First of all, what do you want to plant? How do you want it to look?

--I would make a list of the things that I wanted to plant. I only plant things I will use (DH does not eat cukes so I don't plant them).
Then you can research thier requirements - such as when to plant each.

--Next find out how each grows. My tomatoes would grow taller than my head if I would let them. Bush beans stay fairly short and I had two different varieties of dill - one up to my waist and another that hugged the ground. My eggplants had to stay at the very front of the garden because they were so short they would have been lost near the back.

--Another question would be "Will you have more than one thing growing in the same spot?"

I have spinach in one area that will be replaced by something else when it is hotter. Same with sweet peas - in my area they are finished as soon as the weather turns hot - then I can plant something else there.

Last question from me would be

-- Are there things that you want to grow in a certain spot permanently. Rosemary will want to remain undisturbed, unfertilized and (mine) unwatered.

Hope this helps a little.

Gurley gave you some good advice. Think about what vegetables you like to eat and can grow in your area (probably anything!)
A 6 foot bed could support two tomatoes on stakes or in cages. Basil around them would be nice and a good companion for them. I love Queen of Siam, and grow it as an ornamental. French marigold interspersed among all the veggies is good. There are lots of very colorful lettuces, purples to reds and speckled varieties (cos). You could even have a hill or two of potatoes that could be dug and replaced after they were finished.

Just make a list and take it from there. We could help if you would let us know what you enjoy.

Good luck.

You could plant a couple of Tomato plants, being sure to add a tower or support of some kind. You can plant some carrots at the base of the tomato. Garlic and basil are great to grow with tomatoes, too.

You could stretch string between nails at 12" intervals to make a grid. Each grid would be a growing ground for a different crop. Just be sure to set invasive crops in pots, and not in your bed.

Parsley in a corner of the bed, along with alyssum is always pretty. Dwarf corn, grown in blocks of 2' x 2', and planted closely is very interesting, and very delicious to eat! Don't forget peppers, a green bean or Pea trellis or teepee. Just do not eat the beans of SweetPeas!

A potager is a wide open thing. I don't think there are many rules. And, what the heck! Make up your own rules! It is YOUR garden. Do what You want!

Don't forget you can add some nice big pots. Grow a bay tree in one, or Rosemary as said before.

A good book on companion planting is "Carrots love Tomatoes" by Louise Riotte. ISBN # 1-58017-027-7 in case you are interested.

Have fun!
Janie

TDWW~
I just want to see some pictures! I am in the process of doing the same thing right outside my back door. Its the area with really good sun. Last year I did veggies in pots, but I just wasn't happy with the whole thing. So, ?? I agree its overwhelming to a degree, I have many ideas, yet getting it done is another thing. Good luck! (I have one box built and am working on filling it, then on to the next.) Maybe if its not too late for your area, start with cool season veggies.. lettuce, peas, carrots, beets, turnips, radishes, spinach ~not sure what you like, then mix in some cool season flowers.. I think some fruit tree or the bay laurel, what about some citrus? Of course, I might be off on your growing season, what is it like now?
Have tons of fun, I know you will!
~jenn

You all are great! Thank you for suggestions.

Jenn - I'll post a picture tomorrow.

Veggies I want to plant would be-
Heirloom tomatoes
Vietnamese hot peppers
Mix of greens for salad
Spinach
Onions
Ultimate must have GARLIC!
Like to try horseradish . . . anyone grow that????

Flowers-
Nasturtium a must! Annie has a new one called
ÂMargaret Long named after a woman in Ireland (one plant per person) *sigh*
French Marigold sound lovely, isn't Marigold a bug deterrent?
Small lavender . . . any suggestions?
I have roses along the side and I'm going to under plant with Geranium pyrenaicum 'Bill Wallis'

Herbs-
Basil
Bronze Fennel (wish list)
Cilantro
Parsley
Dill

No room for trees and I'm afraid of creating too much shade.

The idea of Bay is intriguing. That would be so pretty in a pot.

Edna

Edna, in my area the spinach must be planted very early or over the winter other wise it is too hot. And here is my spinach story-of-the-day:

My poor, poor DH just found out today that he has been eating radish greens on his sandwiches all winter. I planted a variety of spinach and another variety of radish, both types that I had not grown before.

The radishes didn't do (I thought) and the spinach tasted a little 'different'. Matter of fact it tasted pretty crappy but we ate it anyway. I pulled it all up today in favor of a last planting of a spinach that I am familiar with. Radishes under all!! No wonder it tasted funny. I probably won't be able to get him to eat anymore of my experiments.

