Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons - Summer Internship

Monday, 3 September 2012

Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons - Cultivation Practices

The vegetable garden at Le Manoir looks just amazing. Netting and fleece is used to protect susceptible crops from rabbits or flying criters - whether that be insects or the many pigeons that thrive in the garden!

As soon as the seed is sown it is covered with fleece to protect it from being disturbed or eaten by animals or birds and it also helps to create a warm temperature speeding up germination time. The fleece is used throughout the growing period, not just in the spring and it works a treat. We sowed the final rows of colourful beetroot for the year 10th August:- Beetroot 'Golden Beet' (a lovely golden yellow beet), 'Chioggia' (red and white striped) and Beetroot 'Bollivar' (good old fashiond deep red/burgundy colour).



Companion planting Calendula next to Kale

Companion planting techniques are practiced - seen here Calendula (Pot Marigolds) are planted either side of rows of Kale to help prevent white fly infestation.

 

Another example of companion planting was having nasturtians and sunflowers mixed through the squash bed to help with pollination.

They also look really pretty of course!

Monday, 3 September 2012
 

Le Manoir - A Brief Update

Everyone has been asking me how I have been getting on during the summer internship so here's a few more photos and brief update......

Le Manoir is an organicially run garden and certified with the Soil Association. The gardens cover a 7 acre area with 1 1/2 acres being devoted to the vegetable and herb garden

The main vegetable growing area is laid out in 4 main oblong sections which are managed in rotation, moving vegetable types on from one year to the next, helping to prevent build up of pest and disease particular to one type of vegetable, and it means that plants that enrich the soil nutrient such as legumes (peas, beans etc.) adding nitrogen into the soil, is appreciated by brassicas the following year.

If only my vegetable garden looked like this! I have loved working here. It is especially nice in the morning while it is still quiet and the sun's heat is still getting going.

Below a snap shot of part of the Asian Garden with the unusual crops like Amaranthe, Orach 'Red', Yacon and Gotu Kola looking colourful.

Monday 30th July 2012

Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons - Summer Internship

I have now completed my first couple of weeks on my summer internship working in the vegetable garden at Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons.

The first week I think it rained every single day! Luckily it wasn't too wet so we just got on with it as there were plenty of things to do. As soon as we arrive we have to pick the crops, herbs and edible flowers for the kitchen which has to be done by 10.00 so the chefs can get on and do what they do working their magic creating the amazing dishes from Le Manoir kitchen.

My second week, it was so hot it was like working in Mexico! Here I was planting out some celery plants which was photographed as part of the monthly coverage about Le Manoir vegetable garden in The English Garden magazine.

I love this photo which catches the beautiful bronze fennel next to the flowers of bergamot and running down the row between them some forcing pots which look great just sitting there!

 

And to the right, the view from the main courtyard entrance looking through a Yew archway towards the garden, the path edged with lavendar and the sections divided with perfectly round clipped balls of box.