Monday, March 15, 2010

Vegetable and Potager gardens in Marin

This past weekend I was toiling in my potager garden getting it replanted for the upcoming late spring and summer harvests.


I’ve been harvesting lots of red curly and romaine lettuce as well as a hearty staple of cilantro and chives for my favorite Mexican taco recipe.


Yesterday I planted some more cilantro, basil, sweet peas and a tomato.


It’s still a little too early for the tomato seedlings to come out of the greenhouse but I thought I would give it a chance. I’ll surround it with a cloche to try to provide it with some added extra potection.


Photo of the potager at this moment in time.

From Potager Gardens


This next photo shows my small potager several seasons ago when the boxwood hedge was still growing into its planned architectural stature.

From Potager Gardens


During another season several years ago

From Potager Gardens


This photo below shows me in Rosemary Verey’s potager garden in England about 17 years ago.

You’ ll able to tell that I was very impressed by this garden and have thought of it often when I have design other potagers around Northern California

I love it because of its fine softscaping bones.

Yellow boxwood, red curly lettuce, green lettuce and purple cabbage.

Rosemary Verey Design

From Potager Gardens



This next photo is a potager that I designed in the late 90’s.

Note the inspiration from Ms. Verey’s garden that I used when laying this garden out.

Derviss Design

From California Gardening

From Raised Garden Beds

From Potager Gardens

From California Gardening


The photo below is of the now defunct Copia potager garden.

It too has greatly inspired me and I am very saddened by its demise.

It was designed by Peter Waker.

From Potager Gardens


His influence here for a small potager in Marin.

Derviss Design

From Potager Gardens


and another

Derviss Design

From California Gardening


and another

Derviss Design

From California Gardening

8 comments:

Susan aka Miss R said...

Thank you for adding to my inspiration for my own potager project. I can't wait to get started on it this week. Grading will be done and coldframes dug. Peas will be planted!

Germi said...

I am DROOLING like a FOOL!!!
These are so glorious - as beautiful as they are productive ... what a WEALTH of inspiration! You are such a talent - you give me shivers!!!
Thanks for the beauty Michelle!
XOIvette

Christine said...

So wonderfully ordered and organized, yet so fanciful! I love that you plant at the base of the central container- it adds just the right amount of detail.

Delphine said...

I adore the last one. Delicate colors and textures. Merci,my friend.

RatZone said...

i like garden of you. wow

Helen at summerhouse said...

Wonderful potager gardens! I especially liked seeing your garden, as the design matured. Giving me some inspiration for my garden. Thank you.

Dig, Grow, Compost, Blog said...

Thanks for showing us all those lovely potagers. I liked seeing how your own changed through the years. I went to Rosemary Verey's garden many years ago and was floored by the potager. Of course, she had two gardeners working on it while I was there, which sadly made me think I could never do it myself. But really, I was just there for the inspiration. :-)

Shirley Bovshow "EdenMaker" said...

Gorgeous and functional. What more can you ask from plants.
Shirley Bovshow
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