Category: Climate

  • April Showers in May

    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…

    More

  • And lead us not into temptation

    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…

    More

  • Waiting

    Waiting

    “Garten heisst Warten” – a German phrase I coined a few years back in my Swiss garden. It means that gardening is mostly about waiting: Waiting until you can plant stuff.Waiting for stuff to grow. Waiting for stuff to bloom. Waiting for stuff to ripen so you can eat it.Waiting for next year. Here, in…

    More

  • Rain!

    Rain!

    Even a dry garden gets some rain. 203 liters/sqm between October and March. I have no idea whether that’s a lot for this region but at the beginning of the week alone we had 60 liters/sqm. With deep puddles in the garden and on the gravel parking lot because the clay soil can’t take a…

    More

  • Veggies in Winter

    Veggies in Winter

    I used to be happy when the gardening season was over for the winter. It just gets to damn cold in Switzerland. Looking at frozen radiccio and harvesting brussel sprouts in subzero temperatures is just no fun at all. Here I finally live in a part of the world where even in winter things actually…

    More

  • How about a lawn?

    How about a lawn?

    Not that we are all that crazy about having to mow lawn… But since there is this big area with nothing growing on it and since there are these grass seed mixes for “dry garden lawns”, we decided to give it a try and sowed “lawn” at the end of November. And now, at Christmastime,…

    More