Category: Techniques
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Soil Improvement
When we first saw the garden in February 2022, the soil was bare, chalky-grey, and powdery soft. In parts of the garden I sank in to my ankles. You could have dug it with a table spoon and yet, about 30 cm down, you needed a pickaxe to make any kind of a hole. In…
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The Joys & Challenges of Mediterranean Gardening
I was very honored to do a presentation on my approach to Mediterranean Gardening for VEEM (Vivre Ensemble En Minervois) in Olonzac on March 6, 2025. Many of the more than 40 gardeners who came are way more experienced than me and I thoroughly enjoyed the very interesting exchange of experiences. Here’s the presentation, changed…
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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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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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Goodbye Poppies.
Slowly spaces are opening up again as the beautiful masses of native wild poppies successively grew smaller. I’ve pulled them out as they faded and the other plants needed more space and less competition. I put the faded poppies and other desired “weeds” on the service walkway that goes along the side of the garden…