Going for Growth

It seems as if the virus has infected everyone with the kitchen gardening urge, almost everywhere I look our neighbours are raising pots of tomatoes and lettuces while tiny patches of garden are sprouting beans and peas.

All this despite the fact that Gigondas is a compact little village that still follows the original medieval street plan so gardens are a rarity and most of this horticultural bounty is appearing on the streets in front of the houses.  As you can see from the picture (left) I am not immune - I think these are tomato plants of the variety "optimist" - I'll keep you all updated on the crop if they survive the voracious French snails, the howling mistral and the cats sleeping on them in the hot weather!

Actually my own efforts began right back at the start of lockdown, but without garden centres where I could buy plants I had to try raising them from seed, unfortunately seeds that were left over from previous gardening enthusiasm at least ten years ago.  The results were predictably disappointing so now that lockdown has been eased a little I have started again with nursery grown plants.

I do wonder just what has inspired all this gardening enthusiasm?  Boredom maybe?  Surely we have not fooled ourselves that a few tomatoes and peppers will make us self sufficient and able to avoid those risky trips to the supermarket?  Maybe this is the 21st century version of "Digging for Victory"?
Perhaps it is more likely that we want reaffirmation of nature's power to bounce back, a need to cultivate a little growth and fruitfulness to confound the Grim Reaper?

Whatever the motivation I also felt the need to broadcast a message of recovery by bringing some colour back to the permanent flowerpots in-front of our house, pictures right and above left.