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Quote of the Day: La Quintinye (Louis XIV’s gardener)

June 17th, 2012

Where a potager should be located with respect to the house? If there is enough space, the area nearest should be kept for flowers and parterres and the potager should be on the best ground beyond that is still readily accessible. But if one can have but one garden, it would be far better to employ fruits & legumes than in box & grass” La Quintinye (Louis XIV’s gardener)
The Art of French Vegetable Gardening

I had to laugh when I read this quote, too funny with the current cultural norms in our society where the opposite is the case. Here at Chiot’s Run we have both box and grass alongside edibles. We definitely have more edible plants than ornamental, but I find many edibles to be highly ornamental. Of course back when this was said one would have to choose edible over ornamental if you weren’t wealthy and wanted to eat.

Stan Hywet in Akron has both ornamental and edible gardens. As does Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania and many other botanical gardens.



While I love my edibles, I still really appreciate the beauty of box, grass, and other non-edible species. My efforts will never be solely spent on growing edibles, for I find just as much nourishment, though of a different kind, from a fragrant peony and hydrangeas, to shaped green boxwood. In fact I’ve always dreamed of having boxwoods in pots by the door and just recently added some (read my post on the Your Day Blog about it).

What’s your favorite non-edible plant(s) for the garden?

6 Comments to “Quote of the Day: La Quintinye (Louis XIV’s gardener)”
  1. kristin @ going country on June 17, 2012 at 7:11 am

    Spring flowers like crocuses and daffodils. Not only is the sight of a flower blooming very heartening after a very long winter, but the weeds haven’t started growing yet so the flowers can actually be enjoyed. Plus, they’re perennial.

    Reply to kristin @ going country's comment

  2. Annie on June 17, 2012 at 9:28 am

    Definitely a good mix of grass, flowers, herbs and food is what a yard should be. It’s the best mix possible.

    Reply to Annie's comment

  3. Rhonda on June 17, 2012 at 2:17 pm

    I love peonies. I also really like morning glories.

    Reply to Rhonda's comment

  4. Cheryl on June 17, 2012 at 4:50 pm

    I love my lantana. It’s the one annual I purposely bought and planted for our new home & the pop of color by the walkway just makes me smile. :)

    Reply to Cheryl's comment

  5. KimH on June 17, 2012 at 6:23 pm

    Spring bulbs, hellebores, peonies, clematis, roses, ferns.. too many to list.. :)

    Reply to KimH's comment

  6. Sue Fiorentini on June 18, 2012 at 7:34 am

    My blue Nikko hydrangea are fab this year. Maybe because of the mild winter? My four year old grandson even noticed them and said “Grandma Sue, I really like your pink and blue flowers”. Hope to make a horticulturist out of him, will need help in the garden in 15-20 years.

    Reply to Sue Fiorentini's comment

About

This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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