Tatiana Dokuchic
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Location: Ottawa, ON
Country: CA
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The Potager or Ornamental Kitchen Garden

user image 2013-05-28
By: Tatiana Dokuchic
Posted in: Garden


A Potager at Chteau de Villandry, France



Designed to feed both body and soul, the potager or ornamental kitchen garden isthe ultimatecombination of parterre and vegetable patch.



Fruits & vegetables, flowers & herbs,are artfully arrangedin symmetricalgarden beds that are surrounded bylow clipped box hedges. These individual plots, separated by sand or gravel paths,are precisely placed to form striking geometric patterns.


Six of the Nine Villandry Potagers


Initially developed by French monks, the potager evolvedthroughthe French Renaissance
styled garden to the more formal Garden la franaise with an emphasis on beautyrealized through the studied application of measure and proportion.

In 1678 when Louis XIV, the Sun King, demanded a kitchen garden or " Potager du Roi " befitting his palace of Versailles no expense was spared in providing it for him. The king, a great amateur gardener, wanted his fruit & vegetable paradise close to the chateau so that he could inspect it at will and enjoy its beauty. It is even said thathe learned even to prunehis ownfruit trees!

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Candace Ducatillon
28 May 2013 09:06:18AM @candace-ducatillon:

Thank you for posting this Tatiana. Most interesting indeed, and the photographs are spectacular.


Alessandra di Fiorentino-Conti
28 May 2013 09:39:45AM @alessandra-di-fiorentino-conti:
Wonderful pictures, I love the gardens in Villandry. A great article.... I hope to see it live soon;-)
Tatiana Dokuchic
28 May 2013 05:08:38PM @tatiana-dokuchic:

Thanks Ladies!

I've been having a love affair with potagers for many years now so it was a lot of fun to finally blog aboutthem :)

If you do see Villandry soon, Alexandrine-Josephine, you'll have to post the pictures forus all to enjoy!


Quecay
29 May 2013 06:30:18AM @quecay:

You have done a great work in your potager and ornamental kitchen garden. I am glad of living so close of it.


Lady Leena Fandango
29 May 2013 12:36:43PM @lady-leena-fandango:

Just lovely and they do feed the mind and body :)