EXPERT
out a plan of the garden with each raised bed to be planted, ticking off permanently planted beds such as asparagus. It is also important to plan sowing times so similar vegetables don’t mature at the same time. It is best to sow in smaller quantities at intervals through the season so that cropping follows one after another. Winter and spring crops need
Sue’s favourite colour is purple so she loved painting this purple sprouting broccoli and purple variety of kale
barrier, and I ring vulnerable plants with calendula, tagetes, nasturtiums, basil, caraway and other spicy herbs. Growing a variety of plants
attracts predators. Planting nectar-rich flowers such as sweet peas, poppies, forget-me- nots, feverfew, violas, fennel or marigolds encourages natural predators like hoverflies, which lay their eggs on plants and their larvae eat the aphids and other pests. I let these flowering plants self-seed so that they appear in the vegetable and flower gardens.
TUNNEL VISION We live in a mild climate but even so, the polytunnel and greenhouse are invaluable. I grow salads all year. In spring, crops of lettuce, early peas and carrots followed by melons, basil and peppers. In winter, it’s shelter for tender plants and numerous cuttings. A cloche within the tunnel gives extra protection in cold weather. It is important to choose
the right crops for the right conditions as in summer the heat can be overpowering and in winter humidity is a problem. Ventilation is crucial. When light levels improve in spring, the tunnel is the ideal place for seedlings. The soil in the tunnel needs to be replaced every spring. I take out the top layer and add a top dressing of fresh compost, and water well before any planting. This gives the soil time to settle and encourages earth worms. As seedlings become ready
to plant outdoors, a few can be planted in the tunnel
Planting and painting her veggie garden is a source of great joy for Sue 82 FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: March/April 2024
where they will be ready to harvest several weeks earlier than outside. I grow various flowers in the tunnel to attract pollinating insects such as hoverflies including hawk moths who love nicotiana. Rotation is important. Plants
belong to families and a disease of one plant can affect other plants in the same family. Club root, a well-known disease of cabbages, can be passed on through the soil if another member of the cabbage family, such as broccoli, is grown in the same place, yet will have no effect on potatoes. Potato blight can affect tomatoes which are a close relative, but has no effect on beans. The rotation system prevents many pests and diseases with a three-year rotation but five is better. One group of vegetables is grown
in each plot and in subsequent years moved to another plot. Some plants can improve
the soil; for instance, peas and beans have nodules on their roots containing bacteria that can stabilise nitrogen extracted from the air. If the roots are left in the ground after harvest, the following crop can benefit. Different crops take different
elements from the soil, so by rotating them it allows the soil to recover its nutrient status. These nutrients keep crops healthier, so that they are better able to shrug off pests.
ARTFUL DESIGN Planning the garden rotation is much the same as in a painting. The thought prior to sowing and planting is the same as composing a sketch. The design is all important. I sketch
time to grow through the year as they mature slowly. Lettuce and beetroot when harvested make room for growing winter crops. This way there is not so much of a glut with one crop following on from another. Many plants, ornamental and
edible, can be sown directly into seedbeds or first raised in pots then transplanted. Some, however, resent this disturbance and need to be sown direct. Vegetables such as carrots and parsnips hate root disturbance. Transplanting can damage the delicate tap roots or fine hairs and put the plants into shock. Success with direct sowing
means good soil preparation and only sowing when the ground is warm enough. My paintings have to be
done fairly quickly unless painted in situ, because once picked, leaves deteriorate and roots dry. I start with a pencil, drawing, working out the composition and planning colours and tones, giving a shape with which to work. Most sketches are in watercolour or graphite. The garden is a work in progress as it evolves and changes, and painting is the same, project after project, learning with each new experience. With knowledge comes the realisation that there is always more to learn and more to experience. My book is derived from
personal experience and with love of all that I do, painting and gardening. My aim is to capture these magical moments on paper or canvas in a way that is not possible by photography. ■
Vegetables: The Artist and the Gardener, by Sue Goodman is available on Amazon
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