What to Sow and Plant in April — Serra de Monchique & Western Algarve
April in the Serra de Monchique means one thing above all else: it is time to head to the market. Every month at the São Teotónio market you will find …
Monique
Watering Your Vegetable Garden in a Warm Dry Climate
For anyone starting a vegetable garden in a warm dry climate — like the Serra de Monchique where we live — watering is where most beginners go wrong. Not because …
Easy Vegetables to Grow for Beginners in a Mediterranean Climate
One of the most common questions we hear from people starting their first vegetable garden is this: what should I actually grow? There are hundreds of vegetables to choose from …
Basil Recipes
Basil straight from the garden tastes completely different to anything you buy in a shop. These are the two recipes we make most often at Monchique Homestead — a simple …
How to Prepare Your First Vegetable Garden Bed
There is one moment that every vegetable gardener remembers. It’s not the first harvest. It’s not even the first seedling breaking through the soil. It’s the moment you look at …
When to Plant What: A Vegetable Planting Guide for the Serra de Monchique
One of the most common questions I hear from people who’ve just moved to the Serra de Monchique is this: “I want to grow my own vegetables — but when …
March Vegetable Garden Checklist for Planting and Sowing
After the heavy rains in February and a flood in the vegetable garden, we’re starting March with a bit of a delay. Fortunately, we dodged serious damage and now the …
Crop Rotation Explained for the Vegetable Garden
Crop rotation is one of those gardening ideas that sounds simple, yet makes a huge difference once you truly understand it. Many problems in vegetable gardens — recurring pests, declining …
Organize Your Vegetable Garden for Higher Yields
Many people think gardening is hard because they don’t have enough time, energy, or experience. In reality, most gardens become exhausting because organizing your vegetable garden has never been done …
How Much Should You Plant for a Vegetable Garden
If you want your vegetable garden to really feed you, knowing how much to plant is essential. It’s one of the biggest questions in vegetable gardening—whether you’re growing food in …