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ali_b1

A Visit to My Potager

ali-b
11 years ago

Here's some pics that I snapped this morning of my potager. Hope you enjoy!

As you enter:

From the right corner:


Sitting on the bench in the back with Amber staring intensely at her ball:


Repainted tomato trellises (the dreaded kiwi is sticking up on the right)"


And finally, I love the color of this lilac pepper:

Comments (12)

  • macgregor
    11 years ago

    Thank you for sharing your garden, it is beautiful, you can tell that so much work and care has gone into creating it.

    The peppers are incredible! Are they the pinot noir variety? They obviously are thriving. What's your secret?

  • mandolls
    11 years ago

    The whole garden is lovely! Those are the nicest looking tomato trellises I have ever seen. Is it just a single tomato plant per "cage"? Can you just reach through the wire easily enough to harvest?

    I wish I had the space to make my paths that wide. It feels so open and lush at the same time. Now that mine is growing in so much it it beginning to feel congested.

    The hoops over the beds in the 2nd picture - do you start some things in plastic covered low tunnels? What part of the country do you live in?

    Your garden is inspiring.

  • ali-b
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thank you for your kind comments! I live in Eastern PA. I plan to try doing some season extension and I put conduit clamps on all my raised beds this year in anticipation. But, the hoops were for bird netting for my strawberries and netting over the swiss chard to keep out the leaf miners. (My boys thought the hoops looked "cool" and said I should leave them up.)

    I put a tomato or eggplant on each side outside the trellis and tie them up as they grow. I made a 2' base this year so I now have about 6' of trellis height. The base has no wire so I can weed. I can squeeze my hand inside the wire up top (although I may have to reach through the bottom to get the beefsteak ones!)

    Live and learn. I made the center path 4' wide since we use a garden cart to bring in wood chips for the paths and now I can just roll it in and dump instead of the back straining contortions with my old layout.

    The peppers are the Lilac Peppers from Johnny's Seeds. Last week they were all light green and just started blushing up.

  • nancyjane_gardener
    11 years ago

    Ball stick water!!!!! LOL

  • mandolls
    11 years ago

    I am going to have to re-think my tomato supports. I like the look of spacing them throughout the garden instead of grouping them. Mine are already to the top of their 6 ft. support trellis, and its not quite mid-July. They are going to be a messy jungle very soon, especially since I have 8 per bed. I dont get enough sun everywhere for them, but I should be able to figure out something that will work better next year.

    I am definitely trying those lilac peppers next year. I am always on the look out for beautiful vegetables.

  • oliveoyl3
    11 years ago

    Lush & beautiful summer garden. Thanks for sharing.

    Wide paths are gardener friendly. I know we try to squeeze in the plants, but I always regret it later when I want to get a cart through to empty a compost bin or bring in compost from another pile.

    Funny, my hubby thought the same thing about our hoops. I do think they deter the deer from walking past to enter the inground garden area with fruits (strawb, rasp, rhubarb, dwarf fruit trees, native serviceberries & huckleberries), alliums, daylilies, potatoes, tomatoes & zucchini gardens.

  • miteymo
    11 years ago

    Beautiful!

  • granneeeeannie
    11 years ago

    What do you do with your serviceberries?

    Love your tidy pottage and hoops.

  • ali-b
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I haven't checked the forums in a while.

    Graneannie- You noticed the serviceberries. I do nothing with them! They're all over the property as weed trees. Keeps the birds happy.

  • Annie
    11 years ago

    Lovely, and chocked full, like I grow things. Keeps down weeds and helps hold moisture. And it looks smashing!

    I used to be a regular on here years back. My Potager was slowly transformed into a Rose and Iris garden. Don't need to grow that much produce now. I used to sell veggies,, fruit and flowers at several local Farmer's Markets, but not now. Kids are all grown and gone, so don't need that much just for myself.

    Still, I love to come back on here from time to time and look at all that you guys have created...and swoon.

    Love your tomato trellises and the entry arches. I grew Juliet and Sweet Olive tomatoes on mine for several years. Was cool to just reach up and pick the fruit that dangled down into the archway over my head. :) Cucumbers did well there too.

    One year I planted Lemon Cukes on the back fence. They grew up the fence and on up into the Plum tree to fifteen feet or more and then continued growing with vines hanging down in places. It looked awesome with those big round yellow cucumbers all over the vines and I didn't even plan for that to happen. They liked the partial shade. Produced all the way to frost in the fall. Surprised the heck out of me! Yummy heirloom cukes too.

    Beautiful Potager. Stunning!
    ~Annie

  • Brigids_Ember
    11 years ago

    What a beautiful garden! It looks so lush and inviting! Did you make those metal arbors yourself? They look sturdy and striking, but I haven't seen that design around in my garden planning.

    I must admit to a pang of jealousy over your serviceberries; my husband & I used to have a tree in front of my house, but it had to be removed to fix a water main on our block. The timing was especially saddening, since it was a young tree setting fruit for only the 2nd time. Serviceberries are delicious! We're about to move back to the Mid-Atlantic region after a couple of years too far south to grow them, so if you're ever looking to unload a tree or two, please let me know.

    Meanwhile, thanks for sharing your beautiful garden!

  • ali-b
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Brigids-Thank you for your kind comments on my garden. If you could see it now as I start to get it ready for the season....

    I did make the arches myself except they're not metal. They are made out of 2x2's and 3/4" grey plastic electrical conduit. I stretched all the pieces out flat on the ground and screwed the conduit to the wood and in a very awkward maneuver bent the arbor into shape. It really should have been a 2 person job!

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