Spotlight on the Potager Garden at Myers Park

By Tara Roberts, CCMGA Class of 2021, and contributor Deb Stone

Dating back to 16th century France, the potager (or kitchen) garden is a blend of vegetables, fruits, flowers and herbs planted for edible and medicinal purposes. A traditional potager garden is usually laid out in a formal manner with symmetrical geometric garden beds planted in patterns or groups rather than in rows, as in traditional vegetable gardens. The intent is to be decorative as well as functional, using different bed designs and shapes, including raised beds and architectural features.

“In a potager garden, ideally, there would never be an empty space of soil,” says Deb Stone, CCMGA Potager Garden Manager. “When a plant is finished for the season, another is put in its space or seeds are sown. Most beds other than vegetables are planted with perennials, herbs or annuals for color. Herbs are planted in with vegetables for companion planting. Everything in the garden is edible.”

The Potager Garden at Myers Park was conceptualized in the fall of 2013 and planting began in the spring of 2014 as a demonstration garden for the Collin County Master Gardeners Association (CCMGA). The garden has 16 raised beds, including two wheelchair-accessible raised beds utilizing the principles and practices of Earth-Kind Environmental Stewardship. The soil is 50% raised bed mix and 50% compost.

A wide variety of vegetables are grown in the garden depending on the season. In the spring, you might find lettuce, spinach, peas, cabbage and onions. Summer crops include tomatoes, peppers, beans, okra, cucumbers and squash. While a fall harvest often includes beets and radishes along with a replant of many of the spring vegetables.

In addition to common vegetables grown in our area, the Myers Park Potager Garden has numerous edible flowers meant to attract pollinators to the garden. These are a mix of annuals and perennials. Fruits and berries such as blackberries, pomegranates and figs are also found in the garden. Herbs include rosemary, oregano, lavender, tarragon, chives, garlic chives, lemongrass, basil and bay.

CCMGA Master Gardener Debbie Stone is the Potager Garden Manager which is a position she has held for three years. In 2024, the Potager manager duties will be passed to fellow Master Gardeners Sharon Whitson and Linda Epstein. Stone will take on a mentor role at that time.

In addition to the garden manager, maintaining the Potager Garden takes a team of CCMGA volunteers hundreds of hours annually. Stone alone has already logged more than 250 volunteer hours in the garden this year. Each week, she is joined by 2-3 other Master Gardens on scheduled work days, where they will spend time planting, weeding, mulching, pruning, watering and harvesting.

“The garden is really beautiful on the hill, and everyone who comes out for any length of time says so,” Stone said. “Because we are a demonstration garden, we can make more independent decisions about what to plant. It’s more fun when you have more freedom. Nobody is an expert. We can all learn from each other, and we do. Sharing recipes with each other is just one of the things we enjoy.”

Beyond soil preparation for a bountiful harvest, consistent watering is a key factor for successfully growing vegetables. The Potager Garden is watered with a combination of drip irrigation and hand watering. Drip lines usually run 2-3 times per week, and hand watering is done when plants are first planted and as needed throughout the season. Moisture levels are regularly monitored to be sure plants are receiving adequate water. Soil moisture meters are the perfect tool to determine if your garden needs to be watered.

Proper use of mulch will help retain moisture in your garden beds. Shredded hardwood mulch is added once a year or as needed. Mulch helps conserve water and inhibits the growth of weeds. Mulch is moved aside to plant or allow seeds to germinate and then redistributed around the bed once plants are established. Mulch is also used between the raised beds to prevent weeds in the walkways.

Food harvested from the garden is often shared with the volunteers working in the garden. For larger harvests, CCMGA will share with organizations providing food to area food banks or churches. Harvests are also sometimes shared with Myers Park employees.

Techniques used to extend the growing season include the use of shade and frost cloths. Because of the openness of the garden, volunteers often use chicken wire cages or fences around the garden beds to keep the rabbits and armadillos at bay.

Stone’s best advice for planning your own potager garden is to plant vegetables your family actually likes to eat and select herbs commonly used in cooking. For ideas and suggestions on using herbs for cooking, Stone recommends the following resources:
Herb Society of North Texas 
Herb Society of America

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