Jardin Paysan The Garden Journal May 2022 |
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This month in the garden - what to do, what is in flower, where to go for inspiration. |
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I love May, and this year is not disappointing - the weather has more than made up for the frosts of April which put back a lot of planting plans and nearly devastated the tomatoes. However - they survived and here are two photos - the first as they were before the frost when we were trying to insulate them against what was to come and the second showing them as they are today. What a difference a month can make in the garden at this time of year. |
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For anyone who does not subscribe to the newsletter we do now have a second newsletter called The Edible Garden, which is all about growing what you can eat. It also comes out monthly and you can subscribe to both newsletters on the website and read the first issue here: |
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Garden tasks this month also shift gear as spring shrubs and bulbs finish flowering and the summer show starts. It is getting late to plant anything in the garden unless it is container grown (as opposed to bare rooted or transplanted from another part of your own garden) unless you are moving bearded irises. Even if you add a container grown plant to a border now you must water it well and frequently. The amount of water a plant will transpire (i.e pull up through the roots and out through the leaves) is massive and, if its root system is not yet established in your soil, the plant will need help to find the water it needs. And if you planted a tree or large shrub last winter don't assume that it will be OK. It must be watered every other day this year if it is to survive. One watering can full every other day will usually suffice for a sapling, but keep an eye on it if the weather becomes particularly arid. To give you an idea of how much water a plant can move - a mature oak tree can transpire up to 400 litres of water every day. Think of that when you are walking your dog through woodland. It may look as though all is calm, but there is a lot going on. You can catch up on some of the things to be getting on with in May via the orange button below and then further on in this newsletter we have developments on the chicken front and gardens to visit. |
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If you want to know more about how to manage and multiply your bearded irises once the flowers have died back you can find out here: |
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Gardens to visit The season is morphing from flower shows to open gardens as this is usually the time fo year when gardens are at their best. Here are a few suggestions for gardens to visit over the next 6 weeks |
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Jardin de Boissona is between Monsegur and Duras (Gironde/Lot et Garonne) and is on the flood plain of the river Dropt, so has beautiful alluvial soil. It started as a rose garden and became one of France's "Jardins Remarquables" in 2009. Owned and gardened by three generations of the same family, I have been visiting it for about 15 years and find it truly "remarquable". Now is the moment to visit this garden at its best. |
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Smaller and more varied than Boissona is Jardin de Mireille, which we visited for the first time last autumn. It is packed with irises, so will be looking wonderful now. Mireille started this garden when she and her husband retired and it is all her own work. Completely quirky and charming it is both a reflection of her personality and an inspiration - full of ideas you can incorporate into your own garden (although probably no all of them). |
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If you have a pond or lake, or love Giverny - Monet's garden - then go to Latour Marliac near Temple-sur-Lot for inspiration. This is both a garden to visit and a nursery. It is known that Money ordered many of his waterliles from the gardens and they have a museum on site giving the history of the purchases. You can also have lunch in the garden from May to September |
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Another highly personal and idiosyncratic garden (which I plan to visit this month, so do not yet have personal experience of) is the Jardin de Fond de l'Or which is in Gironde, between Libourne and Bordeaux. During May until September it is open every day except for Wednesdays, but be warned it closes for lunch. |
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And don't forget - France's biggest plant fair starts on May 13th, so is running this weekend. |
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My plant of the month .....Has to be the peony (hardy perennial, that is, not the tree peony which has now finished flowering in most of France). This beautiful blowsy flower is miraculously held on stems which seem too fragile (we do support ours with link stakes - putting them in the ground early in the season so that the foliage grows over them). It flowers briefly but magnificently, but the leaves remain to add interest for most of the summer and, if you are lucky, the flowers can develop into seed heads which look a little like jesters' bonnets (minus the bells). They take a few years to establish and do not like to be moved. Plant them in the autumn in semi shade, rich soil and be patient. The simple flower shapes are marvellous for attracting insects but the more showy, full flowers, although they look amazing, are less insect friendly. You might want to bear this in mind when choosing what to grow. Pictured below are two from my garden, photographed last year. |
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Finally - news on the chicken front. One of our new little bantam hens has gone broody. She tried to start sitting last week and had only one egg to sit on - I had just given all of our other bantam eggs to a friend. I have begged and cajoled her to keep laying and delay sitting until we had enough eggs to form a small clutch and today she has taken up her post on 6 little eggs. I hope we have more luck than last time and that in three weeks time we have some chicks. I also hope you have a very happy May Sue Editor |
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