Category: Climate
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Mediterranean Gardening in Autumn
Autumn is a Second Spring Most Mediterranean gardens are a feast for the eyes from April through the beginning of June. In July and August though most plants enter summer dormancy and you don’t find many flowers or even green leaves among the perennials and shrubs. As soon as cooler temperatures begin to arrive in…
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Garden on Fire
After last year’s calm, this summer season has again been rife with wildfires, some of them big and close to housing areas. In early September we’ve had our own scare in the neighborhood. I was just coming back from a walk shortly before noon, when I saw thick clouds of gray-brown smoke coming from our…
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Water Management in a Mediterranean Garden
Water management is a constant topic for gardeners and even more so in Mediterranean regions where rainfall may be scarce and/or erratic and water usage heavily restricted. This year, after two years of drought, we have had a relatively wet and cool spring. Between the beginning of October and until the 6th of July we’ve…
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In the shade
Minimizing Water Evaporation in the Vegetable Garden After a very changeable spring it got up to 25 and 29 degrees in June with nary a cloud in sight. So I started to test my idea for shading the vegetable garden to help prevent water evaporation. All the shading nets available are dark and I break…
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April Showers in May
Last spring was extremely dry and warm, as was the one before that. And the winter of 2023/2024 didn’t bring much rain either, so we still had critical groundwater levels and corresponding water restrictions this March. But relief was on the way. Since mid-April, we have had very unsettled weather with – for the region…
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And lead us not into temptation
The “Ice Saints” in the South of France. No, there are (usually) no more sub-zero temperatures in May or even in April here in Capestang. February and March offer many days with warm sun and 20+ ℃. And it can feel physically painful to NOT start sowing your tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, melons, etc. So I…