About the potager...

ARRGH ~ Brussel sprouts. Aren't all the leaves "manky" on them? We call them cannon balls...have never been a fan. But I do LOVE the new words. We should start a new vocabulary thread!

Speaking of threads...I started a new one about favorite/best/worst catalogs as far as quality, price, success, etc. Being as this is my first year, I have only purchased from Tomato Grower's Supple for my tomatoes and peppers and have been EXTREMELY satisfied with the price, expedience, and quality/success of the seeds.


http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/region_pnw/all/

Laurie, you have bad memories of cereal, I have bad memories of brussel sprouts. My mother used to make me eat them. I have almost choked on more than one occasion trying to wash an entire brussel sprout down my gullet with huge gulps of iced tea, all without chewing. Bleh! I have post traumatic brussel sprout disorder.

What I don't understand is why some of us like them and some of us don't. I feel obliged to try a new brussels sprout dish every now and then to make sure that the last time wasn't a poorly prepared dish or an aberration of my taste buds . . . no luck yet!

but Brussels sprouts straight from the garden have a slightly sweet taste; not at all like those sold in the grocery stores - they're OLD.
However - I feel the same way about onions & leeks that Pix feels about BS's - can't handle them. And Shallots taste great - so what's up with that?
I think anything from the brassica family needs to be eaten uber-fresh - always tastes better.

Saw these at the Dallas Arboretum last weekend and thought of your potager.

That's nice. I like the rocks at the base.

Soferdig posted some pictures of Dan Hinkley's new place in the Rocky Mountain Garden Forum here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=4229833. I really love the low rock border in this one. I wish I could afford to do something like that leading up my driveway. I think it would be just the think - very natural looking and yet providing a nice edge between the road and the forest. I'm going to start to shop around to see what the pricing on rocks like this is.

Anyway, love the rocks at the base. Probably because I'm of Scottish descent and my ancestors didn't have much besides rocks to work with. LOL

Katie59 - that is nice, but a tad too tidy for me - don't squeeze up on this idea until you really pictured it carefully - have you thought of using recycled concrete slabs? someone else from Calif was just talking about it, and they get broken up concrete from Craig's list and lay it as dry stone wall (that is what I think is Hinkley's construction). It would look pretty much like that except not that 'tidy' (and you know who we all feel about tidiness!) worth thinking about.

Hey that is my husbands gate he built for them. Pretty cool. yes that is a dry stacked wall.

Heidi- I love that gate, you are married to a mastercraftsman! Did he make that great chain arbor at your nursery as well (near the parking area?)

Katie the broken concrete a.k.a. urbanite looks really cool. Pixy has done some of her garden borders that way. I bet she will post a picture for us!

Heidi, be sure to tell you DH his work is superb, the gate really looks like it belongs there!
Great job, you two are quite a team I am sure,
Carla

LOVE the gate! What great work! I'm with Laurie, though ~ the border is a bit too straight (coming from the one who wants to plant everything in color-coded lines!). I prefer a more freeformed edge.

Susy...the obelisk/trellis is great, as well. I think it would look just perfect in the potager...maybe a large one in the middle box and smaller ones on the outside with something really nice and viney climbing up it ~

Heidi, I love the gate as well!

I agree, the edge is a bit too straight for a garden edge, but maybe not so much for a driveway?

Sheri, glad you liked it. I thought it looked reasonably build-able.

Katie, the garden drops off there. On this side, it's a low raised planter with an obelisk, but if you follow the path around and down, you're in a different, more formal garden room, looking up at a stacked stone wall with obelisks on the top. I think they have roses in summer. The other trellis still had some rose vines on it. I hope to get back there someday in a warmer season when things are blooming. If I do, I'll take lots more (and better!-I hope) pictures.

My brother did a broken concrete wall year ago with "old" broken up aggregate. I love it, but didn't think that I could find any of that broken concrete to use. It never occurred to me to look on Craig's list. I love that look.

Yes, Laurie - I don't generally like it too regular, but I do like the smooth slate stacking for a short short wall. It's sort of a nice "neat" statement that contrasts so much with the randomness of the woods behind it.

Katie also look at freecycle.com

Katie, you could have a point, and you are absolutely right - I should have asked for more environmental information first - I like the idea of a hunky horizontal straight with big random uprights. Okay, you have my thumbs up.

Heidi - that is one beautiful gate - just brillant. Well done, and I bet it swings beautifully - smooth soft whisper of movement. Yes!

Susie, I've loved your photos - really good. So I can hardly wait to see them improved - this is going to be overwhelming.

Careful, outta, oblesiks are getting a bit orderly - (actually, isn't that an oblesiks job? hmmmm - hey, maybe that is what they call them as a grouping, an order of oblesiks! ) Uhoh, I'm tipping into one of those imaginative moments. I have been in such a meander of a day today - sheesh.

