From afar the thought of gardening in the South of France seems so appealing. Yes, of course, mild wet winters and hot dry summers are what we were all taught at school. It rolls off the tongue so easily. However, as those of us that have been here for some time, the reality is so different. Has global warming changed our climate. I can honestly say that in my experience, yes, it has. As an amateur entomologist I have noted the changes in the local species of butterflies and moths in my home town. An insect that was never seen in the north of England forty years ago can now be commonplace. New species to England, both birds and butterflies, have migrated across the channel and are now resident in the South of England. This of course happens in the plant world and England with its comparatively mild climate, washed by the Gulf Stream, enjoys a splendid mix of indigenous and introduced plants.
There has been change here too in the Languedoc. If you talk to the old locals a few days of frost a year was the norm. In our garden before last Christmas we experienced 12 consecutive nights of frost. This is more than obvious when the day greets you with brown leaves on your cannas, and yet another wilting bougainvillea. It seems that the winters are now colder here and the summers hotter. Thus, creating extremes, far in access of those in the United Kingdom. This really changes the face of gardening here, or does it?
Gardening anywhere in the world is a challenge, and challenges are there to be overcome. There are so many factors to be considering when creating a successful garden. A court yard garden with its pots, tubs and hanging baskets can be just as rewarding as sprawling acres of parkland with a host of gardeners. Sadly the latter is a thing of the past. Our ancestors produced exotic fruits and plants by ingenious means. The use of stove houses, a glass structure against a south facing brick wall, with yards of lead piping and a clutter of gardeners stoking furnaces and hovering over delicate blooms, was the owner�s pride and joy. When the lord of the manor produced that pineapple to shock and impress his guest, what would the real cost have been? The true cost would have been unimaginable, but how it must have seemed so amazing.
The plant hunters have been sent out for centuries to introduce to England and Europe new species. New plants have been worth a King�s ransom. Early tulip bulbs changed hands in Holland to the equivalent of the cost of a waterfront property. The existence of the passion flower was know in Europe 100 years before the plant reached our shore. What Pope didn�t want to be the first to see the fabled plant of Christ, and exploit its powers. The early explorers looked for the mythical land of gold, Eldorado. However, the true wealth of exploration in the past has not been the discovery of precious minerals, �oh, I can hear�, what about tin, copper or silver? Well, what about them? Compare these materials to the value of tea, coffee, sugar cane or coffee. Our history of plant hunting is certainly checkered as so many of these unsung heroes are forgotten. If you read of the exploits of Ernest Henry Wilson, ( 1876-1930), the 19th/20th century plantsman, you will find that his adventures are quite hair raising. However, compared to the adventures of the early conquistadors, who hacked through sub equatorial jungles, looking for the mythical land of gold, only to be side tracked by flying jewels, the Morpho butterfly, sadly meet their end with a poisonous a dart from a blow pipe. To these Spaniards Wilson�s adventures may seem less fraught with danger. It is thanks to �Chinese� Wilson�s strenuous efforts that we have the Kiwi Fruit in our homes and many beautiful lilies in our gardens. When looking at the Latin names of plants, when you come across the word Wilsonianae you will know who discovered it. Without the endeavors of these brave men our gardens and supermarkets would be a duller place.
What about your garden? Is it a space with many rooms? A court yard? A place of entertainment? A pass time to be indulged and tendered? Or a necessary inconvenience?
What ever your garden is or is not it can certainly improve your home, living space and health. Health, oh yes, a garden can provide an ideal place to exercise whether it be for yourself, digging or planting, or an area for children to run and play. Fruit, vegetables and salads are so easy to produce here, and if they come from your garden you know exactly what has been sprayed on them, and what chemicals have been used to encourage their growth.
Tomato trial.
As a trial I took 6 varieties of tomatoes that I found in the supermarket last November. I saved the seeds from all of them and washed and planted them. Yes, I have hot beds, and yes I have a polytonal. Planting the seeds in January or February on your window sill would give the same effects, but the process would take longer. The tomato seedlings grew quickly and were duly potted on. In April we were eating our first tomatoes. Interestingly, the seeds from the small plumb tomatoes did not grow. This genetically modified variety must have been sterile. However, there can be an ongoing tomato crop because if you put the side shoots into water, as they sprout very quickly, you will be well on your way to producing your next crop of tomatoes.
Gardening can and often is fun. It is one of the most popular pass time in the UK, and is becoming popular here in France. Looking at the prices in the new garden centers there is still a long way to go. One day some entrepreneurial young French man will say. Lets produce our own plants for the nurseries. Do we really need to import flowering plants and shrubs from Holland? Conifers from Italy and citrus and olive trees from Spain?
