Here are some photos showing a glimpse of my big "Informal" Potager Garden. The bermuda grass is growing faster than my garden plants and with 100-110 degree temperatures this past month, I haven't been able to stay outside long enough to do much cultivating, I'm afraid, so the grass is running amuck!

I've noticed that many people ask for the names of plants so am giving you a list. My camera doesn't capture the details and colours too well, tiz the pity, so I hope that by listing them, you will be able to get an idea of the colours, fragrances and textures I am growing in the big potager this year. This is the first year for this potager. It was formerly an herb garden that had become a weed patch and an eye-sore. Next year the Hollyhocks will be tall and blooming and there will be more Salvias and Zinnias and a few hardy Hibiscus.

The arbour is a make-shift arbour I made using recycled materials. I planted Kentucky Pole beans and Scarlet Runner beans to grow up on it and a few Black-eyed susan vines. Too my delight, a few wild Morning glories (baby blue flowers) planted by birds, have found their way to the arbour too. Underneath, along the path, grow Lemon basil, Ozark Beauty strawberries, Pinks, Blue Asters, & Pentas. Garden sage hrows on the right front corner - a pot of Tuscan Blue Rosemary on the left.

On the right side of the potager, there are Silver King Artemisia (I use for herb-craft), Bronze Fennel, purple petunias, hollyhocks (from seed obtained at Tasha Tudor's farm), Celebrity tomatoes, 'Romeo' French Marigolds, Queen Anne's Lace, Cinnamon Basil, Anaheim peppers, white w/purple star petunias, and coral pink-orange Periwinkles.

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In back are Lime Basil, 'Carnival' Mini-roses, beets, more Ozark Beauty strawberries, Cosmos 'Brightlights', 'Martha Washington' Asparagus, English Lavender, Hidcote Lavender, 'Lady in Red' & 'Coral Nymph' salvias and the lovely garden Balsam.

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On the left grow Beefsteak tomatoes, a row of parsley along the front edge, bright-colored 'Dahlia' Zinnias, French Marigolds 'Romeo', lemon basil, Clary Sage, Cat Mint, Lavender, 'Plum Wild' Periwinkles, Golden Sage, Lemon Balm, and 'Candy Cane' Zinnias and Tall Yellow African Marigolds, Mystic Merlin Malva and Purple Perilla.
In front center (not shown), grow Italian and Greek Oregano. To the right is creeping Lemon Thyme I just started this year to grow between the cobblestones on the path that goes off to the right (can't see in the photo).

There are white flowering Echinacea 'Primadonna', pink and white Dianthus (Pinks), "White Nymph' Salvia, Black-eyed Susans, Magenta Bee Balm, tall Flannel-leaf Mullein, and Grosso Lavender. There is a white Tuscany Urn that holds Spicey Globe basil sitting on the brick edging of the big Strawberry bed and Thai Basil poked in along the edge (right front).

One the far left, along the fence grow pink fairy roses, tall spires of Blue Bedder Salvia, Zinnias of various kinds, colors, and sizes, dwarf sunflowers, tall sunflowers, Juliet tomatoes, Pink Hungarian paste tomatoes, French Tarragon, Cucumbers, Hardy Rosemary, St. John's Wort, Cat Mint, Double Mint and goodness gracious, too many more herbs and flowers to list!
As you can see, I like all colors, particularly the brighter, gayer colors.

