As people spend more time at home, even non-gardeners may be thinking about incorporating potager gardens— aka kitchen or vegetable gardens—into their landscape design.
“Potager gardens can be thought of as a ‘room’ within your landscape, just as a patio or pool would be. There are no hard and fast rules, but they are typically a series of raised beds arranged in an artful way that utilize paths to get around the sides of the beds,” says Holly Brooks of King Landscaping, which offers clients in Buckhead and beyond expertise in high-end residential landscape design and installation.
Read on to learn more about potager gardens and things to keep in mind before digging in. kinglandscapingatl.com
1. Garden Size. Don’t create a garden too large that you end up planting crops you won’t eat. Try to determine what it is you would like to have at your fingertips on a regular basis.
2. Water Source. Place the garden near a water source to allow for hand watering as well as setting up an automated irrigation system.
3. Border. Could be a picket fence, a hedge row or more elaborate gates. You can also use herbs to make these borders, which can be around the entire perimeter of the garden or around each individual bed.
4. Centerpiece. A water feature, sculpture or dramatic pot can be used to hold down the space visually. Beds are then laid out in an artful way surrounding this.
5. Paths. Plan to have 3- to 4-foot paths around the raised beds on all sides for easy access.
EXTRA TIP: Potager gardens don’t have to be all edibles. Incorporating perennials, shrubs and evergreens helps attract beneficial insects that are needed to pollinate crops in the garden.
