A Snazzy Guide to Nail Your French Potager Garden
A 'Potager Garden' is an Ideal Choice for Those Eager to Commence Home Food Production
Wanna level up your kitchen garden? Enter the world of potagers (pronounced po-tuh-jay), a charming, contained, and classy alternative to a regular vegetable patch. Despite the fancy French title, you can easily set up a potager in your suburban or even urban garden. We chatted with two talented gardeners to gather their secrets for crafting your dream potager garden.
Meet:
- Shavonda Gardner, an interior designer who took her gardening hobby to the next level by launching an Instagram account, @thecottagebungalowpotager.
- Cathy Poshusta, the author of the blog The Grit & Polish, boasting a vegetable garden so enchanting it once graced the cover of Better Homes & Gardens’ Outdoor Living magazine.
Pick the Perfect Spot
A potager thrives in sunlight, so find a location that gets at least six hours a day. In the Northern hemisphere, place it on the southern side of buildings or tall structures for optimal sun exposure. Remember, it also needs to be easily accessible and close to the kitchen for tending and harvesting[1][2].
Design with Purpose
Symmetry and intention are the keys to a potager. Ignite your imagination with classic French potager designs, and infuse your garden with your personal touch. Shavonda Gardner incorporated symmetrical redwood garden boxes, gravel pathways, and a fountain at the center for a stunning centerpiece[2].
Raised to Success
Many garden experts recommend growing vegetables in raised beds, allowing for perfect soil conditions that you can maintain[3]. Cathy Poshusta augmented her raised beds with cedar 2x4 for a comfortable kneeling bench, doubling as seating for entertaining guests[3].
Get Decorative
Horizontal and vertical elements like trellises, tuteurs, cloches, and arbors add visual appeal and protect crops from critters[2]. Tune in to Shavonda Gardner's garden to check out her stylish, willow pyramid tomato cages[2].
A Blend of Beauty and Function
Potagers are all about melding aesthetics with edibles. Incorporate herbs and colorful flowers, such as lavender, to elevate your garden's ambiance[4]. Go for low-maintenance crops like kale, swiss chard, cosmos, zinnias, and lettuces, especially if you're a rookie gardener[5].
Drip Irrigation Makes Life a Breeze
Install a drip irrigation system or a simple sprinkler system to keep your potager watered throughout the season, and set it on a timer[5].
Remember, potager gardens are more than just a production facility – they're intended to be beautiful and visually appealing. Blend crop plants harmoniously with flowers and herbs to create a masterpiece that rivals those in the gardens of French chateaus[1][2].
- Shavonda Gardner, an interior designer who also manages the Instagram account @thecottagebungalowpotager, specializes in outdoor gardening and shares her secrets for a perfect potager.
- The author of The Grit & Polish blog, Cathy Poshusta, boasts an enchanting vegetable garden that once graced the cover of Better Homes & Gardens' Outdoor Living magazine.
- To thrive, a potager requires a location with at least six hours of sunlight daily, preferably on the southern side of buildings for optimal sun exposure, and it should be easily accessible and close to the kitchen.
- Mastering the art of potager design relies on symmetry and ensuring purpose in arrangements; consider incorporating elements like symmetrical redwood garden boxes, gravel pathways, fountains, trellises, tuteurs, cloches, arbors, willow pyramid tomato cages, or low-maintenance crops like kale, swiss chard, cosmos, zinnias, and lettuces for a blended blend of beauty and function.
- Drip irrigation or a simple sprinkler system can be installed to water the potager throughout the season, and setting it on a timer can make life easier.
- Incorporating home-and-garden lifestyle elements, such as raised beds with cedar 2x4 for comfortable kneeling benches and seating for entertaining guests, can add to the aesthetic appeal of a potager garden.