A cold rainy day didn’t keep the hearty garden group from driving beyond Sommières to visit the Quissac nursery where we had a rendez-vous with our hostess Miriam Quissac. The plants she and her husband grow and sell are those adapted to the Mediterranean soil and climate.
The well-marked display of plants has a number of different varieties from the “families” of Cistus, Salvia, Myrthus, Phlomis, Santolina,Rosemary, Boxwood, and more. There was a mulch spread around the plants made of Flax straw (“paille de lin”) which works very well to keep the humidity in and the weeds out. This can be found in compact bails at a supply store for horse stables. Other suitable mulch is wood chips which can be found by phoning local town authorities to ask when its garden team is scheduled to have the cut wood “chipped” .
Miriam invited us into her cozy “green” house which, she explained, is built out of bails of hay and a thickness of clay. It is built on pillars to have air flow under the house. We gathered around tea and snacks to hear more of what our learned and passionate gardener had to say. Among the tips and truths which the garden group is happy to share with other AWG members are:
Most Mediterranean plants do not flower in summer. However, if you water such plants as salvia, gaura and perovskia, you will have flowers.
Trim PHLOMIS severely after flowering
Stipa tenufolia (grass-like plant called “graminées”in French): don’t cut back in winter
When trimming lavender, cut back 1/3 of the green, leafy part after flowering.
A good type of LAVENDER to plant is “Séguré”: big flowers, easy to manage, etc.
LEMON TREES need fertilizer.
An effective fertilizer: URINE. One pipi session diluted in 10 liters of water.
Water your plants with this liquid and the plants get the nutrients they need. (Editor: no need to send feedback on this tip if you use it).
ORCHIDS: give them a half-hour “bath” in a bucket in which there is a brew of soaking tree barks (of any kind) and water. This brew can just sit indefinitely and does not go bad.
If you want to know more, look at the nursery website: HYPERLINK "http://www.jardin-ecologique.fr" www.jardin-ecologique.fr .
The best time of year to go out to this lovely site is in April or May when everything is blossoming. The plants are very reasonably priced and the guidance you get is priceless.
Peggy F writes:
Many thanks to all who made this excellent outing happen! Pegrig! Pam! our hostess, Miriam Quissac.
In
spite of horrible weather, we had a wonderful visit to this amazing
nursery, and will certainly all want to come back in the spring to see
everything in bloom and to make our purchases.
Thank
you Miriam (and Agathe and Marie) for welcoming us into your unusual
and warm home. We enjoyed our improvised Tea Party, your delicious cake
and interesting hints about gardening, and your adorable girls.
Photo credits: Peggy F
Maggie writes: I'm sorry I didn't get a photo of the gorgeous glowing ember of a sunset on the way home. That's about the only time we saw the sun.
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| A heavy sky in the distance. |
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| Sue Rich and Peggy F, well-wrapped up against the gloomy weather |
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| Tea inside, and respite from the cold weather |
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| Keeping watch. What a handsome dog. |
Thanks very much to Pam for organizing the visit,
and thanks very much to Miriam Quissac for sharing her knowledge with us
and welcoming us into her unusual home.
Photo credits: Maggie
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