Aujourd'hui c'est un jour très important pour le blog Olives and Artichokes: le premier artichaut de la saison a commencé à pousser.
And while we were in the garden today we heard a cuckoo for the first time this year. / Et quand nous étions au jardin nous avons entendu un coucou pour la première fois cette année.
We didn't just sit there admiring our artichoke and listening to the cuckoo, though. We sowed climbing beans too.
Growing climbing beans around terracotta pots / Cultiver les haricots grimpants autour des pots en terrcuite
We've decided to use the terracotta pot watering system which Kate at Hills and Plains Seedsavers recommended and which we used successfully for haricot beans last year. We're getting plenty of rain at the moment but we know that in a few weeks' time it may be very difficult to get enough water into the ground. This method seems to work really well as the water seeps gradually into the earth through the terracotta.
Nous avons decidé de utiliser le système d'arrosage des pots en terrecuite que Kate à Hills and Plains Seedsavers a conseillé et que nous avons utilisé pour les haricots verts l'année dernière.
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We made two rows of five pots, each surrounded by a 'wigwam' of six canes. We'll cover the pots with old tiles to prevent evaporation.
On a fait deux lignes de cinq pots, avec un 'wigwam' de six cannes autour de chacun. On couvrira les pots avec des vieux carreaux pour éviter l'évaporation.
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We sowed one row of Smeraldo, a green mangetout variety and one row of Borlotti beans / on a semé une ligne de Smeraldo, une variété vert mangetout, et une ligne de Borlotti.
The climbing rose is looking very pretty now.
La rose grimpante est très jolie maintenant.
9 comments:
Congratulations on the first artichoke. Mine are still a month behind yours, but they'll be worth the wait!
I like your clay pot bean garden idea. I've seen people use dedicated ollas, porous ceramic jars with no drain holes, that they bury in the ground so that they'll provide slow water over the course of several days. The clay pots sound like an easier, less expensive option. Thanks for the idea.
Your yellow roses are fantastic! How cheery! I think I will have to try that terracotta pot trick- if the ground ever dries out enough to work it here. How exciting about the artichoke! I've wanted to try growing them. I'll be excited to see how it develops.
Thanks for your comments.
lostlandscape: yes, the terracotta pots are a cheaper alternative. All you have to do is fill the drain hole with something - we use old wine corks, which just fit perfectly! The pots themselves cost 1 euro each, cheaper if you can find old ones in car boot sales. The terracotta pot idea came from Kate at Hills and Plains Seedsavers in Australia, where there is an even greater water shortage problem than here.
mamawhatthe: You should try growing artichokes - but maybe in a cooler climate the green globe variety would do better than our Provencal violet ones.
Your yellow rose is Rosa banksiae lutea, also available in single yellow and single and double white! Gill@lapetitepepiniere.com
That's a beautiful artichoke. There are gazillions (seemingly) of artichokes that are grown near here so I'm not devoting garden space to any. The gophers would probably kill them anyway!
I love the terracotta pot watering system. It would be perfect for the areas where my irrigation system doesn't go.
Thanks, Gill - I knew it was Rose Bankseia, but didn't know the Lutea bit and I'm not sure what it means! This plant has really settled in here, in its fourth year now, it has covered our shelter and it doesn't lose its leaves in winter. I love the flowers. Hoping to visit your nursery when we're over your way.
Michelle: do artichokes grow wild where you are? Lucky you! I'm sure the terracotta pot watering would be useful for you - it works well here.
J'adore les artichauts !
Bonne recolte !
I love the terracotta pot watering system! I'd have to cover the pots to prevent evaporation in my dry climate, but the pots seem like a cheap substitute for the lovely but expensive terracotta jugs I've seen. I look forward to seeing how this works for you.
MaryAthenes: Moi aussi, j'adore les artichauts. On attend une bonne recolte!
Weeping Sore: yes, we cover the pots with old tiles to prevent evaporation. And the system did work well last summer with dwarf haricot beans.
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