Category: Techniques
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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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Starting the trimming season
It is February and beautiful outside and my fingers are itching to get going in the garden. It’s too early to plant but I can start trimming some shrubs. There are two small olive trees that are overgrown with inner branches actually growing backwards on themselves. As they have been planted in half-shade they’re also…
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Jungle Queen
The previous owners of the house grew some vegetables, but the did not live here fulltime and when here didn’t have much time for the garden. So the shrubs and trees had more or less been left to their own devices for several years. And created quite a jungle of impenetrable, intertwined shrubbery full of…
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What’s in the Soil?
In my research I read a lot about types of soil. Just looking at the soil in my garden it was clear that it was not rich and dark humus but chalky-pale, powdery and depleted clay. I didn’t think I needed a scientific soil test to tell me what was in it because there was…