The Ornamental Vegetable Garden (Potager)
This is the year to plant your own ornamental vegetable garden for both economical and aesthetic reasons! 
Also known as a potager or kitchen garden, this garden will actually save you money while ensuring a safe supply of organic produce for your family. It will connect you with Nature and your food source – the earth.
Start small with a beautifully designed potager of vegetables, herbs, flowers, and fruits. If needed, more garden space can be added in coming seasons. (Should you have a larger family or want enough produce to preserve, we can design a larger garden, too.) Paths, a seating area, flowers, scented herbs, and garden ornaments will make your ornamental vegetable garden one that family and friends can truly enjoy. Below are recommendations on how to get started with a manageable, first-time garden.
The Cost Savings
The cost of purchasing organic produce for a family of four over a 7 month season roughly averages $1700 (Organic Consumers Association, Ball Seed, and Burpee). For a first year installation of a raised bed garden, you can have the same amount of produce for about $1500. Plus you have your own garden to enjoy! In the second year, the cost drops precipitously to about $200.
For an additional $2000, the garden can be professionally succession-planted and maintained over the 7 month season. You would only have to occasionally water the garden and, of course, pick the produce.
Either way, it is an economical method of providing organic food for your family and creating a beautiful, productive garden to enjoy!
Siting and Space
You will need a flat, sunny site for four (4) 3’x 6’ raised cedar beds, a willow bean tower, and bark chip or straw paths. Alternately, a 12’ x 16’ area can be tilled for a traditional garden with willow tower and straw or bark chip paths. This space will provide organic vegetables, herbs, fruits, and flowers over a 7 month period for a family of four.
What will I Plant In My Garden?
The ornamental vegetable garden is often defined by a low fence or a perennial herb border. Inside the boundaries of your garden, plant what your family loves best. Everbearing strawberries, lettuces, summer squash, spinach, green beans, cucumbers, nasturtiums, marigolds, cosmos, low bush blueberries, mint, thyme, basil, tomatoes, eggplant, carrots, fennel – so many choices. Vegetables, flowers, fruits, and herbs: we have favorite heirloom and new hybrid varieties selected for our short New Hampshire growing season, available both as seed and seedlings.
Professionally Installed Raised Bed Organic Garden
$1500.00 Installation Total:
Four (4) 3'x6' cedar raised beds
One 7' expandable willow bean tower
Bark chip for paths
Seeds, plants, fertilizers, compost, and soil
Labor for installation plus planting
(Note: In the following years, costs will be for fertilizer, seeds, and plants only - about $200.00.)
Professionally Installed and Maintained Raised Bed Organic Garden
$3500.00 Installation and Maintenance Total:
Four (4) 3'x6' cedar raised beds
One 7' expandable willow bean tower
Bark chip for paths
Seeds, plants, fertilizers, compost, and soil
Labor for installation plus planting out
Labor for maintenance at 2 hours per week over 7 months (Apr-Oct)
(Note: With a maintenance contract, your crops are tended and new crops planted in succession.
You must water occasionally and pick your vegetables, fruits, flowers, and herbs.)
Contact us a soon as possible!
Your potager garden can only be planted during the months of April, May, and June!