It’s the first day of spring! What better activity for a day like today than planning our Potager Homestead Garden? Truthfully… I did this a few days ago when it was sunny. Today these San Diego skies are full of thunder, lightening, and sideways rain. But I am reliving these Spring vibes through the video that accompanies this blog post!
Have you heard of a potager? It’s a french word that essentially means “beautiful kitchen garden”. This is the perfect kind of garden for us as our garden will be in our main outdoor living area and connected to our master bedroom’s back door. What a gift it will be to gaze on it’s beauty.
But before we can enjoy the lucious green foliage, cascading blooms, and edible wonders, first, we must plan. Here is how I am planning the garden in 5 easy steps! I’ve also included some tips and tools I’ve found helpful to me in this process.
Step 1 - Measure the area
Measure the area. Measure every side possible because some spaces may look symmetrical (like mine) but are in fact not (like mine!) I use a measuring wheel to make things a bit easier and more efficient!
Step 2 - Layout A Design
Get a visual of the area by using scrap wood, tape, or other on hand items to outline what this space will look like. This is a great way to see if what you had in your mind’s eye is visually appealing to you. If so, great! If not, reevaluate and reconfigure until it’s right for the space.
Step 3 - Feel Out The Space
Walk through the space. Does it feel right to you? If any part of it feels too crowded or crammed, I would encourage you to alter the design until it feels right. So much of a beautiful space’s draw is the way it makes you feel-take time to get the feeling just right.
Step 4 - Research & Plan Out Materials
What kind of materials will you use to build this garden? For me, I like cedar fence posts. They are generally inexpensive, lightweight, and easy to find. Cedar fence posts are most resistant to rotting and have a decent life span.
Step 5 - Transfer Your Hard Work Into a Garden Design Program
Some like to keep it old school - pen and paper. But here’s why I love using the Kitchen Garden Planner from Gardeners - it’s designed for square foot gardeners (like me) and it will help you tremendously when you go to plant as the tools offer a printable and on the printable, it outlines how many seeds or plants to sow in a given area - way easier than reading every individual seed label!
Here is the process of designing our potager garden in action :
I hope you found this article helpful! If so, please share this with you garden friends on Facebook and leave me a comment down below. I’d love to hear from you!
Natalie