Brightly colored "Dahlia' Zinnias and Dwarf Sunflower growing along the west fence. Butterflies, bees, songbirds and hummingbirds abound in the flowers.
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Colorful Balsam - The severe drought, extreme high temps and Earwigs have plagued my gardens this year. These are all that remain of some 20 plants. They come is a lovely array of colors that I like - pinks, white, oranges, corals, purples and more.
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The muted, coral pink of these new Periwinkles (below) caught my eye and I bought three pots. I wish I had purchased more now. They are just lovely in the garden! I am taking cuttings to winter them over and hope to propagate many more throughout the summer. They have done very well in the heat and drought. One got toppled by a cutworm, but came back thick and bushy and looks as good as the other two now.
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In the photo below, you can vaguely make out the blackberry brambles and wild sand plums in the background. They provide fruit for delicious pies and jams in early summer. You can see the tall Flannel-leaf Mullein and silvery Artemisia leaning as the waving and bob about in the gusty Oklahoma winds. Golden Finches love the Mullein seeds and will ride them in the wildest of winds to get at the tiny black seeds along their tall spires.
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The plum-colored Periwinkles in the photo below were marked for "Clearence" at Lowe's - only 50 cents a pot! I bought 3 pots of this plum colour and one pot of white with pink eyes. Each pot had five or six plants, so I divided them. They will become full and lovely soon. I will take cuttings of these to propagate more and winter over, too.
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The Star Petunias below, are growing in a prominent spot in my new Potager. Star Petunias grew in my mother's gardens when I was just a little child. I loved them dearly. They reminded me of the little starfish we used to find in the tidepools at low-tide along the beach in California. You can imagine my delight when the seeds I planted this spring produced these familiar little faces!
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~ SweetAnnie4u

Here are some photos of the lower potager, or kitchen garden.

Better Boy Tomatoes
Lemon Basil
Genovese Basil
Curly Mustard
Bush Beans
Onions
Leeks
Cabbages
Broccoli (in spring)
Zucchini
Big Bertha Sweet Peppers
Hot Jalapeno Peppers
Pink Brandywine Tomatoes (late heirloom tomatoes)
Garden Sage
Chamomile
Mexican Zinnias
Calendulas
Mr. Majestic Marigolds
Lemon yellow Marigolds (unknown)
Mammoth Dill (gone to seed now)
Chives
Black-eyed Susan vines
Morning Glories
Hollyhocks
White Coneflowers
Munstead Lavender (for culinary use)
Periwinkles
Bread Poppies
Zinnias

The beans did rather poorly this year. I couldn't understand why until I pulled up half of the plants the other day. I discovered their roots were full of knots and that says Nematodes! I immediately planted marigolds in there!! That'll fix 'em!

Big Bertha Sweet Peppers
I never have a problem growing peppers. These are my favorite sweet peppers.

The tomatoes are doing wonderfully! Getting enough to freeze or can every day now. They are big, luscious tomatoes. I love to eat them right off the vine.
Below you can see my 15 ft. row of Big Boy Tomatoes - early July You can see how much humidity was in the air that day. It had poured down some much needed rain that weekend, but the temperature did not cool down at all. In fact, it climbed higher into 100s.

I have two resident box turtles who take refuge in there. They have not caused any damage. Now when I come into the garden, they stretch their necks way out and look up at me, blinking slowly. Their eyes are the eyes of the ages and they know I am not an enemy.

I have a little red hen named Aunt Dode, who spends the day in there. Her pen adjoins the garden and I let her out in there to peck for bugs and eat the tender green grass in the paths. I pick the ripe tomatoes early in the morning before I let her out. (hehehe)

I planted a plum tree on the west side of the henhouse to shade it in the summer. Japanese Honeysuckle grows on the west side of the run. I love their sweet fragrance in the evenings and the chickens & guineas appreciate the shade and shelter.

Today two of the guineas are in there with her. The male has a hurt foot and I have kept him penned up for two days. Of course he could fly out of there if he wanted, but he is glad to be able to get out in the garden with his mate, at last, so has not ventured out.

Some of my tomatoes I grow:

Path up the west side.
Zucchini on the right and Munstead Lavender and white coneflowers on the left. Calendulas, zinnias, sunflowers, hollyhocks, morning glories, periwinkles, rosemary, chamomile, and sage grow along the north fence line.

North fenceline flowerbed

Morning glories found their way to this little wrenhouse and climbed up the pole to the sunflower windsock

Better Boy Tomatoes - Early July
Companion Plants: Tomatoes, Marigolds and Genovese Basil

"Pickin' d'Maters"

Old Mexico Zinnias - beginning to turn their bright colors like the dazzling designs in Aztec art - are great companion plants with hot Jalapeno peppers and salvias.

Dode is an All-American Hen - Red, White and Blue

Mr. Majestic marigolds

Carolina Cherokee Roses
The Cherokee roses, white and pink, were brought to Oklahoma by the Cherokee when they made the Trail of Tears in 1832. These grow along the west fence of the lower potager and bloom from May thru June, always just in time for Memorial Day. They were growing on my Great-grandparent's old homestead and I got a start of them from the roses that had escaped into the grader ditch along the country road. I also got some of her wild white florette roses, too. They smell so sweet in late spring.

