Gardening Mischiefs

Although new to gardening, we have always wanted to grow our own veg. Over the past few years in France we have tried a variety of styles of gardening beds, types of vegetables and even various timings. We keep learning from our mistakes, and our successes, and then sharing our garden tales with you.

Explore with us as we re-purpose water bottles into planters and recycle pallets into garden beds, try our hand at wattling and simply see what grows in our garden.

Oh, and let us not forget foraging…

How to make a vertical garden out of recycled water bottles part 2 at PumpjackPiddlewick

As garden virgins, through research, trial and error, we have tried a series of different planting methods to see what has worked well: raised beds, pallet planters, wattling bed and making a hanging vertical garden wall. All were made using recycled materials and worked to varying degrees. We made almostRead More →

WIld Violets foraged for tea and syrup at PumpjackPiddlewick

I know Spring is on its way when the yellows and purples start to show up in the garden. Daffodils start show their sunny faces and purple violets peek up at me from the ground. Make Me Smile Flowers Violets are my favourite flower, which in a way is aRead More →

Are you taking care of your trees and pruning suckers? | PumpjackPiddlewick

One of the great benefits of living with someone who has a degree in oenology and viticulture (wine making and vineyard management) is that he is a wiz at pruning. Pumpjack really understands how things grow and what to do when. And, he is my mentor. Vineyards are just organisedRead More →

If you have followed the weather at all here in France, particularly Northern Burgundy, you will know we have had rain. Rain, rain, rain. Plu, plu, plu. (Don’t you just love the French word for rain? It sounds just like a drop of rain hitting a surface.) Needless to say,Read More →