How To Plot, Plan, And Plant A Potager Garden

A Potager garden also goes by the name of a kitchen garden is historically a French type of gardening. Potager gardening uses herbs, fruits, vegetables, and flowers to create a functional, aesthetically pleasing garden. Usually, these gardens were located right outside the home usually off the kitchen for easy access. This type of garden was to be enjoyed daily and built with pathways and sitting areas to enjoy every day. Vegetables and flowers can be easily harvested or cut to enjoy at the dining table. There are no hard-set rules for making a potager garden. For this reason, you can find them in many different shapes and sizes depending on the size of the space you have to use. With the growing interest in knowing where our food comes from the grow food not grass has become a movement all its own.

How To Plot, Plan, And Plant A Potager Garden

Getting Start with a Potager Garden

There is no right or wrong way to create your very own potager garden. This type of gardening is very budget-friendly and forgiving. You can adapt this type of gardening no matter if your area is flat or hilly, irregular, rocky or smooth. Now is the time to DIY and reuse different materials to make walkways, garden beds, borders, and trellis.

Start with a plan of what you would like to grow from vegetables, flowers to fruit trees. Think up as well, planting beds. Draw a rough sketch and adjust the design several times until you have the potager garden you desire.

Building Beds

Since there are no set rules for making a potager garden, design interesting shapes to go along with the material you have on hand. This could include raised beds, containers, in-ground beds and whatever else you can think of. Have an old rotten stump, plant something in the middle and put it to use. Any shape works from rectangular, circular to L – shaped. Try using rocks, masonry stone, logs, a slab of wood, bricks or galvanized metal to make your beds. Think out of the box.

Walkways

Having a walkway and paths is an important part of a potager garden design. That’s because this space is actually to be walked upon and used. Consider the flow and direction so the pathways have a natural feel and flow. The material available is endless. Consider wood chips, gravel, brick, pavers, and fieldstone. Consider texture and color as well when making your walking paths.

Plan Your Plantings

Vegetables and flowers can be planted together and work well together. Do your homework first. Companion planting can be very beneficial for your vegetables, naturally keeping bugs away. Think about using low maintenance, pollinator-friendly perennials that will fill in over the years. Use layering and plant shorter plants in the front of the beds with taller plants in the back. This gives the beds fullness, height and looks appealing.

Think vertical when planting. Climbing trellis, a simple fence or a pergola will make all the difference and appeal to your potager garden. Use vertical plantings to block unsightly items such as propane tanks or air conditioner units.

Utilize Succession Planting

The term succession planting is the rotation of crops and the recycling of space to increase crop production throughout the growing season. You will be able to grow more crops in less space. You should always replace short-season vegetables with longer-term growing vegetables.

Companion Planting

Companion planting is the pairing of different plants that help each other’s growth or protect each other from those nasty pests. It helps with natural supports, improves plant health, weed suppression and will increase soil health. You will be able to plant closer, utilizing your space more efficiently.