Jardin Update Spring 2022
A Season of Abundance & Exuberance
As is now slowly becoming tradition, every time I first arrive to the garden in spring, I “walk the grounds”. With ~800 acres to cover, it takes me the better part of the whole day to cover all the fields and forests on the property, but tuning into the sights, smells, and rhythms of nature makes the time fly. Even though I’ve trodden through the same paths and forest beds hundreds of times, I always notice something new - new kinds of lichen, fungi, or mosses, or some animal tracks I don’t recognize, the growth of (or lack of) the “early risers” as I like to call the cleavers, nettle, dandelion, and other plants that are the first to show themselves in the early springtime. Muddy, damp, and tired I retire to one of my favorite rooms in the house, my late grandfather’s “petit salon”, to make myself a Negroni and review my field notes over the sounds and aroma of a nascent crackling fire.
After the last couple years where it felt challenging to get the desired momentum and energy into the garden due to Covid and the related restrictions, for this year's planting season, we decided the theme for the garden in 2022 would be Abundance and Exuberance. In 2021 we expanded our cultivation sites, completed the construction of our drying room, advanced our irrigation techniques, and introduced a variety of new plants. Where 2021 we focused on expansion, 2022 is devoted to output. To renew the joie-de-vivre to the garden after a sleepy and humid winter, we focused on the plants that have already expressed their love of our soil rather than introducing and testing a plethora of new ones. Not to say there are NO new plants, rather that we’d be growing more of our happy campers, bringing a more bountiful and lively sensation to our Jardin.
Think of Biodynamics as certified regenerative farming, the highest standard on the globe for agricultural products.
To facilitate this growth we finally completed a major project we’ve had our eyes on for years: a greenhouse! While a temporary structure, it serves as a fantastic seed-starter, helping us accelerate the growth of the annuals and new plants we grow from seed. Temporary because there is currently a good amount of construction happening on the farm (200 year old roofs need fixin’ from time to time…) and we’d like to repurpose some of the materials from the construction for a permanent greenhouse in the future, reducing waste and making the future greenhouse even more unique. 🙂
With the greenhouse built and seeds planted, we now wait for germination. Inside you’d find trays of old friends like chamomile, echinacea, malva, lemon balm, evening primrose, blue cornflower, and marshmallow, as well as new friends like jasmin,menthol mint, blue flax, bergamot, heartsease, lady’s mantle, queen anne’s lace, willowherb, and sweet violet. We are thoroughly thrilled to have the greenhouse to facilitate the germination of all these plants, a definite step up from stuffing seed trays onto all southern-facing window sills of the house!
Having extra help on the farm this year has also expedited the usual processes of getting the garden ready for planting. These always include the Biodynamic® techniques of soil regeneration (now dubbed as “regenerative agriculture” in the agriculture and gardening circles on social media). We started our garden with these methods well before the term became popularized on social media, having renewed the land that became our Jardin Medicinale in 2016. These techniques include:
Preparing our homemade Biodynamic natural fertilizers and pest-prevention sprays.
Turning and “feeding” the compost heaps.
Mowing grass with a mower that collects the clippings (rather than spewing them out to the side) to be used for mulch.
Collecting and turning over the winter cover crops into the soil for fertility.
Collecting nettle to prepare our homemade Biodynamic nettle manure.
Collecting the pigeon manure from the pigeonnier (dovecote) for soil prep.
Following the Maria Thun calendar for the proper energetic times for planting and prepping.
Spraying fields with Effective Microorganisms for added fertility.
Once the beds are ready for planting, seeds germinating in the greenhouse, we move on setting up our irrigation channels. Last year we installed electricity in the garden to power a water pump in order to have the pressure needed to bring water to all the beds. This will be the first year that we’ll be able to manage our irrigation bed by bed, thereby not only saving water, but plenty of our time as well!
As the weather continues to warm and new life emerges from the soil, we are reminded of the yearly regeneration of life. After spending the colder months inside, having the luxury to spend time in the garden, helping our soil and plants become the very best versions of themselves (and ultimately imparting those wonderful benefits to your skin) is an honor that is not lost on us in the moments we are there, present with the plants. The actions described above are the first steps in a long process that allows us to provide an end result, Maison/Made, of which we are proud to stand behind.
Stay tuned as the garden continues to flourish in abundance and exuberance!