Monday, May 17, 2010

My Own Private Idaho


I feel like I'm cheating because I don't have any of my own pictures to post. I left my cord at work on Saturday and can't download anything.

But Sunday was such a beautiful day in the garden I can at least write about it. The sun was shining, sleeping dogs were lying about, the cat always seemed posed for photos, one minute by the hostas, another moment lying on the porch, ready for her close up.

And finally I got to work in the potager. We were several weeks behind with the vegetable garden. But a quick trip to Whole Foods fixed that. I got 3 organically grown tomato plants: green zebra, big beef and our favorite cherry tomato, sungold. I also found a rosa bianca eggplant, a heavily blooming cucumber and more herbs. I planted black beauty zucchini seeds and we have loofahs (hopefully) growing on the chain link fence. Now all we need are a few pepper plants, sweet and hot and we're good to go.

Every year, before I work in the vegetable garden I haul out my copy of The Art Of French Vegetable Gardening. It is my inspiration. Though I'm missing stone walls and dwarf boxwood for edging, there are no iron basins to store and warm the gardens water and my fruit trees aren't sculpted I love to read about and see gardens that have these and more.

And then I go to my 4 raised beds and dig and plant and water and am just as satisfied as if I truly have a potager I'll plant a moonflower vine and purple hyacinth beans alongside the loofahs and voila! Our own secret Eden. Bees, butterflies, cats and visitors welcome.

11 comments:

  1. Hi Jane: Chris told me about your beautiful blog. Can't wait to read up on it.
    thanks so much,
    Maryann

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  2. Hey Maryann, Welcome! You have to let me know the french blog you follow. Chris showed it to me at work and I thought it was beautiful.

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  3. Seems perfect to me... would be great to see some photos when your plants are a little more advanced...What a great weekend or rather, Sunday.x

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  4. Hi! I'm so glad you stopped by, that is funny that you used to work at the Pleasant Peasant, small world, right? Have a fabulous day!

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  5. There's something so satisfying about having one's own vegetable garden. Altho we belong to a CSA and have all the veggies we can possibly eat, we still grow tomatoes and peppers every year. This year I added English peas. Hope to get one meal out of them - maybe soon!

    Hope you get beneficial rain and plenty of sun!

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  6. I could not agree more. One's own veggie garden always seems like a paradise, even if it is not as grand as the traditional French potager. I spend all my free time in ours - not always working, but reading, eating, drinking, discussing. It is the perfect spot. Sungold is my favorite tomato too. Thanks for sharing your weekend garden adventures.

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  7. Glorious. I'll have to find the book you mention. I think I'd like it too. Happy gardening.

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  8. oh, i'd love to read the book. it sounds so beautiful. why does everything look and sound better in french?

    ~janet

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  9. Thanks Ladies, I'm pretty sure anyone who loves to garden will love this book.

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  10. have to get this book.. looks wonderful... had to tell you.. i just loved your comment.. you totally get it. xx

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  11. Even though I don't have a garden this year, I checked The Art Of French Vegetable Gardening out from the library. It was very beautiful and inspirational.

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