1. A Kitchen Garden Hideaway Lois Royer
Creating a Potager:
A Kitchen Garden Hideaway
Lois Royer
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2. College of
Agriculture and
Natural Resources

3. What is a Potager? French term for a kitchen garden
A place for beauty, relaxation, and edibles
(Don’t worry about the pronunciation)

4. Basic Vegetable Gardening
Site
1. Type of garden
2. Size and costs
3. Location
Soil
4. Testing
5. Preparing
6. Improving
Seeds
7. Best crops
8. How to plant
9. Using transplants
Sustain
10. Feed and water
11. Weeds
12. Harvest!

5. Creating your potager Dream what you want Assess what you have
Then think realistically

6. Start Small and Flexible
Close to house is best
Must have sun for veggies
Water available
All gardens need care costing time or money (often both)

7. Make a written plan Start with graph of existing plot
Take photographs and measurements
If desired begin a journal or notebook
Make a 3-5 year plan
Learn more every year

8. Pattern Geometric patterns are great when viewed from above
Endless possibilities
Use center stake and rope to make circles
Check for square when making rectangles, corner to corner measurement should match

9. Theme and Mood Formal hardscape can still create a relaxed garden
Rigid themes can be confining or fun
Consider the surroundings, especially your house
Remember it is your garden, do what you like

10. Cottage style is forgiving but not maintenance free

11. Try a modular approach Start with the center area or one section
Build a few beds each year
Don’t add beds unless you easily maintained your current areas

12. Enclosure for Protection and Privacy
Keep out Critters- especially deer
Design feature
Blend with feel of your location
Create a world apart

13. PATHWAYS Room for cart Grass or mulch Add stone or brick in the future
Keep sharp edges

14. Building your Beds Consider your reach Watch corners and round areas
Think where you will stand and have stones ready
Raised beds have pros and cons
Sheet composting makes easy bed prep

15. COLOR & TEXTURE Flowers add color and interest all season
Principals used in flower gardens work well
Vegetables have a wide range of textures
Don’t forget the variety of HERBS to use

16. Create Focal Point & Go Vertical
A focal point draws attention to the garden
Use plants or structures
Vertical supports will greatly increase use of square footage

17. PLAN FOR CHANGES Vegetables are mostly annuals
Some are harvested before end of season
Some take all season to grow and mature
Prep for these ongoing changes
Expect to need to fill holes, maybe with flowers, containers, or mulch

18. Refine your practices in the future as you gain experience
Crop rotation
Succession planting
Larger garden
Start seeds indoors
Try new plant varieties
Extend the season
Plant for winter visual interest

20. Find inspiration

21. Appreciate Simplicity

22. Make the garden your own

23. My garden so far

24. Resources Grow It! Eat It! http://www.extension.umd.edu/growit
We have all types of practical food gardening tips and information. Check out our popular blog!
Home and Garden Information Center
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25. This program was brought to you by the
Maryland Master Gardener Program
Howard County
University of Maryland Extension
Remember to put in the correct county!
Created by Jon Traunfeld, Extension Specialist, UME; 2014; revised 2/15