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Potager Gardens

Dreaming of future gardens...

11 years ago

While dealing with the realities of my current garden I've been fantasizing about the dream potager I would like to create in the future.

I see a south facing wall built of native stone with fruit trees that need extra heat/protection espaliered against it to define the northern border and a path lined with hardier fruit trees circling around to encompass the inner potager garden. Entrances would be through grape covered arbors, and there would be a larger kiwi pergola to create a shady area for resting. Raised beds for annuals, perennials, and blueberries would be arranged in an as-yet-undecided pattern around a central fountain and sitting area.

The thing I'm having trouble with is choosing materials, do you think brick paths and brick beds would be too much? If so, would it be better to have brick beds and gravel paths, or stone beds and brick paths? Redwood beds are nice but they do rot eventually, and I would like both the permanence and heat retentive qualities that stone and brick provide.

Do you dream of a totally new garden some day, or are you happy to tinker with what you have? It seems like I'm always facing limited space or sunlight so I just do the best I can with what I have. For years I have been working to accrue good 'garden karma' in the hopes that one day I will get a piece of land where I can create my dream garden.

My dream list also includes my own astronomical calendar garden made with sturdy wood posts that have climbing roses planted on them, I will call it Rose Henge. Wouldn't that be awesome?

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Comments (6)

cactuscharlie
11 years ago
What an awesome vision. I know the feeling. I often think about changing the layout of my potager...

Digging it all out, starting over and doing things that I regretted not doing in the past. Alas, i think all of us on gardenweb are tinkerers of some sort.

Part of me wishes I could start over but then another side of me recognizes that no garden will ever be a dream garden until it grows into itself.

I've always wanted gravel paths and boxwood hedge beds but it's been out of my budget for quite some time. I'm sure what you have going on right now is really nice. Sometimes just getting the right focal point or new piece can make a garden. Good luck ;-)
t-bird
11 years ago
Would all brick bring too much heat in the high summer? I'm not sure how your climate works. Here in chicago, that would be great in spring/fall, but a potential liability in summer. Would depend on the summer, we get all kinds.

aesthetically, sounds beautiful!

I am always dreaming! I dream and dream and dream and then I am planning on moving the garage to accommodate it all and I have to pinch myself awake.
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peachymomo
Original Author
10 years ago
I am the same. I will have to buy some land to make my dream come true, but that doesn't mean it can't happen!

We get fairly cool summers because of the ocean influence, the hotter it gets in the central valley the more cool air is pulled from the ocean into our area. Most years we'll get a couple of hot spells when the wind shifts and it gets up to the 100's for a few days, but that is usually towards the end of summer when the veggies have grown large enough to provide some shade. The main reason I'm leaning towards all brick is because of an article I read in the paper a couple years ago by a women who had never been able to get melons to ripen in her garden until she had concrete paver beds installed. With the heat retention of the pavers in the beds and paths she was able to get ripe melon for the first time. I'm hoping for the same, both with melons and tomatoes which are a gamble most years. They will grow and grow but the fruits ripen so slowly that it's a race to see if they will get ripe before the weather turns.
t-bird
10 years ago
Then is sounds like you really need the extra heat - and it will be gorgeous.

Are you planning to execute this dream, or just dream a little dream with a lotto ticket purchase?
peachymomo
Original Author
10 years ago
I am planning on executing this dream, although it will take quite some time to make it come to fruition. I'm currently living in my starter house, fixing it up and looking forward to the day when I'm ready to sell and move up to a bigger, better plot and place. Ideally DH and I would both love to get a piece of land and build a home from the ground up. My addition to the dream is the potager garden, and his is a dojo where he can teach martial arts without having to pay rent. Someday!
t-bird
10 years ago
Keep dreaming peachy!

My dreams are taking so long, I sometimes get discouraged and wonder what the point is.

But the alternatives aren't that great either, so we must all keep working for the dream!

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