Garden findings

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…

What to make with celery seeds at PumpjackPiddlewick

So I am thinking about what to do with celery seeds. It will make sense why in a long minute. As you enter my duck enclosure on the immediate left, in the corner, after the honeysuckle, is the lettuce patch. Except the lettuce was eaten by the ducks. (Intentionally.) ItRead More →

summer heat is here at PumpjackPiddlewick

The summer heat has arrived. After a prolonged spring, of which the garden is profoundly grateful, we have seemingly overnight transitioned from cool nights and warm days to just warm. Well, hot. It’s impact is felt not only in temperatures. Okay, mainly in temperatures, but also in what I doRead More →

Attempting Hügelkultur at Pumpjack & Piddlewick

When the going gets tough, the tough go gardening. And this should definitely include Hügelkultur. But let me digress a little. Raised beds are always on my veg garden agenda. Part save the knees and back, part stop the animals ‘playing’ amongst the veg (more the latter really, but weRead More →

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

Through research, trial and error, we have tried a series of different planting methods to see what has worked well in our garden. You name it, we have probably tried it. Raised bed? Yup. Even tried wattling to create the raised bed edges, as well as using pallets to raiseRead More →