The Art of French Vegetable Gardening

The French, who are known for their style in all things, have long brought their artistry to bear on vegetable gardening, turning plots that could be merely utilitarian into gardens of real beauty. The Art of French Vegetable Gardening explores this rich and varied tradition in a way that is both inspirational and practical. Combining 175 color photographs shot throughout France with an informative text, The Art of French Vegetable Gardening explains how to create different styles of decorative vegetable gardens, from the strict geometries of formal tradition to the happy-intermingling of vegetables with flowers, herbs, and fruit trees beloved by organic gardeners. Each chapter offers useful advice and suggestions—applicable to gardens anywhere—while evoking the rich cultural context of the French potager as lovingly described by Colette, Proust, Gertrude Stein, and many others.

Elements of garden design—including layout, hedging, walls, benches, and vertical accents—are detailed, as are specific vegetables that can provide both beauty and flavor. Other topics include companion planting using herbs and flowers, heirloom and collectors' varieties, and even the vegetable garden in winter. An extensive appendix offers 80 classic Frnech recipes for vegetables, lists of plants American seed sources, and French vegetable gardens open to the public. Practical as well as beautiful, The Art of French Vegetable Gardening is an invaluable sourcebook to return to again and again.