What a beautiful potager garden from Le Chateau du Rivau.  If you read French and want to explore more then head on over and feast your eyes on even more gorgeousness!

{via Flickr}

Image via Wikipedia

Ahh, espaliers!   My favorite!  I think they  make your garden sing!  And they’re always great conversation starters.  Espaliers form living sculptures yet are slightly different than topiary sculptures because they form flat shapes rather than full 3d type shapes and objects.  Because they grow flat, they are great for growing fruits in small areas up walls and fences but can also be used as decorative freestanding fences, hedges or screens that help partition off spaces.

Espaliers are created using special pruning techniques  which I plan to cover more in depth later on.  Here are the espaliers I planted in my own yard last year along my fence.  I purchased large already started espaliers because I didn’t want to wait as long, but you can start your own from a small single cordon.

I love how they break up the monotony of my fence.  And the fence acts as a great backdrop making the espaliers a real stunning focal point!

I chose a variety of apple trees, but there are others you can choose from to espalier as well, like any of these:

You can also create the same sort of espalier effects with vines.  {Refresh your memory on edible climbers here}.

One of my local nurseries sells pre-started espaliers so check around and see what you can find.  Your local nurseries can also help you get single cordons to help you start your own if you are interested.  There are also places online that sell pre-started espaliers that I’m trying to gather up for you so you have as many resources as possible to choose from.

Making living sculptures out of plants is a lot of fun.  And espaliers are a stunning way to do it!

potager (pot-ah-zhay; French)

a kitchen garden usually taken to mean a formal, decorative kitchen garden

The potager at Villandry, France.

The french have such a fabulous way of presenting the humble little kitchen garden.  Originating back in 16th century France, everybody had one, from the grand aristocratic families to the humble little country farmer, it was the cool thing to do.  And why not?  The potager garden style is fun.

A potager garden is much more than just your average square vegetable plot plunked down in the corner of your yard. They are a more formal take on a kitchen garden.   Instead of straight rows and rows of veggies, you will find fantastic designs of fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers all mixed together in specific ways designed to create an overall effect.  Not only are they more aesthetic to look at, they are fun to plan and implement because you can let your  imagination  run wild.

In a potager garden you can play with shapes.  Sure you can do symmetrical shapes, such as these square plots shown above, which create a more formal feel, but you can also incorporate curves, patterns and even tunnels. You can incorporate pathways, water features and focal points like a charming bench or table to rest at, or something as dramatic as a statue.

It is these things which make a potager garden so much fun.  And it is these things which  I intend to explore and celebrate here at The Potager Garden among other kitchen garden styles.