My Little Potager
-notes on a kitchen garden-
Intended as a French cook’s garden, a potager design is typically informal, often called the jardin de curé, or country curate's garden. It is comparable to the English cottage garden, except that it is centered on vegetables rather than flowers. The intended aesthetic is a partnership with nature rather than a desire to impose order, and this idea has been fed by the growing influence of organic gardening over the last twenty years.
For my version of a potager, I have claimed a spot in the back yard that sits just beyond the reach of shade from a massive maple and is sufficient in size to produce what I can manage while accommodating a variety of veggies, flowers and herbs. One design adjustment of note is that most of my herbs are in containers on my deck which is just off of the kitchen. As these are utilized almost daily in my cooking, ease of access was key. It also affords the opportunity to bring them indoors in the winter.
Those who know me know that I have always derived great joy from having my hands in the dirt, sans gloves, transforming little plots of ground into oases for all manner of flowers and kitchen ingredients. While I have a surprising level of success in my gardening adventures, it is, quite frankly, in spite of my efforts and not because of them. No wisdom has been gained by time spent pouring over gardening how-to journals or reading the farmer’s almanac. I’ve never tested my soil or worried about which way the garden faced and don’t measure the spacing of my seeds. This last one, seed spacing, gets me every year. As the dirt is pushed aside for the new life to shoot up from seed, I am always perplexed by the “clumps” of carrots as opposed to the nice, even rows shown in the magazines. When pondering this phenomenon out loud (every year) to my daughter Anna, she can only shake her head and walk away.
I admit all of this to illustrate that I am not the person to offer any instructional guidance on how to get your own best results. What I am offering up is the conviction that the time spent outside, creating something from nothing, that can be transformed and shared, brings me endless joy and I suggest it may do the same for you.
While I am certain that my outcomes could be vastly improved if I would take the time to measure, space and well, you know, simply read the directions on the back of seed packets, my process is simply to find a spot, dig, plant, water and hope. The outcome is always a bit unruly, with the beans a little too close the tomatoes, the nasturtiums bullying the beets, the carrots being edged out by the very much in command of its space cabbage and the kale hoarding the sun as it towers over the arugula. This is also, by the way, the reason I do not bake. I have very little patience for measuring, weighing and following directions in general. I believe this has been problematic in other areas of my life, but that’s a discussion for a different blog!
I need to add here, that in spite of my cavalier approach, I have a profound appreciation for the perfectly planned and executed garden. Scott, my genius son-in-law and master gardener by profession, is the antithesis of me in these outdoor endeavors, but is always more than happy to share his plants, expertise and muscle power. His approach yields a canvas of color, texture and beauty all expertly laid out in artistic displays of vegetables, flowers, herbs and fruits rivaling any photo shoot in Fine Gardening. Every time he comes over for an assist, I cannot overcome the need to apologize on behalf of my misbehaving garden.
Scott Hetzer
Son in law and master gardener extraordinaire!
For me, being outside, playing in the dirt, creating something from nothing, and then curating a meal based on what is ready to harvest, makes me happy beyond what I could adequately convey here. Additionally, as much of our happiness springs from what we are able to do for others, my garden provides another layer of opportunity to create beautiful food memories for my friends and family, and the occasional passing neighbor who might choose to benefit from my garden surplus.
I will, throughout the season, share recipes that highlight what is happening in my little potager. The first one is a lovely turnip gratin made from young turnips harvested when still quite small.
Other potager recipes:
I end by offering this as the first move to creating your own potager- step outside, stand still, quietly survey your surroundings, determine the perfect spot and dig!
