THE GREEN MAN: FRENCH KITCHEN GARDENS 2009: MAKE WAY FOR THE POTAGER

Thursday, March 26, 2009

FRENCH KITCHEN GARDENS 2009: MAKE WAY FOR THE POTAGER

April 2009 is upon us, and NOW, as traversing the land around the house becomes tenable, is the time to determine the space for your potager. That space must receive 6 hours of full sun per day.

Your potager should be located as close to your kitchen access as possible, in fact, adjacent to the terrace is ideal. Remember, your potager is not the gawky and embarassing "vegetable patch" that you would like to relegate to a back corner. Oh...no, no, no, no, no. Your potager is a FORMAL, rigidly GEOMETRIC garden that is an integral part of your landscape design.

The basic template that The Green Man designers will be using is a 2 x 2 arrangement of 4' wide by 6.5' (NOT 6', 6.5' to maintain the Golden Ratio proportions or the the garden will look squat) long rectangles separated by 4' wide walkways that enclose a center circle planter as the focal point.

Raised beds are ideal because the drain so efficiently, but ground level beds will suffice as long as they drain well and are edged. The Green Man designers will edge with antiqued brick, and walkways will be covered with pea gravel.

The traditional potager apothecary rose Rosa gallica officinalis

Use FOUR 7' bamboo pole lengths to creates the "tepees" for climbing vegetables and flowers such as peas and nasturtiums that will be placed in the center each rectangle.

Beautiful, edible nasturtiums

The focus circle is more purely decorative and should contain the de rigueur apothecary rose for authenticity and underplanted will a hardy lavender such as 'Hidcote' or 'Munstead.'

The center circle is also the ideal location for TASTEFUL statuary such as Renaissance reproductions. Use drip irrigation to water the beds

(Left)
Authentic reproduction of the Ercole Farnese
(Happening)

(Right)
Vinyl gnome collection
(NOT Happening)

Order your seeds soon as a shortage is already looming. Use organic heritage items whereever possible. Plant expensive greens such as cilantro and arugula, tomatoes of all colors, celery, eggplant...less expensive items are beans. Use edible perennials such as nasturtiums and pot marigolds integrated among rows of vegetables.

Dwarf fruit trees are acceptable as are rose and hydrangea standards.