
What is a Potager Garden? | How to Create Your Own Kitchen Garden
What is a potager garden?
A potager garden is a kitchen garden where you can grow herbs, vegetables and fruit to use in your everyday cooking. ‘Potager’ literally translates to ‘for the soup pot.’
Here, we’re sharing how to create your very own potager garden…
What is a Potager Garden?: Creating Your Garden
Whether you’re looking for a new hobby or you’re keen to spruce up your garden space, a potager garden is a great way to get started.
You can be as creative as you like when you curate your potager garden, and you can adapt it for any size or shape space.
They often have well-defined borders, which you can construct yourself. If you’re looking to create your garden on a budget, why not consider using reclaimed or recycled items to build your own boundaries? You could use pallets, rocks or discarded pots for a unique and creative area.
Try to think carefully about the structure of your garden. Using raised beds can not only look attractive but also be beneficial for your back, especially when it comes to maintaining and harvesting your crops, as you’ll be able to maintain a better posture.
As herbs only need a small space, you could try planting these on a shelving unit, palette or step ladder, to add a unique twist to your kitchen garden. It’s handy to situate your garden near to your house, so you can collect various herbs whilst cooking.
Optimal Planting Times
When it comes to planting, you should consider the times of year that each plant needs to flourish, so you have a continuous crop of seasonal produce. For example, the best winter crops include broccoli, kale and cabbage, whilst summer is ideal for produce such as tomatoes, basil and cucumber.
Having a variety of products can help you to be more adventurous with your cooking, as you can plan your meals according to what’s in season. You could have a herb section to add different flavours to your dishes and grow a colourful mix of vegetables to add vibrancy.
What is a Potager Garden?: Improving Your Health
You could also consider planting different fruits, such as apple trees, raspberry bushes and strawberry plants.
Homegrown produce is free from harmful pesticides and is picked at peak ripeness, meaning it’s packed full of vitamins and nutrients, which can help to improve your health.
Spending time outdoors with your potager garden can help to improve your mental wellbeing, too, as it improves your mood and reduces feelings of stress.
What is a Potager Garden?: Creating a Beautiful Outdoor Environment
It’s important that your potager garden is as beautiful as it is productive. As it’s a part of your garden space, it needs to be aesthetically pleasing. A successful garden should be easy to maintain, vibrant and colourful and thriving with wildlife – as well as producing a bountiful harvest.
Try to choose a spot with plenty of sunlight to give your crops the best chance of growing. When creating your potager garden, you should allow for pathways throughout the crops, too. This can prevent you from treading on crops as you manoeuvre through the garden.
If you’ve found our article helpful, why not read our previous blog to discover the benefits of gardening?
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