Shelley Munro Blog

So many searches have hit my blog after I posted photos of our potager garden, I decided to ask my husband to write a how-to with photos to show how he prepares the potager garden for planting. I hope you find it helpful. If you have any questions please post them in the comments section, and I’ll round up my husband to answer them for you.

Planting the Potager

A potager garden can be of any size and dimension. A patio container to a formal garden, depending on the space available.

I have found the raised bed method most successful, especially for the size of our section.

When building the raised bed any type of timber can be used, from old railway sleepers to half round posts, what ever your budget stretches to. You can even use bricks and mortar. There are kit set options you can buy ready to assemble. A good example is www.patchfromscratch.co.nz

Once you have decided what dimensions you require and have built the frame to contain your raised bed, the layering begins. Depending on the size of your garden and budget, this will likely determine the contents of your bed. I have found that a 3 layering system works for me. If your bed is going directly on to grass either spray the area to kill off grass, weeds etc or lay some weed matting or better still layer newspapers.

Recipe:

• Add pea straw. This is good for retaining moisture. Personally, I use shredded paper. It has the same moisture retention, is biodegradable and doesn’t cost a cent.

• Take some good manure e.g.: sheep pellets, chicken manure, or good general purpose fertilizer. Spread out evenly.

• Place a layer of organic garden mix over the manure. www.livingearth.co.nz Depending on the size of your bed this could be bought in bags or more economically in bulk. Soil is okay, but you could have the added problems of unwanted weeds germinating instead of your vegetable seedlings.

• Keep repeating the process until you have reached your desired height or depth of your potager bed.

The garden will subside and requires rebuilding at each planting. It may need an additional one or two layers. Be sure to turn the original bed before you proceed with layering.

Although rotation of crops is advised, I have found that this is not necessary with this type of potager garden. Self seeded potatoes keep popping up with no ill effects.

Potatoes dug from this type of garden only require a slight brush before cooking.

Happy gardening.

Last weekend when I visited the Botanic Gardens I discovered 2008 is the year of the potato. You learn something every day. So, in honor of the humble potato:

1. Potatoes were first “domesticated” or cultivated in the Andes thousands of years ago. They had hundreds of varieties including a frost-resistant one.

2. The potato derived its name from the American Indian word “Batata”. It was introduced to Europeans by Spanish conquerors in the late 16th Century.

3. Potatoes were not initially accepted in Europe. Some people thought they caused disease.

4. In 1845 and 1846 the potato crop in Ireland was devastated by fungus. The potato had become a major food to the Irish causing the “Irish Potato Famine” which caused many Irish to immigrate. The population of Ireland decreased by nearly two million between 1847 and 1851.

5. The potato is the second most popular food in America, beaten only by milk products.

6. The average American eats over 120 pounds of potato a year.

7. One Medium Potato (150 grams or about 1/3 pound) contains 110 Calories, 3 grams of protein, 23 grams of carbohydrate, 0 grams of fat, 2710 mg of fibre, 10 mg of sodium and 750 mg of potassium.

8. A potato contains 80% water.

9. Potatoes are related to the tobacco and tomato families.

10. Antoine-Auguste Parmentier was a 18th century agronomist who convinced the common French people to accept the potato as a safe food. (They thought it caused leprosy.) He used reverse psychology by posting guards around potato fields during the day to prevent people from stealing them. He left them unguarded at night. So, every night, the thieves would sneak into the fields to steal potatoes.

11. Mr. Potato Head was born in 1952 and was also the first toy to be advertised on television.

12. Instant mashed potatoes (dehydrated potatoes) were introduced commercially in 1955.

13. Marie Antoinette wife of Louis XV was known to wear potato blossoms as a hair decoration.

And a final one - my favorite way to eat a potato is baked in its jacket, served with Greek yogurt and ground black pepper. Hey, I’m on a cutback so I will fit my clothes for Nationals, otherwise I might have said sour cream and butter!! What is your favorite way to eat potatoes?