WinterThe soil rests, the gardener reflects
The Belgian winter is rarely harsh, but it is long, damp and dark. The vegetable garden ticks over: harvest leeks, Brussels sprouts, kale, parsnips and lamb’s lettuce under fleece, and pick the chicory forced in the cellar. The rest of the time is spent in the warm, drawing next year’s plan, ordering seeds, cleaning tools. At the end of February, the first sowings under cover set the whole machine going again. Winter is not a pause; it is the part of the work you do sitting down.
The priorities for the season
- Draw up the plan of the vegetable garden and organise the rotations.
- Order or sort your seeds and check their dates.
- Prune apple and pear trees in dry, frost-free weather.
- Harvest what stands outdoors and keep an eye on the chicory in the cellar.
In the vegetable garden and orchard
What happens in winter
We’re sowing
Let's plant
On the plate
Eating seasonal food
Winter has its treasures: chicory gratin, parsnip soup, roasted Brussels sprouts, kale as crisps or in a hotpot, stored apples and pears, the summer’s preserves. Eating seasonally in January takes a little imagination and a great deal of pleasure.
Living well
Leafing through seed catalogues on a January Sunday is a simple pleasure that puts spring back in your head. You plan, you dream a little too big, and that is exactly the point.