What Is Potager Gardening?

The word “potager” means “kitchen gardene” in French. A potager garden is a mixture of vegetables, fruit bushes or trees, flowers and herbs. Most often, these plants are for the table and also include edible flowers and vegetables hanging from trellises. Annuals are often intercropped with perennials, low hedges used as borders, and various aesthetic features like terracing, ornamental pathways, fencing and a center focal point are common. Raised beds give the outline for design, with added touches of container planters filled with endless possibilities.

History of Potager Gardens

The tradition of potager gardening goes back to Roman times. The Romans laid out their kitchens in ornate geometric patterns, which they called “castra.” Many French gardens today retain the form and style of these ancient gardens, such as the parterre de broderie (literally translated “embroidery pattern”).

The French still use this term for a particularly formal geometric garden with paths or borders that make elaborate designs when viewed from above. Often these designs were inspired by embroidery patterns and motifs.

During the Renaissance in France, geometric gardens like this became associated with power and nobility because only wealthy landowners could afford to create them. In later centuries, the concept developed and expanded to include more than just the kitchen garden and gardens like these still exist today.

How a Potager Garden is Used Today

Traditional gardens are typically located far away from the house and do not have many aesthetic features other than perhaps flowers surrounding the vegetable plots. In contrast, a potager garden will often be created in an aesthetically pleasing spot near the kitchen, usually 10 feet, so that it can be enjoyed for its visual appeal as well as its convenient use.

There are still some large potager gardens in France. These typically have a few utilitarian aspects, such as terracing, irrigation systems, and raised beds to support vegetables, but they also have many aesthetic features, such as French parterres with hedges and paths, flower beds, and decorative statuary. In this way, potager gardens can be used to both beautify and bring food to the table.

A Typical Potager Garden Design

The typical design for a potager garden is one that has multiple levels of raised beds interspersed with pathways and mixed borders. Hedges of boxwood or flowers would be surrounding the garden so that the entire area is filled. You will usually find annual vegetables such as tomatoes, beans, and peas in the beds along with perennial herbs like rosemary and lavender in between them.

Typically, you will find a focal point such as an ornamental statue or birdbath, or maybe a bench at the center of the layout to act as a reference point for the entire design.

Potager gardens are often laid out at angles to create an interesting view from above rather than in straight lines, which can make them very visually appealing.

Common Elements of Potager Gardens

There are many common elements that you will find in most potager gardens. These include:

Edible flowers and companion flowers
A focal point of some kind such as a statue, or pond
Paths made from mixed materials such as gravel or earth or brick designs.
Herbs including rosemary, thyme, and lavender
Various fruit trees
Vegetable beds often with raised borders to support the plants
Decorative features such as arbors, trellises, and pedestals
Terracing for larger gardens
Containers possibly filled with overflowing flowers

For the smaller garden, you can easily get away with using just one of these elements. For example, a small planter on your porch or patio with herbs mixed with a few flowers will achieve some of the same goals that a full-sized potager garden will.

However, for a large space, you could consider using multiple elements simultaneously to create the garden so that it is visually appealing as well as useful.

How to Apply This Design to Your Own Garden

The beautiful design of a potager garden is not difficult to create. All you really need is a bit of space, a plan, and some creativity to carry it out. However, there are a few elements that you should consider in your own design:

Is the location for your garden easily visible from your home?
Are there existing decorative features such as trees or flowers that you can incorporate into your design?
How much time and money are you willing to invest in this project?
What, if any, problems do you see with the site?

These questions should be asked even before anything is planted. You may want to do a soil test to understand the condition of the soil. Taking the time to prep the area is key to having a successful garden.

Finally, even a smaller space can be used as a potager garden with just one or two of these elements. I’ve seen many creative garden balconys filled with window boxes, hanging baskets, and containers filled with a variety of garden delights.

How to Start Your Own Potager Garden

If you are eager to start your own potager garden, keep in mind that it is not difficult. First, select an open space with good sun exposure and drainage on your property. Then decide what elements you would like to use or how many elements you want to incorporate into the design. Finally, choose plants that will work within these constraints and get to planting!

You can find a number of different garden designs and ideas for your own potager garden. Take time to research what is available, what you already own, and know what planting zone you live in before you purchase your seeds.

Finally, keep in mind that this design is not restricted to rectangular beds. In fact, some gardeners choose to plant circular or triangular beds that still fit into the general definition of a potager design.

Other Types of Potager Gardens

There are several different styles of potager gardens that you can create, each with its own set of unique characteristics. These include:

Edible landscapes
Vertical gardens
Herb spirals

Each of these styles can be used to help you achieve the same general goals of having an attractive food garden. The choice is up to you, but keep in mind that each one will carry its own set of challenges.

Be sure to use the same types of plantings as you would for vegetables such as flowers that attract pollinators or repel pests. Companion planting is beneficial to a successful garden. A potager garden is not just a place to grow food, it becomes your personal signature of everything that you love.