Parterre /pɑːˈtɛː/ noun
Parterre, the division of garden beds in such a way that the pattern is itself an ornament. It is a sophisticated development of the knot garden, a medieval form of bed in which various types of plant were separated from each other by dwarf hedges of box, thrift, or any low-growing controllable hardy plant.
We designed the parterre around our kitchen table, using geometric patterns to define areas for vegetables, herbs, and cut flower borders. The raised beds were made 4ft wide to allow for easy access from both sides, preventing soil compaction by avoiding standing on the beds themselves. We regularly top-dress with Beech leaf mould, which acts as a mulch and improves drainage.
Incorporating the cold frames allows us to move seedlings from the restored Victorian glasshouses into the cold frames to harden off before planting them out in the parterre beds.
The parterre also features a wide variety of herbs, many of which are used in The Backhouse Kitchen. Additionally, it serves as a space for growing our Backhouse seedlings and other plants for The Backhouse Nursery.
