Gardening Week with Lucy Chamberlain, AG’s fruit and veg expert Your
Create a feast for the senses: complement veg like courgettes with floral colour from tagetes for beneficial pest deterrents that are also highly decorative
Hardy chrysanthemums add colour alongside candelabra-style ‘Nero di Toscana’ kale Summer bedding will be right at home with brassicas like leafy ‘January King’ cabbage
Focus on ... Potager gardening Fancy bringing a bit more creativity into your crop making? Lucy Chamberlain
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explains how to combine fruit, vegetables and herbs with ornamental plants
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E’VE got medieval French monasteries and chateaux owners to thank for the potager concept – a creative and artistic design of fruit and vegetable garden that’s as easy on the eye as it is productive. I’ve always had a soft spot for them – to me, edible plots can be just as beautiful as ornamental gardens. So how would you go about creating your own? Add florals, shrubs and herbs Tap into your imagination, because anything goes when it comes to potager plants. Fruit, vegetables and herbs should supply the backbone, but
“Anything goes when it comes to potager plants”
because cut flowers and foliage are also key components, many ornamental plants can be chosen. Viburnums, peonies, irises, lilies, aquilegias – as long as it can go in a vase, anything goes. Creative pruning and training of your fruit crops is also encouraged. Fantrained cherries, figs and redcurrants, stepover apples, espalier pears – with a little bit of secateur confidence, your For an authentic potager style, your ornamental and kitchen garden fusion can be as eclectic and busy as you like
edibles can become living pieces of artwork! Low, clipped box hedges are often used to add classic formal style to potager plots, yet there are plenty of other suitable plants (box can be pricey, as well as pest and disease-prone). Hyssop, chives, oregano, sage, common thyme, rosemary, santolina, lavender – upright herbs such as these add a splash of colour with flowers and/or non-green foliage. If you’d still prefer a tightly clipped look, the low-growing, Lonicera nitida is an excellent choice. Wildlife-friendly gardening As well as offering a beautiful, productive outdoor space, potagers have other benefits. The cut flowers often attract beneficial wildlife, and the diverse mixed plantings confuse pests. Growing a range of plants gives manageable harvests, rather than gluts, providing a succession of produce throughout the season. So, why not experiment with this style of edible plot? 19 JUNE 2021 AMATEUR GARDENING 21
