Designing the New Kitchen Garden: An American Potager Handbook
Although the tradition of a potager, or kitchen garden, dates back to the Middle Ages, its application in contemporary gardens is a concept whose time has come. For those concerned with the freshness and purity of fruits, vegetables, and herbs, having a bountiful garden just steps from one's kitchen is the ultimate guarantor of healthy eating. Creating these intricately patterned outdoor rooms, however, can perplex even the most accomplished gardeners. Understanding the form is essential to creating an authentic potager, and to that end, Bartley provides extensive historical background, tracing the potager's inception in medieval Europe to its development in modern-day France, where the practice of kitchen gardening has been raised to an art form. Liberally peppered with dozens of detailed design plans from America's premier potagers, and augmented by comprehensive lists of suitable plants, Bartley's entertaining and educational guide to kitchen gardening provides well-documented support for everyone interested in establishing an edible garden in their own backyard.Carol HaggasCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved