Pinterest. We all have a love hate relationship with it right? We love the ideas and inspiration, the information and the jaw dropping gorgeousness of homes fabulously decorated. But we hate that our boards get piled up like the contents of our junk drawer and that there are SO many ideas. Right?! Right?! I was overwhelmed one day searching for garden designs as I was re-conceptualizing what mine would be when the blur of cascading plants down sides of planter boxes started to turn into a trend. My eyes were pried by will from the luscious trellises to the descriptions of the pin……over and over was the word “Potager.” Now I had read the word before in a book that I love, “Welcome to the Farm,” by Shaye Elliott. I knew that it was based on a French concept of a smaller, grab one or two items for your dinner kind of garden. My concept of what they were and these pictures were not the same. I had thought more of my parents current garden, which is 2, 3 feet by 6 feet or so rectangular boxes that they grow a select number of vegetables from each year. These gardens! They were plentiful in amount and size, more like what in my suburbian roots would have been a full sized, family, backyard garden. BUT! Unlike the family gardens I grew up with these Potager gardens weren’t just straight rows of corn or beans, or mounds of zucchini, they were designed, They had flowers and plants along with the produce, they had trellises and benches, layers of heights of various plants.
All these ideas started landing on paper of my sketches for my own garden, I was even going to be all snazzy and call it my “Potager.” And here it was during my moment of feeling like a fancy gardener that I got caught in a thought….if the Potager is how the French garden, how is that everyone else does? Food has to be grown all over the world, and we and the French cant be the only ones doing it on our own land. What ideas are out there that have worked for generations of growers in Thailand, England, Zimbabwe?
I started my search. I read so much on the rooftop, eco garden trend, allowing people in big cities the availability of fresh, home grown produce which I love, but was hard pressed to find much else. So lightbulb! It has become a new mission to discover ways that gardening and self sufficiency are done around our beautiful planet! And if YOU here reading this, have something to share PLEASE do!!!! I will be reaching out to people all over the country (and eventually traveling) to get some answers! So watch for those special posts coming your way!!
For now, I will share one technique that after knowing its name and being able to search for it specifically, I was able to gather a good grasp of what it is. Its a German practice called, “Hugelkultur” (and no there is no way on this earth that I know or could pronounce that word.) The idea is that you essentially create a compost pile on the bottom of your garden that will feed it as the items decompose. It also allows for better drainage since the entirety is not soil. Many people used the theory for creating hills and flower beds, but the idea has been being applied to raised beds that are now a popular method for the everyday gardener. We built a big Potager (still trying to feel snazzy, ooh a snazzy French German gardener now!) that had a lot of space to fill and no where near the budget it would need to fill the whole thing with good garden soil, this method would allow us so many benefits including cost savings of dirt alone!!
We built our beds, then began the layering process which was basic!!! Here’ are the steps (you won’t even need a pen and paper or a screen shot.)
- Gather dried tree limbs and put them in the bottom of your bed
- Gather dried leaves, put them on top of the limbs
- Water the leaves til they are pretty moist (not sopping)
- Put your garden soil on top
- Plant
(Notice, we did opt to use fill dirt from our back property to fill in around the branches, optional.)
Really that’s it. I will give you one tip that we used…..For our deeper rooted plants like tomatoes, we dug our hole and added extra garden soil by removing some of the leaves so that the roots would have enough of the good stuff to grow into. Eventually, as we add more soil every year we likely will not have to do this step, but again this year we were on a budget and couldn’t put the soil as deep as we wanted it everywhere. You do want to make sure that you have at least 6 inches of good soil for all your shallower rooted crops. Your deeper rooted vegetables need at least double that. Now just to save you the question, we purchased several yards of a garden soil mix from a local supplier; its a mix of mushroom compost, top soil and mulch. I had never, ever heard of mushroom compost til we came to Texas, but it has been on every gardeners lips that I have spoken to! So far its doing a great job. You can of course use any top soil of your choosing, you can add in peat moss for extra nutrients and drainage and if you are feeling ambitious and awesome and dont have a ton of space to fill you can even mix your own garden soil. To do this option simply grab your wheel barrow and a shovel and mix equal parts, top soil, peat moss and bagged cow or chicken manure (hit up your local Tractor Supply or Home Depot or Lowes and yes, they will have it all.)
I will definitely being doing this with our potted potatoes! (Yep we will be growing potatoes in a 5 gallon bucket!!)
So, although I still have years of adding perennials to my garden and dying to make an old door table for the center of it, it is a beautiful, living work of art and hard work that I can’t wait to feed our family from! Our very own French-German-American Garden!
Building with my little helpers……its coming together!!
Best planter EVER! I love the work that the boys get to do out here and how often times
that work turns into fun. The family that works together, plays together!! AKA Dad “attacking” you with the sprinkler while he waters. They loved it!
Its growing!!! Ooh but cant you see the perfect space for that table! Putting fresh picked veggie there, quick snack with the boys, read a book even! Happening. I was given some old spindles to use for legs and just need to find the right, old door to put them on!
I have lots more tips and tricks that we have used in this garden coming up including how to grow your best tomatoes, things you may not have known about growing squashes and flowers for the garden! See yall back soon!!
Megan
Faith Family Farm Homestead 
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