Steven, I like your thinking on your potager: orderly, but to the cottage side. I've looked at those cobblestone pavers at Lowes and have thought, "Hmmm...", but a extremely limited budget on my part ruled them out. They're very attractive. The border around the keystone: Is that wood chips or colored mulch? As always, you have impeccable taste.

The pavers were left over from our patio project two seasons ago. The border is just the cheepo redwood mulch from HD. Quick fix. It's going away this fall to be replaced by a pea gravel path.

Here's a pic of the potager all planted up. I did it this afternoon and my arms feel like anvels. Tomatoes are double dug down 22 inches. Cabbage, Swiss Chard, peppers and beans slightly less, but they are dug just fine. I put 5 inches of straw over everything and pulled it away from the young plants. I can't wait for my first yummy tomato!

{{gwi:650508}}

Steven,

Very lovely set up and design. I definitely want to see pictures of it in Jume and July! It will be gorgeous!

Today I bought 4 little tomato plants. It is a new variety for me to try. They are called "Red Robin". These tiny plants at maturity are only about 7 inches tall, but have tomatoes the size of Sweet 100s. Incredible looking! The leaves are very chunky and fuzzy like patio tomato leaves. The fruit is supposed to be sweet & delicious. We shall see! They are for growing in containers or hanging baskets on or near the patio. Supposed to be 60 days. I thought they would be a fun tomato to grow, even if they don't end up tasting very good!

I have so many different tomatoes to grow this year, that I have not yet figured where I will plant them all. Heads up Flowers! Make room for tomatoes 2007!

~Annie

This is truely lovely! I wish I had such a perfect spot for my garden. What are the dimensions? It actually looked quite large until you got the plants in...the tomato cages gave is some scale.

Potager envy! Makes me yearn for my own. Best of luck. I will be returning to this forum to see and hear more about your progress.

I love your "petit potager" - can I ask exactly how petit it is?

Fern

I'll suggest you reconsider the pea gravel path. The stuff is very "swimmy" when you walk on it.

A relatively fine grade of crushed gravel works better, especially when compacted in place. My path is made of 1/4-10, with a two inch compacted sand underlay.

I'd love to see how your Potager has filled in and grown now that it is almost mid June! Could you post some more pictures Steven?
Joann

Wow it looks gorgeous!!! I wish I could be there to walk through it and experience it first hand! What a wonderful job you do with everything you touch!!!
Joann

totally awesomely gorgeous - I love the look of the potager by itself and also incorporated with the rest of your space. WOW - thanks for sharing

Fern

What was the "so I don't get in trouble with the city" part? Why would they be interested in your veggies?

Bee-you-ti-ful job!

He mentioned on the Cottage Gardens forum that technically, he's not supposed to plant veggies in the front yard (shh....). But, that is so gorgeous, I can't imagine anyone complaining!

Irene

Yes, many city ordinances prohibit front yard veggie gardens. Ours is one of them. It's silly in my opinion, probably born from the time when the ideal was cookie-cutter lawns with ridiculous shaped hedges. Blech.

Steven

I love your potager. :O).

Gorgeous veggies hiding in a gorgeous flowerscape!

Excellent job!

V.

Steven your potager is lovely! you garden is the biggest pop of color I have ever seen! Amazing! Good to see you
here.

Haziemoon

Awesome! Keep the pictures coming!

What a lovely potager! Stunning! Thanks for sharing the photos! I am suffering from potager- envy! ;-) A wink w/a smile! meo

I can't view the photos. :(

Gwen

Wow. WOW. Thanks for making them available.

Gwen

Such talent.

WOW! What a beautifully designed potager! I absolutely love it! I am hoping to make my own for the first time this year and would love to have something like this! Great job!

Hi potager folks,

I had no idea that my little potager was still being discussed here until Ms. Scarlet pointed it out on the Cottage Garden thread today. Sorry to be remiss.

I don't have a fresh 2008 picture to share, but I'll take some fresh ones in the next few weeks. More of the same this year. I ammended the beds with lots of manure, some epson salts, bone meal, and for the first time, alfalfa pellets. Tomatoes are in, as well as peppers, cucumber beans and basil. I'll be planting cabbage in the Fall this year, so I'm still figuring out what I want in that space. Maybe eggplant.

Happy potagaying (is that a word?)

Steven