The south border has cannas and a huge Trumpet vine which I have trimmed until it is shaped like and umbrella. :) These provide much needed shade in the garden in the afternoon. The hummingbirds love the flowers on both. They have "sword fights" over the choicest blooms!

~SweetAnnie4u
OBTW - I incorrectly named one of the Periwinkles in my previous post (I don't know where I got the name!?). Instead of 'Plum Wild', the purplish one is called "First Blueberry Kiss". Now, ain't that plum cute?

I just loved your pictures!!!!
Your potager is much fuller than mine.
It's so beautiful!!
Those tomatoes just blew me away!!!!Wow
I'm having an awful time with earwigs too.
I've been going out and spraying the ones I see on the flowers, before I got to bed. The numbers are finally getting smaller.....but what a pain in the butt!!
Thanks so much for sharing!
I've been dying to see some potagers this summer.
Haziemoon

Thanks Haziemoon.

I haven't been well this year and have had such a time being able to work in the yard. I haven't come on the GW much lately, other than to read everyone's posts and drool over all the photos, but when I read your post I decided to post some pictures of my potagers. I just love this forum. I learn so much from all of you.

I manage do a little bit each day, unless I am too crippled up or too sick to venture out in the heat. It isn't as tidy as it once was, but I like it okay just the same. The wildlife enjoys it and I ejoy them and that's what counts.

I learned long ago by observing Nature that plants do better when they are crowded. If there is a bare spot, I try to poke something in it. It creates shade and helps hold moisture in the ground around their roots. The plants also support one another so they are less likely to flop over.

I have Montgomery cherry trees, Santa Rosa Plums and Georgia peaches planted on the north side of the garden, and apples and pears down below on the west side. Haven't had any soft fruit in two years and the rest have produced skimpy crops and the fruit small. Some of my peach trees are dying, despite my irrigation and care. The Cardinals ate all the cherries, even though I fed them. Everything is suffering from this drought. It has gone on for more than ten years, but has become critical this past year. Last year I grew corn, and lots of okra. I had sweet, juicy Cantelope, too. There were gobs of strawberries, blackberries and wild sand plums, but not this year.

With the drought and extreme temperatures, we have had many terrible wildfires statewide since last September and water rationing in many towns and cities has finally begun. Rural areas are hardest hit and suffer the most. Some town's water sources completely dried up. So far my well is holding up, thank goodness, otherwise I'll be hauling water and it'll be "goodbye gardens"!

Oklahoma has more manmade lakes than any other state and it has been a vital part of our tourism for people to come here to fish and swim and camp. The lakes have been so low this past year that the boat docks are a good 1/2 of a mile from the water and the water depth is so shallow that big boats in some lakes can no longer navigate. Dead fish float along the shore lines. Camp sites are high and dry. The Arkansas River, which is a navigable river to the Mississippi river with ports in Tulsa, have suffered if not shut down. With the destruction of New Orleans and our drought, it is crippling the state.

Ranchers are selling off their cattle & other livestock as their stock ponds have been bone dry since last October. Those who have kept their herds are having to haul water, and we are talking about thousands of gallons a day! Cows drink a lot of water. Our wheat farms are really taking a toll - no rain, no wheat! No rain, no hay! Most of the Farmers have just tilled it all under and are not going to plant. If we don't get some substantial rain soon, there will be no Winter Wheat and that will affect all of America. It is just awful.

Anyway, I am fighting the elements and it sure seems a losing battle. Glad I have the guineas and chickens, anyway, otherwise the grasshoppers would have finished my yard off last year! It has happened to me before I got them. The snake population decreased exponentially. (yeah!)

Time to go move the water. I have an orange tabby kitten on my lap holding me down. This is HER CHAIR. Her name is "The Pink Cat", named by my 4-year old grandson. Female Orange tabby's are rare and SHE KNOWS IT! She is a bit annoyed at my typing, but she will really get her tail up when I get up to go outside. (hehehe)
Sorry Miss Pink!

Glad you like my gardens. Makes the struggle all worthwhile.

~ SweetAnnie4u