The wild grace of potager
Potagers or kitchen gardens combine vegetables and ornamental plants with stunning results. Goom landscapes share their ideas from a christchurch garden which they designed.
Typically pairing the romantic touch of flowers and perennials with a focus on delectable fruits, vegetables and herbs, the potager garden is the best of both worlds. With Kiwis loving local and home-grown gardening, this seems the perfect way of combining informal exuberance and a tasty helping of nourishment.
Goom’s client, in this project, had visited Europe, and was inspired by the gardens they saw and wanted to recreate these ideas back home.
PLANTING PERFECTION Perennials and vegetables thrive side by side in breathtaking harmony.
When designing a kitchen garden, it’s important to first think about the site. What effect does the wind have on the area, and what parts get the most sunshine? In the case of this project, there was only lawn in the 362 square metre garden beforehand, so it was almost a blank canvas to work from. The team relocated a shed, to align with the elements being added.
Next, consider the overall design. This will likely depend on how you plan to cultivate the garden. Goom needed to design a working garden that was seasonal and always evolving. Emma Johnston, senior landscape architect at Goom, designed all the pathways, raised planters, structures and planting plan. The team constructed all of the paths and features, and the client planted, according to the plan.
“We designed the metal plant frames, following our research into shapes and designs used in traditional potager gardens,” says Emma. “It’s worked well, especially seeing the perennials that pop up and down amongst the vegetables.”
A good design also includes vertical accents. These can be temporary or permanent. In the case of this Christchurch garden, Emma designed the gates to give a rural look, as it is an entrance to a farm paddock, and provides that rustic look.
Consider, also, how you will move around the garden. The big focus in this semi-rural setting is the paths. Crazy paving was used to break up the areas, so it wasn’t all white chip. Goom used plain paving as well but had to think creatively.
Goom is seeing a large design focus on sleek contemporary garden design, so this kitchen garden project has been a pleasant contrast. Emma particularly likes the planting of Miscanthus (known as zebra grass), which gives a beautiful show and provides a varied palette in the garden.
If you’re inspired by the use of different materials here, a little patience may be needed before creating your own kitchen garden. As in many industries, the COVID-19 pandemic has meant it’s harder to sources some products and timeframes for delivery from overseas have been disrupted. But it’s worth the wait. Few can match the wild grace of the kitchen garden. For many, it brings a sense of coming home. And this labour of love in Christchurch is undoubtedly no exception.
0800 466 657 | goom.nz