You need broken concrete? I got broken concrete. Come on down. Bring a man truck. I've got a patio of broken concrete, (Like rachel said, known as 'urbanite' around these green parts here), and a path lined with broken concrete. I've used broken concrete to make fake boulders. I will use broken concrete to make a concrete bench. Pretty soon I'll be living with the flintstones because I have so much concrete around here. Here's how I've lined the front path with it. I cannot wait to see this border in the spring. It was brand new last year and nothing was filled in. The edges of alot of that concrete will be covered with billowing catmint and ornamental oregano, and mexican feather grass.

Yup, that works. Urbanite it is renamed. Sounds glamorous, and very champagne.

Pixy ~ That's the pathway of my DREAMS! I LOVE it! That's kind of the feeling I want to impart on the walk to the QAW, only I would like the plants to become increasingly unusual as one draws closer to the wood.

DH moved the boxes for the potager into their homeland, just to get an idea of how it will look. We've had snow (melted a bit in this picture) and I'm off physical labor for 2-4 weeks, so right now I'm planning plants. The original plans called for up to 10 types of plants for each box, but I think I'm not quite that adventurous yet (still quivering in my boots). First pic...then ~

...and now ~

we get to plant these? oh goodie - my heart singeth, you generous woman! This is better than hot cookies.

Now, just to be clear before we start choosing plants, what goes in the area behind?

Looking at the potager, to the right (south) is obviously the house. There is a concrete walk between the boxes and the house. Where I am standing (west) is at the garage door. There is the same walkway between the boxes nearest the camera and me. There is a bed between the walk and the house in which currently is sleeping: hydrangea, endless summer (3), bleeding heart, pink (2), ligularia, yellow rocket (1), red rhody (1), and laurentia for ground cover (many). At the far end, between the boxes and the chain link fence will eventually be a deck. To the left (north) has yet to be determined. Between the boxes will be simply graveled walkway, at least for this year. Boxes are 4' x 4'. I do have some ideas, which are fruits of all the minds here, but certainly will graciously accept any and all others (I'm still only halfway through "a" looking for the right plants. I might finish with "z" by the time I retire again...) My only restriction is not too tall, preferably no more than 3-4' in height max.

There you have it, Laurie ~ gotta go to work work now...have fun!

Those are nice beds, He did a good job on them, whats the distance between them? 4' is good I made the mistake of putting them to close together, when the plants got bigger you couldn't walk through.
I'm thinking nice patio off the steps to the fence, with a arbor and a clematis climbing over it and all kinds of plants around it. Dreaming again.

we over lapped, thought of before she said it. "mind reading"

Laurie - you always say just the right thing!! Thank you.

Outta - I agree with Tilly, make sure that you have enough space to walk comfortably and to roll in a wheelbarrow or something when you work and harvest. :-) The boxes are awesome. Your DH knows what he's doing.

I think you should intermix herbs, annuals and vegetables. consider putting supports in the middle for beans or tall flowers plants such as cosmos or daisies - maybe a climbing rose.

I'm on woodinville freecycle and haven't seen anything for broken concrete yet. Pix - do you really have more broken concrete? How easy is it to move? Must be kinda heavy. Your path looks awesome.

Why, Katie - you sweetie. thank you.

What do you think of some nice prostrate rosemary moved around in these parterre beds - low growing (max 12" - but drapes nicely) - extremely hardy, evergreen and so loves being brushed up against it lets off its lovely aroma - and sweet little subtle blue blossom from december through June - if it likes you you get it all year. Very easy to propagate from cuttings. And what about borlotti beans growing up one obelisk, and Jack be little pumpkins on another - absolutely yummy eating, and cute as can be. Both of them beautiful looking vegetables.

I love the look of pumpkin and squash leaves. Jack be Little pumpkins . . . that sounds like a great idea. And the rosemary - I didn't know it was easy to propagate from cuttings. Prostrate rosemary draped over the sides - perfect idea.

Originally I planned on spacing them 30" apart. DH said make it 36" and right now has them at 24" (too close IMHO). My plan is to have something tall in the center of the 4 corners and the center box, and do plan to mix and mingle. I currently have seeds for 5 tomatoes, 6 peppers, 4 ornamental peppers, snapdragons, nasturtium, zinnia, and several herbs, etc. I also have seeds from Rachel/Heidi, including gaillardia, watsonia, digitalis, bush bean, carrot, lettuce, just to name a few. I like the look of rainbow swiss chard, fennel, ????? Then there's the F&G show, and the Green Elephant ~ Oh Dear...I think I need more beds! = O

Hey If anyone remembers those cool planted picture frames. I wanted to look at them and couldn't remember where they were Thank heidi

How about some climbing beans? http://www.vermontbean.com/sp.asp?c=12

I've just learned that they don't need nitrogen because they fix it so well, so you'll want to put them in a bed that you're not going to feed with nitrogen a lot.

