The much loved Farmer Garden in the Tyrol
"Vielgeliebter Bauerngarten"
No matter how small, a Bauerngarten always includes a few flowers.
Gardens of the South Tyrol, Northern Italy, are the pride and joy of the Farmer's wife
There is a distinct division of labor, she is in charge of the "House, Garden, Spinning and Feathered Animals".
He is in charge of "Field, Forest and Barnyard".
All Tyroler gardens have one thing in common; No matter how small or how large they are always surrounded by a fence, usually a picket fence. Free ranging chickens, rabbits, goats and deer make quick work out of a newly planted garden.
Gardens are not planted until the "Three Ice Kings" have come, usually around the middle of May.
Space is limited and so is the diversity of plants. Seeds are saved from year to year. One thing you won't find in a Farmers Garden are benches or unnecessary decorative objects. You will, however, find a barrel or some other container to collect life-giving rain water.
If the terrain allows, gardens are either square or rectangular in shape. They are never attached to the house but are always nearby.
And sometimes gardens have to be cultivated where the terrain is difficult.
From the book by Brigitte Griessmair and Anneliese Kompatscher "Vielgeliebter Bauerngarten"
My vegetable garden is open to occasional marauders. I'm thinking about enclosing it with a picket fence.
What do you think?
Gina
