Garden Guru: The Potager

I confess to being a fair-weather gardener – I will do all the essential jobs regardless of the cold and damp but I’m not a sucker for punishment. However, I reckon there are useful jobs you can do in winter from the warmth and comfort of an armchair – like planning the way you would like the garden to look next year. Look out for my style tips over the next few weeks – starting with the Potager.

The term potager garden comes from French and describes a garden which is separated from the main garden area, lawn and decorative plants. It isn’t just a bog standard veg plot and had a different history as well as design. Obviously they are designed for growing vegetables, herbs, fruit and flowers but they offer the visual appeal of Baroque and Renaissance ornamented gardens. Over the last decade potager garden designs attracted increasing interest and many people are drawn to the idea of growing their own kitchen garden. It is this mix of prettiness and usefulness which is at the heart of their popularity and, where space is restricted, it is the ideal solution.

Don’t be intimidated by the grand image above. The rules are pretty simple and adapt to all size plots. Keep the layout symmetrical – preferably with a central feature:

or rectangles

or, one of my favourites, in generous square baskets.

Whatever your design, make sure you give the beds a crisp outline – either with edging plants, or stone, wood, cockle shells or any number of ready made edging. I like this mix of traditional box hedging and wood.

The things that really makes the difference though is flowers – mix glorious lavender and scented roses, marigolds and flowering herbs for a generous and authentic potager.

Follow these simple design rules and you can’t go wrong. Every potager is as individual as its owner  – and you will have hours of pleasure with all your senses filled up with taste and scent and beauty – guaranteed. That’s something to think about on a cold and grey winter’s day.