I had the opportunity to go to Pontlevoy, France this winter where I was involved with a class in landscape architecture from the University of Wisconsin. Our living conditions were somewhat meager as we stayed in an abbey that dated back to 1035 (as did its heating system). My toothpaste actually froze in the tube because France was experiencing its coldest winter in decades.

The intent of the class was to design a “potager” garden for the abbey. France puts a significant emphasis on fresh food and the culture associated with its production. The potager (kitchen garden) is now viewed as an important aesthetic component in the French landscape. Televised cooking shows now center on the potager and its contributions to meal preparation. Weekly markets fill the streets of small towns throughout France with fresh vegetables, fruits, breads, meat, and seafood similar to the markets held in Dane County.

Every yard in Pontlevoy contained a potager of some size that exemplified the physical layouts of the earlier chateaux gardens of France. Symmetrical in their layout, they exhibited checkerboard patterns that were often defined by grass paths. Some of the gardens contained antique ornamentation at their centers while others had small water features, but most exhibited a more simplistic agrarian aura.

The Villandry chateaux is an example from the other end of the spectrum with a large portion of its grounds devoted to a highly stylized potager. The primary intent of this garden is to display the ornamental qualities of the vegetables rather than their value as a food source. A full time staff of eight gardeners is responsible for keeping the potager in a pristine state.

HAPPY DIGGING!

Dave