What is a potager garden?
A potager garden is a traditional type of French garden that has become popular in urban environments due to its layout and conservation of space. Potager gardens often come in a variety of colors and shapes but they are designed primarily to supply kitchens. The idea is to have a garden that is ornamentally pleasing for the property while also being extremely effective at growing the foods that a kitchen will need access to. Popular choices for portage gardens are often flowers that are edible, herbs, vegetables, fruits, and more.
These types of gardens often require careful layouts and aesthetics planning. When people include them in their properties it’s often with a purpose in mind of reducing certain dishes and having a specific type of rhythm. These gardens often come with their own color and texture for each section. This could mean that the bottom corner of your garden will often be dedicated to items like leafy greens or herbs, the top corner could be dedicated to your fruits and the middle section could be designed for larger trees and shrubs. There are various focal points throughout the garden that separate the sections. The garden is often divided up using various boxes or dividers to produce a look that is clearly defined and very organized for growing each of the items that the garden requires.
If you’re interested in planning this type of garden, take a look at the main items that you use in your kitchen and keep in mind how you could grow them sustainably at home. By thinking about some items that you could start growing at home, you can begin using your extra land to plan out a purpose-driven garden that looks beautiful and supplies you with the freshest produce.
Why plant a potager garden?
You worked all year to make the perfect garden, now how can you be sure to maximize the fruits of your labor? Planting flowers within a vegetable and fruit garden is a way to assist the pollinators in finding your fruits and vegetables to assist with pollination. When you focus on companion planting through a potager garden, you can increase pollinators, repel pests, and increase plant productivity.
What to consider when planting a potager garden?
- Most of all plant items that you enjoy and will eat! There is no point wasting precious water, space, and time on items your dislike. However, I always challenge myself to try some new variety or vegetable a year!
- Consider colorful and scented edibles! Maybe interspurse purple basil and kale within your landscape. Think of your vegetable garden beyond the sea of green; plant colorful peppers, purple pole beans, red cabbage and more.
- Add edible flowers to your garden and plate! Some favorites include: borage (tastes like cucumber), calendula, cornflower, day lillies, nasturtiums, and violets.
Combinations to try:
- Basil attacts bees when it flowers. It is a great companion to lettuce and tomatoes.
- Three sisters: corn, beans, and squash.
- Look into plants that are natural deterrents for frequent pests, such as marigolds, geraniums, lavender, and mint.
Further information:
Brooklyn Botanic Garden. 2021. Learn to How to Create a Potager: A French Kitchen Garden – Brooklyn Botanic Garden. [online] Available at: <https://www.bbg.org/gardening/article/potager> [Accessed 17 March 2021].