GORZE, France — Pascal Garbe tends his garden at sunrise, harvesting tomatoes, marigolds, and herbs for a salad he will prepare later. The quiet routine contrasts with his professional life as a globe-trotting expert in culinary horticulture and garden tourism.
Garbe has spent decades judging international flower shows, from Philadelphia to Singapore, and serving on panels for festivals in France and South Africa. His work connects gardening and gastronomy, a field he helped create. “I simply wanted to become a cook-gardener,” he said. “It was a profession I invented—a cook because I loved good food and a gardener for the pleasure of designing beautiful spaces.”
His almost-an-acre plot behind his 18th-century home in Lorraine serves as both a personal sanctuary and a testing ground. He removed nonedible plants years ago, keeping only structural shrubs like yew and boxwood. What remains are “garden rooms,” each dedicated to different edible plants—herbs, flowers, and even specimens shared by neighbors or collected from his travels.
“I must admit I never have quite enough room,” he said. “I sometimes plant too densely, which affects their growth.” To compensate, he uses containers to test new additions before giving them a permanent spot. His book, Tout Se Mange Dans Mon Jardin, explains this method, including his willingness to remove plants that don’t meet his standards.
His interest in gardening began in childhood, working with his grandparents. That curiosity grew into a career combining design, writing, and culinary innovation. In the 1990s, an assignment for a French magazine led him to explore foraged ingredients in high-end cuisine. He spoke with chefs like Michel Bras and Olivier Roellinger, whose Michelin-starred restaurants were redefining fine dining with petals, leaves, and stems.
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That movement has expanded over the past three decades. “Humans have always grown their own food,” Garbe said. “But in recent decades, the practice has shifted from purely practical to gourmet.”
What began as a hobby became a way to connect with people across cultures. His garden reflects those encounters, filled with plants from around the world. Despite its diversity, the space feels intimate. The garden rooms unfold unexpectedly, each turn revealing something new.
His impact reaches beyond his own plot. Books and judging roles have shaped modern garden tourism, where visitors seek inspiration for their kitchens. The boundary between garden and table has faded, and he has documented the change at every stage.
In Gorze, the morning sun casts long shadows over rows of hyssop and daylilies. Garbe moves between them, pruning and adjusting pots. The work continues, but that’s intentional. The garden constantly evolves, offering new flavors, lessons, and experiences to share.