Potager plant suggestions:

http://www.gardeners.com/Kitchen+Gardens/8013,default,pg.html?SC=

Potager and cottage garden pictures

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/potager/msg0423595821696.html?19

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/potager/msg1100383728594.html?15

Annie's Gardens

http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b253/AnniesAlbum2c/Potager%20Gardens/

Heidi, I think those were at Gardner's Supply.

Really nice beds! So much fun to plan and to plot. I LOVE the idea of the prostrate form of rosemary. It is really a lovely plant. There are so many nice plants you can do. Have you considered a bay laurel? I have one that is several years old. They are easy to grow, and can be topiaried or clipped to stay within the confines of your plan. Fresh bay leaves are really the ticket when you are doing sauces or soups. Oreganos are also nice herbs to grow and they have a nice flower that goes well with the rosemary. Mine stay green all year, so I can get fresh oregano even in January.

Yes, katie, I really do have more broken concrete. The pieces are small enough that they can be lifted by one person, or two people for the larger ones. It is easy to load it, but you do need mantruck.

Outta, that path is completely easy to do. If it's the path of your dreams, then your dream is attainable. I like it fine myself, but I'm going to like it better when the plants fill in.

The herbs requested to this point (DH is the cook in the house) are thyme, oregano, cilantro, fennel, shallots, garlic chives, basil, and lavender and, apparently, the prostrate rosemary (found myself wanting to type "prostate" ~ eeeewwwww ~ what an UGLY thought!). Current veggies are carrots, bush bean, lettuce, red kale, rainbow swiss chard, bell peppers (6 colors), hot peppers (5 types), tomatoes (5 types), red cabbage, spinach. Herbs and veggies are pretty much inked (though if there's room ~ HAH! I'm learning there's ALWAYS room) can add a few more. Vines and larger veggies will be in another bed next year. Flowers inked are nasturtium, calendula, zinnia, gaillardia, snapdragon, marigold, monarda, and watsonia. It seems to me there's a lot of orange/yellow/ red, so would like to add some blue/purple. How about anchusa azurea or lobelia? I've always loved lobelia.

Question ~ will the rosemary take over the bed or will it be fairly easy to keep under control? I am actually thinking about it also for a weedy icky slope on the south side of the house where last year I sowed a ton of creeping thyme. I had some thyme on the hillside (not really a hillside, just a 5-6' slope) and am hoping this year it will start to establish itself and choke out some of the weeds (yeah, right). Lots of stickers and other junk...

Outta, I'd put cardboard down first on the slope - the rosemary will not blanket, although it has a good plump appearance, structurally it is not tight - if that makes sense - so weeds would grow through (as will bulbs). You can just snip it back if it is going in a direction you don't want it to - doesn't mind a bit of criticism and guidance in the least. Mine have grown to about .7M/30" spread, .3M/12" ht. So nice. Definately try them on the slope, I think they would do well.

This might be a chance to try planting through the cardboard - someone else will have to give instructions though. Not one I've done yet.

Do take cuttings - I decided I needed about 60 plants - I bought two medium plants, took all 60 cuttings from the two, and had 100% strike rate, its that easy. I did mine in mid summer, but spring is probably a good time. I think it takes so easily because Rosemary does not have a dormant period. It might be nice to put a couple of lavender augustifolia in amongst the Rosemary and the thyme - just to give you a bit of higher plant interest without going too high. Bees will love this area (you could have a hive and make lavender/rosemary/thymne honey) and the smell when it warms up in the sun with the three herbs will be devine.

Laurie, it sounds and smells like summer already! Just keep talking!

What I want to know, with all that you are planting, are you going to put a Veggi stand at the end of the drive? Hee Hee Let me know I'll be there, all sounds yummy.

Lovely!! With one of those honesty jars.

Not planning a veggie stand, but I will be supplying the peninsula with peppers and tomatoes. I've always had visions of the being the "pepper and tomato lady." We LOVE hot peppers here. One of the beds will be the salsa garden, which will be home to Jalapeno, another hot pepper called Garden Hybrid (like jalapeno), green onion, Roma tomato, Toma Verde tomatillo, and cilantro with maybe one of the ornamental peppers thrown in, either Medusa or Chilly Chili. Numex Twilight is beautiful as well....looks like Christmas lights!

What a very nice idea - the salsa bed. Now that is nice organization, with a touch of humour!

Outta -

Look at this great site about germander (teucrium). I have some and, clearly, I have more to look forward to as it matures. Probably should get a few more and let it go wild!!

This message was edited Feb 17, 2008 10:12 PM

Hello potager, I was wondering how you were fairing (or is that faerieing?)

Katie, and the link is??