Produce from this backyard lends unique flavor to kombucha

One of the advantages to growing your own is that chefs and makers are not restricted by what they can get from their produce distributor. At Confluence Kombucha in St. Louis’ The Grove neighborhood, they pull from co-owner Julie Villarini’s backyard to supply the kitchen with unique items for kombucha as well as plated dishes.

When Julie bought her South City house, it needed to be rehabbed, inside out.

The yard was a mess, totally overgrown, and Julie knew she wanted to plant a food-focused garden, so she reached out to Matt Lebon for help. He set to work clearing the space and over a full day, he and his crew were able to reveal a brick patio and existing fruit trees, including a gorgeous and healthy cherry tree. He designed a garden that allows Julie to easily access the various points of her garden and planted items that she couldn’t easily source from a produce company, like fuki, a Japanese plant that grows well in St. Louis’ climate. The stalk and flower are edible and they pickle it in the kitchen at Confluence Kombucha. The leaves are used to wrap and steam foods, like a banana leaf.

When we visited, we wandered her compact garden, where each corner is used to efficiently grow food and flowers. I learned a couple of fun “did-you-knows” while there. First, old CDs are the prefect way to discourage birds from dive-bombing your flowering trees and second, you can eat hydrangea flowers and they are delicious!

Take a stroll around Julie’s yard and peek into the kombucha room at Confluence below:

Confluence Kombucha
4507 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, MO
314.833.3059