From herb garden to vegetable patch – how we transformed the field over the course of the year.
There are only a few pictures from our very beginnings in the field, and unfortunately, none of what it looked like before we started. A direct before-and-after comparison is only possible in a few places.
An empty field is a bit like a canvas on which you can paint and create. Therefore, I've decided to document the development process more frequently and to take the pictures from the same spot whenever possible.
At the beginning of the year, the upper part of the field still contained rosemary and sage, which I had planted in May 2025. I was still hopeful that the sage would survive the heavy rains of the previous winter, but unfortunately, that wasn't the case. By April/May, most of it had rotted away, and the rosemary was already looking better. The rosemary was already a few years old and, in some places, quite overgrown with couch grass and other weeds.
The decision to dig everything up was really easy. With the new "employee," it was quick and simple, and the lavender, which had been dwindling, was removed at the same time. So, I was left with a large, empty space and still no real idea what to plant in it.
In May, we had a visit from wild boars, who thoroughly enjoyed rooting up the newly planted lavender and Greek mountain tea. I was able to replant some of it, and a few even took root again, but unfortunately, I lost about a third of the young plants. Grudgingly, we fenced off another section of the land (I always thought it looked nice without a fence), and the boars came by twice and helped themselves to the buffet.
Various other events throughout the year made it easy for me to come up with an idea for the field: vegetables!
I'd been toying with the idea of growing more vegetables and selling them directly for some time. It's already worked well on a small plot. The arguments against it became fewer and fewer – so let's go!
I started the first sowing in July, and by the end of September I was able to plant the first rows. To make sure the field wasn't always just full of crops and that there was something nice to look at, I planted a row of aloe vera in front of the fence. Of course, it all looks a bit sparse at the moment, but it will grow. It's a challenge for me to get the timing and quantities right, and also to find enough customers (I have a freezer, but that's not the plan).
Last week, I sowed green manure on the empty patches, hoping the weather forecast would be right and it would rain.
What can I say? Perfect timing! Sowed on Friday – rain on Sunday. I'm curious to see how well the seeds germinate.
