GARDENING IN FRANCE

By CHRISTINE LEES

Gardening to conserve water

I am sure that the uppermost gardening problem in our minds at the moment is how to keep plants alive in times of water shortage and extreme heat. Although this is a particular problem this year given the exceptionally hot and dry weather, it is going to be a longterm issue due to climate change, and we have to find ways of gardening in the new conditions.

Whilst measures like conserving washing up water are important I am sure like many people, the size of my garden means that this is literally a drop in the ocean. Therefore I think it's important as far as possible to arrange our gardens so that less water is needed. Ironically if like me you have heavy clay soil, there is always too much water in the winter, and I usually have standing water in many parts of the garden throughout the winter.

This means that I can't simply plant things which will thrive in the hot, dry conditions of summer, because most of them will die with their roots in water in winter. By trial and error I am finding plants which will survive both extremes, particularly when planted with plenty of compost and grit or gravel. It is difficult to find horticultural grit in France, but I have found small tubs in Jardiland, and I understand that it is possible to obtain larger quantities from gravel suppliers for drives, and also that grit can be found with chicken feed in animal food suppliers.

My most successful plants to date have been most evergreen shrubs, because their larger root systems once they are established will survive drought with occasional watering, bamboos, most grasses and plants such as phormiums. i am getting some colour even this year from Echinaceas, which I planted as plug plants last year. Rudbeckias are still flowering, although much less than usual. Roses and lavender have continued to flower well, Stachys byzantina and Gaura (now Oenethera) lindheimeri like the hot dry weather but if you have clay soil, need to be planted with plenty of grit or in a gravelled area. Many of my trees are suffering but the Lagerstroemias have flowered exceptionally well this year.

Mulching the ground between plants with whatever you have available, garden compost, leaf mould, or bought compost will help to retain moisture in the soil when you do water or when we have rain. In many communes, compost is available from the dechetterie, particularly useful if you have a trailer. You do have to be careful with this if you are using it on the vegetable garden as it may contain harmful substances which will affect the growth of your plants.

My vegetable garden this summer has been the most disappointing in 40 years for me, and I think it is because the clay soil despite copious addition of garden compost and manure, has just baked too hard in the sun for the roots to be able to take up water and nutrients, and the plants have fried. The plants which have survived have been covered with fleece (which I always use on lettuces) and close to other plants which have provided shading. I have some broccoli plants which are very close to a trained plum tree and I think the tree has provided protection from the sun so the plants have survived, although the heads are developing slowly.

The lesson I am taking for next year is that it is just too difficult to grow vegetables in even improved clay soil in very hot weather, so I am intending to turn my existing vegetable beds into raised beds with imported topsoil.

I do hope you are continuing to enjoy your gardens anyway this summer, and hopefully we can learn from experience for next year's growing season.

Chris