatoes in pots, strawberries, salad leaves and herbs such as basil, mint and rosemary can all be grown in relatively small spaces and picked when they are needed.

Fruit trees and vines bring their own rhythm to the year. Figs, lemons, peaches, grapes and berries are available for a limited period, which naturally influences what appears on the table. When there is more than you can eat immediately, the extra fruit can become jam, compote, juice or something to share.

Fresh herbs are particularly useful because they can move directly from the garden into everyday cooking. Mint can go into cold drinks and salads, basil with tomatoes and rosemary with vegetables prepared outside on a grill.

Some of the pleasure comes from keeping the food simple. Ripe tomatoes need little more than olive oil and salt, freshly picked fruit can become dessert and a handful of herbs can change a basic lunch without requiring a complicated recipe.

The same idea can be experienced while travelling. Farm stays, vineyards, agriturismos and countryside properties increasingly have kitchen gardens or orchards that form part of the stay. Breakfast might include fruit from the property, while dinner can use vegetables and herbs harvested nearby.

Local markets can fill the gaps when you do not have a garden of your own. Buying directly from growers creates a similar connection with the season because the selection changes according to what is being harvested locally.

Eating from the garden is ultimately about using what is available at the right moment. It can make an outdoor lunch as simple as bread, tomatoes, fruit and something cold to drink, with much of the meal coming from only a few steps away.

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