Create a Potager with Plants Grown in Containers

Potagers are French or English-styled kitchen gardens that combine flowering ornamental plants with those grown for vegetables, fruits and herbs. Neat orderly in-ground rows or sections characterize potager styled gardens. However, with a little planning, it is possible to create a potager by mixing edible and ornamental plants in containers.

Containers in Potager Gardens

Plan a location and type of containers for the potager garden. Like other vegetable gardens, potagers should have full sun at least six hours per day. Less sun will limit the type of plants, especially edible plants, which can be grown. However, part sun or part shade locations can still be productive gardens and not eliminate the idea entirely.

Containers and pots used in a potager should withstand full sun. Soil in plastic and ceramic containers dry out more slowly, while in clay pots faster. Each container, no matter the material, must have drainage holes.

A variety of container sizes are best, with some the same size for design balance. Three containers is appropriate to start; at a minimum, one very large approximately 20″ – 24″ in diameter and two at 16″ – 18″ in diameter with a depth of at least 12 inches. More containers can be added to expand the potager or the container garden can simply extend an in-ground garden space.

Vegetable Plant Ideas for Potagers

Vegetable plants are the foundation of a kitchen garden in pots. Tomatoes are a popular choice. The large container growing a tomato plant should be able to hold stakes or a tomato cage supporting the plant. Determinate tomato plants make the best choices. A popular cultivar is ‘Celebrity,’ another is ‘Champion.’ Cherry or plum tomato plants are good ideas too. Cherry tomato plants are excellent for hanging baskets, leaving gardeners to choose other vegetable plants for the largest pot.

Many vegetable plants have been developed, previously not thought for container growing. Now, eggplant, squash, cucumber and zucchini can be grown in small spaces. This abbreviated list will offer inspiration for next year’s garden:

• Solanum ‘Fairy Tale’ is an All-America Selections eggplant winner that has the colorful lavender flowers.

• Solanum ‘Bambino’ grows mini egg shaped vegetables on a one-foot tall plant.

• Cucurbita ‘Multipick’ is a straight-necked yellow summer squash.

Vegetables that vine can require a trellis or stake to cling to as they grow. Varieties with smaller fruit develop better on a vine that hangs vertically, such as some melons plant cultivars.

Ornamental Plants for Kitchen Gardens

Ornamental plants can be grown for flowers or duel purposes in a kitchen garden. Herbs like common chives have leaves with a mild onion flavor useful chopped into butter, eggs or potatoes. Chives are hardy in zones 3 – 10 and have lavender pink flowers that attract pollinators. If not chives, there are many types of flowering Allium bulbs appropriate for growing in containers to consider.

Perennial herb sage is drought tolerant in the garden and often used for cooking. The fragrant leaves come in many variegated leaf color combinations, making it an easy ornamental to plant.

Annual herb basil has a variety of types, some with purple leaves. However, if grown in a large pot with other plants consider a dwarf variety with smaller leaves. Cultivars called ‘Boxwood’ and ‘Fino Verde’ are little leaved basil plants that remain short.

By contrast, the basil Thai ‘Siam Queen’ grows 24″ tall. Gardeners may be enticed to grow it in its own pot for the fragrant licorice basil scent and decorative flowers, anyway.

Calendula is an herb plant valued for its yellow orange flowers that contrast well with red colored vegetables in a kitchen garden. Pot marigold attracts butterflies, is fragrant and like Allium or chives, deters deer in a garden.

Gardeners can create a potager styled kitchen garden with containers in any sunny location. A combination of edible and ornamental plants is all that is needed.