I spend a lot of fourth dimension explore historic pastoral and rural food for thought written material search for information on traditional recipes , conservation method , butchery , heirloom vegetables , and more . In recent research , I stumbled across the diachronic conception of the ferme ornée in French or “ decorative farm ” in English .
I ’ve been a bit fixated on the thought ever since as I feel it dead describes what I am working toward on my homestead ! I am also eager to share what I ascertain about ornamental farming with those of you who want to homestead not only for self - sufficiency but for the infrangible joy and beauty of doing it .
If that sounds like your cup of tea ( or glass of wine ) , then amount with me to determine the history of ornamental farming , and some easy , practical way you’re able to apply it to your homestead .
Ferme Ornée a.k.a Ornamental Farming History
Although the termferme ornéeis from the French language , it is attributed toStephen Switzer , an English garden interior designer and author who lived from 1682–1745 . He used that phrase to distinguish a nation estate that was lay out part according to esthetic principle and partly for farming .
Woburn Farm in Surrey , England was deliberate one of the earliest hard-nosed adaptations of this farm design concept . But several others stick with courting in the 18thcentury , during the romanticist movement . Marie Antoinette ’s “ Hameau ” at Versailles is another famous example that focused more on ornamental aspects rather than being a productive farm .
Mythical Arcadia
These ornamental farms were meant to be modeled on the mythical place Arcadia . Although Arcadia was an actual place in Greece , it was also the imagined domicile of Pan the part goat god . The mythical adaptation of Arcadia was a pastoral paradise of deep , diverse forests and varied landscapes , where nymph and such could frolic .
This idea of a pastoral , rude paradise ( like Arcadia ) couple with aspect of a work farm subject of providing the basic human necessities for a wide-eyed , comfortable life is at the heart of the term ferme ornée .
I bet you are now start to see how this idea of an ornamental farm might also apply to a homestead . Who does n’t want to live in an idyllic promised land that provides all the pleasant-tasting food and comforter you demand without robbing from nature and ruin the environment ?
The challenge though is trying to get married the idyllic with the practical . At the time when this idea became popular , only wealthy landholder could in effect embrace the dream . The ornamental farms create were often used as vacation or retreat homes for the rich .
For example , here ’s what the historical landscape purpose author Andrew Jackson Downing , says about it in his 1841 work “ A Treatise on the Theory and Practice of Landscape Gardening … ” :
A picturesque or cosmetic farm like this would be an agreeable residence for a gentleman retiring into the body politic on a small farm , wishful of experimenting for himself with all the new modes of civilisation .
Great American Ornamental Farmers
Retiring English Gentlemen were n’t the only people concerned in this way of living . American Founding Fathers Thomas Jefferson and George Washington were also both striving to create their own vision of cosmetic farms in the U.S.
Both of their farms were working plantation which look very much like non - ornamental working farms , supported by slave labor . Yet , they also dedicated parts of their properties to experiments in polish and used technique described by the fighter of cosmetic farm .
If you ever get to tour Mount Vernon or Monticello , you will see many of the concepts tie in with ferme ornée at work on those spectacularly beautiful ornamental farms . Of course , you ’ll also come nerve to aspect with the hard facts that those livings were only open by striver labor .
gratefully if you require to make a ferme ornée today , you’re able to do it with just your own labor , some small costs , and a unspoilt plan .
8 Features of an Ornamental Farm
Now , allow ’s take a smell at precisely what kind of decorative feature transubstantiate a working farm into a ferme ornée .
1. Serpentine Avenued Walks
In traditional farming , plots are planted as with child square game . The plots might be severalize by minute funnies of trees , or by clear pathways that equipment can move through . In an cosmetic farm though , the plot of land would be distinguish by snaking walkways line with ornamental tree or hedges .
2. Irregular Plant Plots
These walks would meander from the sign , around the attribute , while passing through various irregular - sized , mixed - use farm plots . nigh to the house , there might be a decorativepotager type veggie garden . Then , a little further on there could be a few smallorchard plotswith intermingle yield trees .
Perhaps there would be some large production crops like wheat or corn . But they would be break-dance into modest plot of land of Din Land and artistically plant in unpaired shapes , frame by fragrant or flowinghedges . The goal was to utilise these maverick plots to develop food while also creating patterns that looked more like the way nature grows matter .
3. Water Features
No paradise would be complete without some form of water feature . Lakes , ponds , streams , jet , creeks , rivers , and modest waterfalls might be engage to make a little farm seem more like a rude paradise .
4. Lovely Views
Another key expression of the preparation of an decorative farm is to create the depression of windows where you’re able to stop and take in the beautiful views .
Perhaps the avenue might lead you to the top of a small hill where you may look down on the orchard . Or peradventure you would pass through a small saturnine forest that opens up to a lush pond stocked with fish and some waterfowl , like ducks , geese , or swans .
5. Beautiful Buildings
Although a ferme ornée would in all probability have a rattling sign , the elan of the house would be moderately simple rather than ornate . It might be made with natural material such as a thatched roof or Isidor Feinstein Stone from the area .
Outbuildings too , would be functional , but also rustically beautiful . Stables , barns , storehouse sheds , and such might be made with more care for their aesthetic entreaty than they would on a production farm .
6. Lush Pasture
No ornamental farm would be complete without a few animals enjoying lush eatage . Over - grazed ugly areas of intimately crowd brute are often the norm on a production farm . But for these cosmetic farm , the animals would be beautiful stock with sufficient space to roam .
Although , they ’d likely have long minute pastures rather than great talkative ones so the residents could face out and see them in pasture at any decimal point .
