What’s a Potager and why is it right for you?
A potager is simply a French kitchen garden. The garden’s intention is to provide you with fresh seasonal goodies in a beautiful, serene setting. As the seasons change, so too, will the plants inside the potager. The potager flourishes with vegetables, fruit, herbs, flowers and by incorporating each this garden is also a wonderful example of biodiversity. Finally, the potager is designed with its overall aesthetics and visual appeal in mind. It is simply another canvas for the artist in all of us to experiment on every season in the garden. The beauty might come from the garden’s layout, trellis structures, or plants itself. The potager takes everything you could want out of a garden and delivers in spades; fresh, seasonal harvests, a healthy ecosystem so your plants thrive, and a beautiful setting that beckons you to spend time in the garden.
An inspiring example is at the Chateau du Villandry. This awe-inspiring garden was built in the early 20th century with inspiration from medieval monastic gardens (the potagers origin). The potager is still striking and beautiful even in the dead of winter thanks to the formal design and evergreens used as bed edging. The way the garden selectively places plants in large color blocks is appealing to all who visit. And the use of ornamental flowers enhances the beauty while also drawing in pollinators.
But you don’t need to live in a French chateau to have a potager.
The potager is for everyone.
The emphasis on a well thought out design ensures it’s beauty and enhances your home’s appeal. This seems intimidating but a well-executed garden design and installation ensures a successful potager far into the future. Beyond the beauty of the garden design is the simplicity of fresh, homegrown, seasonal food. French food is world renowned but truly it’s about high-quality ingredients grown and cooked with pride. The potager’s visual appeal draws you outdoors to tend to your plants and gives you the peace that only nature can provide. Listening to the wind in the trees, hearing the bird’s song or bees buzz helps turn off the noise and stress in our daily lives. This garden deserves its place of honor right outside your kitchen door.
Choose to garden for the fresh food and health benefits. Build a potager for the aesthetic appeal and lifestyle it provides - inspiration, simple and clean eating, peace of mind only found in nature.