|
 Grand Scale Potager Garden at Le Chateau de Rivau - Photo by Susie |
Flowers (edible and non edible), herbs and vegetables are chosen and planted for both their ornamental and edible values in order to be aesthetically pleasing, while simultaneously providing food for the table.
Design
There is no set design for a French kitchen garden as they vary and can be as simple or as intricate as you want it to be.
Examples are:
- Less formal English cottage garden style
- Symmetrical shapes
- Repetitive patterns
- Knot garden
The best way to design the area is to first draw it out on paper. This will give more clarity on the layout and enable you play around with various options. Think ahead of what plants to use, taking their shape, size and color into consideration and the space available.
Take note that many low growing plants, like squashes and cucumbers, can be trained to grow vertically, which makes them - and various vine crops, perfect candidates for introducing ornamentation into the garden. Think how attractive these plants would look climbing up an obelisk or decorative trellis.
Plants
There is no particular list of which plants to grow other than them being petty. So choose herbs, vegetables and flowers for color coordination, attractive foliage, variety and fragrance. Remember, veggies grow best in full sunlight.
Aim
To provide cut flowers, herbs and food for the home with little maintenance. Whether your design is simple or more complicated, the ultimate aim is to make it look as good as it tastes, or should I say, taste as good as it looks?
If you're interested in further reading, follow the delightful story of a 'Potager in Progress' where the writer takes you through a journey of cultivating, sowing and harvesting a Potager in Provence.
Return from Potager Garden to French Country Gardens
Return to French Country Decor Guide Home