God love your husband . . . ROTF! ! ! ! ! Gurley your too funny ;-)

Ed-

Edna----

We're growing horseradish for the first time. I love the foliage. We stuck it down in the big veggie garden but I may move some of it up to the potager for wonderful filler. We'll harvest this Spring. I understand the homegrown stuff can "clear your sinuses".

Didn't we all see a picture from Joy?? with horseradish in her garden? Sounds like you folks like to plant stuff with a KICK!

I think your list of herbs will have a wonderful variety of green. Great color and texture!! and yummy too.

pics??? georgeanne

Watch out for the horseradish. I love it to use and love the look of the leaves. But I know that it can easily take over a garden. Even after digging, if you leave a tiny little 1 inch root then you will get another horseradish plant. I think that it is best grown in a area where you don't mind if it takes over. I would sure hate for someone to plant it in the potager and then have it take over:)

Stacie

Here's the pictures of the potager site. Don't pay
attention to the neighbors yard, they use a weekly
landscaper who I'm very angry with at the moment.
The nerve of them blowing waste into my yard!
{{gwi:1151511}}
{{gwi:1151513}}
Edna

Seriously?!? They actually blow thier trash into your yard?

I would be on the phone to that company in two seconds flat - make that one.

I think those damn blowers should be outlawed! They pollute with noise and exhaust fumes and do nothing but move trash from one spot to another.

BTW, nice beds! What did you use to frame them?

Harper

Wow Edna,
Looks great! I admire how you put your beds right out front too! I just think that is great! Is that redwood? Looks strong. I wish I had the guts to makeover my front, but I just don't know if I can .. I have been wanting to tear out the grass. My neighbors already think I am nuts though. Who cares, but I guess I do a little.. lol. Please keep posting. Your neighbors should be ashamed! I hate blowers~ One set of neighbors barely have any grass but every weekend they would be out there with their gas mower and their blower~ what a mess. I am so glad they have moved on. I just roll on with my little push mower lol.. oh well, have fun~
jenn

I can't figure out why the pic's are so small?
Gurley, most landscapers in California are spanish speaking only. One day I went out and swept everything back in the yard, I hope they got the message.
Jenn - Yep, right in the front yard *hee hee*. I don't have but a very small backyard and it's afternoon shade. The beds are redwood and should last up to 10 years, so I've been told. That's why I'm so intimidated because I want it to be an eye stopper potager and not a vegetable garden. I don't have grass, only weeds, mowed to look like a lawn. I've been adding newspaper and mulch to expand beds plus I bought myself a mantis Roto-tiller for Christmas. I LOVE that thing!

Edna

Jenn, less lawn is my goal too. Managed it pretty well in the front when we let nature do her thing under the live oak. Rather than fighting the difficult to grow grass and yearly spring raking, we had prunings from the tree chipped up and spread and now let the fallen leaves remain in place. Have only about 1/3 of the yard in grass and that's easily cut with my reel mower. Dh uses a gas mower, but when he's out of town and the grass needs cutting I pull out the push. It can be a challenge in the hot, humid months. Have to take lots of water breaks.

Edna, I wonder how long redwood would last here in the deep south? Wonder how expensive too? I'm waiting to learn more about that new treated wood that someone mentioned either here or at Square Food Gardening. Thought I saved the link, but didn't. Anyone know what I'm talking about?

Harper

Since potagers can be both flowers and veggies, how about wave petunias and verbenia spilling out over the edges?

Harper, haven't heard about that wood, but will keep my eye out. I just use untreated wood from the hd or lowes, but I know it will not hold up too long. I used to use the pressure treated, until I looked at growing veggies,ets. and realized it wasn't good to use for that purpose. I would use cinder, but I am not sure about the look. So, untreated it was. I know you can use the recycled wood that they use for decks though I guess its non toxic? Not sure. I think petunias and verbena's would be nice, maybe some drapey thyme ? It's going to look so nice!
My plan is once the back is completely done, then I will be forced to move on to the front! I just about have the back where there isn't much to mow.. big change from when we first moved in. I need to see what to do where the grass has never grown well..but that's a different topic.
Have fun everyone!
~jenn

Jenn, I found it. Linda in Maryland mentioned it on the "raised bed" thread.

Harper

Here is a link that might be useful: Timber SIL

40 year guarantee, that's pretty good. It'll out live me.

Edna

Those beds look great! I garden in 8'x3' raised beds. For maximum production you might like to look into the square foot gardening method. I am not a SFG hardcore purist, but do use it to design my layouts in my beds. You can grow a heck of a lot of garlic in a couple of square feet!!! The method is also amenable to interplanting veggies with flowers and herbs, and it's easy to move things around and succession plant. You could check out the SFG forum for some ideas. Have fun!