Jennifer R. Bartley grew up on the edge of a ravine near an ancient Indian mound where she spent her childhood picking wildflowers and berries, playing in an old meandering stream, building forts and sleeping in the great outdoors.
In this setting she was instilled with a profound sense of nature’s importance in her life and her love of creating outdoor spaces. This passion was more fully realized when she studied landscape architecture at Ohio State University where she holds her master’s degree and has served as an adjunct professor and critic in the design studios.
Still living in Ohio, Bartley is now in private practice as a landscape designer, artist and photographer. She has travelled extensively throughout France to study traditional potagers (kitchen gardens), and has created her own versions of these gardens for chefs and gardeners devoted to using fresh, seasonal and local food.
By emphasizing both functionality and design in her work, Bartley seeks to create beautiful and vibrant gardens that embrace a simpler life more connected to the landscape, the seasons and the food we eat.
Bartley is married and has four sons and one daughter. She enjoys digital photography, cooking for friends and family, rollerblading, growing heirloom vegetables from seed and working in her home garden.
Timber Press: What brought you into gardening?
Jennifer Bartley: I enjoyed an idyllic childhood growing up on a ravine where we spent many summer days picking paw paws, elderberries, and black raspberries. When I accompanied my brothers and dad on pheasant hunting trips I would stroll through the fields picking wildflowers. When I was in high school my first vegetable garden was on the north side of the house (the only spot I was allowed to have). Nevertheless, I managed to grow enough tomatoes and peppers to make my own spaghetti sauce. It was this love of the outdoors and gardening that inspired me to study landscape architecture, as I realized there is a profession that blends the art and science of designing the outdoor landscape.
TP: Designing the New Kitchen Garden is your first book. What inspired you to write it?
JB: I thought it was important to present homeowners with ideas on how they can add edible plants to their properties in a way that enhances the landscape. I wanted this to be told from the perspective of a designer and a gardener. The kitchen garden should be planned as part of the overall landscape of the house. I was especially interested in how a typical suburban or even urban homeowner could incorporate design ideas from the great potager gardens in France. The book also looks at some great American potager gardens as well.
TP: What is your favorite recipe using your own fresh-picked vegetables?
JB: I never tire of traditional fresh pesto served with pasta; the flavor can vary by adding some lemon or cinnamon basil but the classic sauce is made with Genovese basil. Using a food processor, process three cups or so of freshly picked (rinsed and dried) Genovese basil leaves, two garlic cloves, a quarter cup of walnuts, and a half cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese until smooth. With the processor running add two teaspoons of fresh lime juice and half to three-quarters cup of extra virgin olive oil; process until smooth. Serve immediately over pasta or with crusty bread.
For a spicy vegetable curry sauté about six cups of any combination of green beans, eggplant, squash, potatoes, peppers, and onions in two tablespoons of ghee (clarified butter). Add two minced garlic cloves, two teaspoons grated fresh ginger, and four chopped jalapeño peppers. Add one and a half cups of vegetable broth and one can of coconut milk. Stir in two teaspoons of curry powder and a half teaspoon of salt. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are cooked (about 20 minutes). Serve over rice and let guests add chopped fresh cilantro and basil leaves at the table.
TP: How has your time spent in France influenced your own potagers? How is the French potager different from an American one?
JB: The grand French landscapes of the 17th century influenced the French kitchen gardens as well. The Potager du Roi is an example of the working garden also being majestic and beautiful. This and other Renaissance kitchen gardens were influenced by the medieval monastery gardens. The French have always maintained this connection of "what is grown in the garden is served at the table" and they've retained the emphasis on making it beautiful. American vegetable gardens were often relegated to the back of the property and planted in rows like the surrounding farm fields, preferably hidden from view with the goal of canning and preserving for the coming year.
Many of us are eager to incorporate the ideas of practicality and beauty in our own yards by creating edible gardens that are designed to be enjoyed. The potager is not just a kitchen garden, it is a philosophy of living that is connected to the garden and the seasons with the goal of harvesting a variety of fresh herbs, fruits, flowers, and vegetables throughout the growing season. This is what I call the American Potager.
TP: What is the must-have food plant for every potager?
JB: Flat-leaved Italian parsley is a great edging plant for the potager; I incorporate it into my plan every year. Parsley is easy to grow from seed (indoors under lights). It stays a rich dark green throughout the season and is so wonderful to use fresh on a daily basis. A close second would be the Runner Bean "Scarlet Emperor." It's a great climber with edible, red flowers that attract hummingbirds. The beans taste best when picked young.
TP: Where is the best way for a first-time food gardener to begin?
JB: You can begin to incorporate herbs and vegetables into your existing flower beds without making drastic changes to your layout. For an edible, ornamental flower try Signet marigold "Lemon Gem" (Tagetes tenuifolia) instead of regular marigolds. A few basil plants can be tucked in anywhere there is full sun. I would suggest "Magical Michael" or "Red Rubin." Both are beautiful and edible. Containers filled with edible plants and placed by the front or backdoor are another easy way to begin the pleasure of growing your own food. If you are redesigning your landscape or starting with a new house, consider how the walled kitchen garden can be part of the plan. I think you will find that guests will gravitate to this part of your garden just as they gather in the kitchen.
TP: Why does a potager lift your spirits? How does this differ from how a flower garden makes you feel?
JB: Gardens of any kind are healing and refreshing. There have been many studies on the healing properties of gardens on so many levels, from the beauty and fragrance of the plants to the accomplishment of planting and other garden chores. This satisfaction and joy is multiplied with growing, harvesting, and cooking your own food; it is a way of slowing down and connecting with the seasons.
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