I have been working on the design of my potager for a few weeks. It is has been a challenge as I am working with a relatively small space (approximately 20'X10' ). I want to use the space effectively to maximize production, but I also want to create an easily managable space as well as a beatiful garden. I think I have come up with a good design and I want to share it here.

The logistics of the garden are my next challenge. I will be working with four raised beds. I need to decide on what materials they will be made from as well as what the growing medium will be prepared. I have been told that cedar is the best natural wood to use to construct the beds, but I also have been reading about stone and composite materials that may be suitable alternatives. The growing medium and its preparation is also a topic for debate. What should it be made of and how should it be prepared. Through my research, I have found a few sources that suggest a layered approach to the growing medium....any suggestions would be very helpful.

I also have an idea of what I would like to plant. My next step is to determine the varieties that are best suited to my zone as well as what I would like to grow and use. I have ordered a few garden catalogues as well as visited a number of informative web sites and I am narrowing my choices as I post here. I hope that my next blog entry will have all the details. If anyone has suggestions on varieties that are easier to grow and will produce good results, please let me know.

Since this garden layout is static, I have not figured out how to re-use the soil once I have harvested a crop. The key concept of a potager is year round (or as close as possible) use of the land. I have a bit more research to do on this topic...I think the next couple of cold winter months here in Ohio will give me a good opportunity to read up on the recycling of garden space...more on that topic in the next post as well.

I want to wish everyone an abundant new year!

The Journey Begins

November, 2008
Here in the Midwest, it is snowing and very cold...most of us are thinking about Thanksgiving and the other winter holidays...certainly not the time most people think about vegetable gardening. However, I am...I am planning a kitchen garden or what the French call a Potager.
Home growing vegetables, fruits and herbs is certainly not a revolutionary concept, but for an urban dweller in the United States, it is certainly unusual today.
With the cost of fresh produce rising every day along with every other household items, it makes good financial sense to off set those costs by growing from seed. The costs of establishing and maintaining a garden along with seed will provide a return on an average investment in as little as one year. After the first year, the costs are minimized to replenishment of seed and maintenance and the cost benefits increase from there.
Also on a lot of our minds is the quality of the produce we consume. Most grocery stores procure product from large commercial farms that offer mass quantities at lower costs. This economy comes at a cost. Commercial farms employ pesticides and herbicides to maintain crops. The health consequences are numerous. In addition, the variety of produce is reduced to the most insipid and common of varieties based on sales volume. Growing your own vegetables puts the power in your hands...literally and figuratively.
Throughout this year, I will be making regular updates from planning, preparing, planting, maintaining, harvesting as well as using the bounty provided. I hope you will join me on this journey and provide feedback and share your gardening stories.
Here’s to living an abundant life!

Ken Wright