7. Decorative Plantings
On an ornamental farm , cosmetic plantings were also key . A few well - placed topiaries might be used to puff the optic . Or mass plantings of the same colored flowers might draw a part of the walk . A flower hayfield could complement the more integrated crop and orchard orbit .
8. Invitation to Leisure
Although these farm would be generative , productivity was secondary to beauty because they were have in mind to be invitations to relax in the abundant beauty of rural life .
As such , place for snap , well - placed benches , gazebos , or special spots for quiet rumination would also be part of the design .
How to Create an Ornamental Farm
I do n’t know about you , but all that voice like exactly what I had in mind for my homestead ! In fact , that sounds a whole lot like what my homestead seem like today with meandering paths , seating areas , and water features .
I did n’t precisely know that I was design a ferme ornée character homestead when I come out . But I was certainly work by my regular visits to Mount Vernon and Monticello as well as a few state chateau I visited on trip to France .
After 6 years of body of work , I can now promise you that make your homestead both operational and beautiful in the tradition of a ferme ornée is wholly potential even on a minuscule budget .
There are a few pragmatic considerations you ’ll need to voyage to make your landscape highly fertile and bucolically beautiful at the same metre .
Here are a few thing to get you thinking about how to satisfy your hardheaded needs and achieve your aesthetic ideal on your own ornamental farm .
1. Harmony with Nature
In some ways , your homestead must be somewhat ornamental to be sustainable . For example , if you overstock your forage so they are ugly and over - grazed , you ’ll have to bring in lots of provender .
That is n’t exactly ego - sufficient . So , you ’ll want to sprout your land only with the number of animals it can support . That have in mind it will rest beautiful through most of the rise season . So , really that Arcadian pipe dream of harmony with nature is already built in the homesteading ethic .
2. Scale is Key
The ferme ornée as conceived by Switzer , Downing , and others like them is meant to be a relatively minuscule farm of maybe ten acres to a few hundred . Our modern homesteads are often even smaller than that .
I have about 10 acres , but I only actively exert 2 of those Acre . Many homestead browse from a quarter acre to 5 acres in size . Even though that ’s less land than originally see by the laminitis of this concept , it ’s still plenty of infinite to make your own ferme ornée with a few adjustments .
Cows and sheep were probably typical in those early ornamental farms . But today , you may opt for less demesne - needy livestock such as a few mini - goats , free - chain crybaby , duck , or geese to use on pocket-size - sized pastures .
low stock lean to be more piranha prostrate . So , you ’ll also call for to plan protection as part of your pasture picture .
Moveabletractorswith chickens trapped indoors do n’t quite have the same ornamental wallop as chickens on the grass . But a moveable house for nighttime shelter and portable predator - proof fencing material might do the thaumaturgy . Or using humble paddock , police out of doors by livestock guardians could work too .
3. Itty Bitty Buildings
On limited land , you may also descale down the reach by building modest exclusive - function buildings . Instead of a big ray of light and gem b for multiple kinds of stock , you could make a quaint chicken coop , an lovely duck house , a magic goat shelter , snazzy storage shed , and a prettypotting shed .
By keeping the building size of it diminished , you may be able to avoid permitting tussle in some area . you could also put to work with repurposed of freecycled material to create bespoke buildings that impart genuineness and personality to your ornamental homestead .
4. Workable Walkways
Those “ serpentine boulevard walks ” are a great estimate in theory . But you may have to adjust them to work for you . You ’ll desire to use your paths not only to take leisurely walk around your homestead but also for wheelbarrow or tractor access . You may also need to get to places quickly , so create light cut paths to curve your number of steps helps too .
path also create microclimates . They become hard and compacted . This shit them hold less piddle , so they heat and cool quicker than planted country . They also help dry out any conterminous soil too .
As such , you really ask to answer for for those microclimates as you design your plantings for beauty . Dry loving plant along path tend to work good than moisture - loving plants .
Paths , like roof , also tend to be great backstop and mover of rainfall . As such , make certain to incorporate track into your water direction design .
As an example , sloped course can send rain sloshing downhill . So , you ’ll require to create a catchment at the bottom such as a pond or plant bog . Or you’re able to make swaled switchbacks between planting beds to glean water where it fall .
How you use your course will depend on how much rain you have , your incline , your soil - type , and other factor . you could still make them beautiful , but you may have to compromise on your visual sense to use them much too .
5. Delicious Decorative Plantings
Now , cosmetic planting are all well and good . But as squatter , maturate our own food is not just a side interest , it ’s our way of life . If you have way , by all substance , plant your preferred ornamental . But if you are work out with circumscribed space , then focus on edibles that double as ornamentals .
The estimable news is lots of edibles are also stunningly beautiful . For example , you may grow Malus pumila , pears , and peachesespalieredso they front like grapevines . Or just grow a pocket-sized trellis vinery as an ornamental characteristic . you’re able to also use all sorts ofedibles as hedgesaround your ornamental homestead .
6. Livable Lovely Views
As for those lovely sight , you may not be able-bodied to plan them at every corner . But I extremely recommend you rig up 1 or 2 places in your landscape painting where you may linger a minuscule while and appreciate all your hard study .
you’re able to work with a born slope to create a spotter . you may get originative and put up a small roof pack of cards on top of one of your outbuildings . Or you could put a weapons platform in a large , sturdy tree . There are luck of ways to get a gilded view in a small space , you just have to be a little originative in how you do it .
Ornamental Homesteading – Paradise on Earth
I hope this minuscule history object lesson and close look at some practical applications have inspired you to produce your own functional , beautiful ornamental homestead – your own promised land on earth .
Also , if you require to be inspired by a modernistic example , albeit a super expensive one , control outPatina Farm . I actually want to live in their crybaby coop !
felicitous homesteading !
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