january
Compost
One aspect of life in Brittany that is not adequately celebrated today is the fact that we have one of the best climates in the world for producing compost. Many people who move here from other regions, bring with them the belief that they do not know how to make compost, but if you just [...]
Tree Planting
Anyone not accustomed to land management may be disturbed by the idea of chopping down anything as magnificent as a tree, but the country person’s view has always been that man is as much a part of nature as anything else, and if he needs wood for building or to keep his family warm in [...]
Tree Felling
There is a well-established belief that the sap is at its lowest in the trees during the first week of January, and, if the weather is suitable, this is therefore the best time to cut down those trees that need to be felled this year.
In the past, most people would only attempt to cut down [...]
New Year in the Garden / Better Land Distribution
Did you know that if land was shared out equally amongst all the people living in Brittany, every man woman and child would receive two acres each? This startling fact was pointed out to me by a friend recently who also told me that if land was distributed equally amongst all the people living in [...]
January in the Garden
Now is the time of year when one can start to think of one’s vegetable garden once again. Jobs fall into three categories:
Protecting sensitive plants: January is usually the coldest month of the year, and it is therefore advisable to protect any vegetable plants that you are hoping to nurse through the Winter by covering [...]
Sowing Onions, Garlic & Shallots
Keep an eye on the shops and buy your supply of onion sets, shallots, and garlic, as soon as this year’s new stock arrives. Plant them out as soon as you can: it doesn’t matter if the weather is very cold, these plants benefit from having as long a growing season as possible. They like [...]
Hoeing in the Garden
People often don’t think of hoeing in the Winter, but it is surprisingly invigorating work, and even on cold days it keeps one warm. If vegetable and flower beds are kept free of weeds in the Winter, they are much less likely to be a problem in the Summer. You don’t have to worry too [...]
Chicory
The traditional method for producing chicory ‘chicons’ is to dig up the roots and to transfer them to a trench in a polytunnel, or pack them in boxes filled with soil or peat and stored in the pitch dark. An alternative method, which works quite well in the relatively mild Breton climate involves leaving the [...]
Mulch
Covering the vegetable garden with mulch over the Winter may seem like a lot of work, but it has many advantages: it inhibits weed growth, it nourishes the soil, and it protects the soil surface from the worst severities of the weather, which encourages worms and insect life to flourish.
Winter is the time of year [...]
Potato Trenches
Since moving to Brittany, I have caught the bug of growing enough potatoes to feed family and friends throughout the year. I still haven't got round to buying a rotovator, so digging potato trenches is one of my best forms of exercise on cold winter days.
