August Myths & Sowing in a Warm Dry Climate
Every August, forums and gardening groups across Spain and Portugal fill up with the same handful of questions about keeping a warm dry climate vegetable garden going through the heat …
beginner tips
Watering a Warm Dry Climate Vegetable Garden
You water your vegetables every day. Sometimes twice a day when it is hot. And yet the plants look tired, grow slowly, or produce less than you expected. More water …
What to Sow and Plant in May — Warm Dry & Temperate Climate Gardens
May in a warm dry climate is when the garden shifts into full summer mode. The cool season crops are winding down, the soil is warm, and the plants that …
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 …
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 …
Take 2: How to recognise good soil
Soil is the basis for gardening. When the soil in your vegetable garden is healthy you will have good results in your garden. Healthy soil What is healthy soil like? …
Start your vegetable garden in only three weeks time.
Three weeks is enough time to go from bare ground to a planted vegetable garden. It does not require experience, a large budget or special equipment. What it does require …
Where to start your vegetable garden, some things to consider.
Deciding where to start your vegetable garden is the first and most important step. Picking the right spot takes a little time upfront, but it saves a great deal of …