Category: Potager
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Direct sowing or cultivation in pots?
Coming from a more Northern country I was used to start my seeds in pots on the windowsill before finally putting plants outside in the garden. I’ve tried it here as well but, lacking windowsills in this French-built house, it’s become a bit complicated and not altogether successful. I bought a grow light and rigged…
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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…
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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…
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The Orchard
This garden had been an orchard once upon a time. There was a cherry plum (prunus cerasiferus) that had created its own little forest, damaging the garden wall in the process. A big old fruit tree of unknown kind that was more or less dead on its legs. Two stunted old apple and pear trees,…
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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…
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The edible garden in September
Our housesitter had planted some melons, tomatoes, peppers, and pumpkins for us in the spring and when we arrived end of June they were coming along nicely. Religious watering by hand saved them over the summer and in September the pumpkins and melons were ripening. The old appletree as well was surprisingly full with apples…