Rêve de jardinier
English version below the pictures
La semaine dernière je rêvais d’aller me promener dans un marché de produits frais et aussi de plantes à repiquer. Ce marché est situé dans notre ville d’Amiens au bord de la Somme. Nous y sommes allés Samedi dernier et à la grande stupéfaction de ma femme Janine j’ai acheté 300 poireaux !
Janine, en effet, trouvait que c’était trop, étant donné que ma santé ne me permet plus de travailler vraiment dans le jardin. La jardinière c’est elle maintenant. En plus il fallait trouver la place pour les planter !
Mais je rêvais aux mille poireaux que je plantais autrefois dans le jardin. 300 c’était peu !!!! Finalement Janine arracha 4 rangs de pomme de terre et dans la place disponible une de nos filles, Véronique qui était de passage, planta les poireaux (avec ma petite participation ).
J’avais donc bien réalisé mon rêve d’ancien jardinier. Savez-vous que j’étais content ?!!
Last week I dreamed of going for a walk in a fresh produce market and also plants for transplanting. This market is located in our city of Amiens on the banks of the river Somme. We went there last Saturday and to the amazement of my wife Janine I bought 300 leeks!
Janine, indeed, thought it was too much, given that my health no longer allows me to really work in the garden. The gardener is her now. In addition, we had to find a place to plant them!
But I dreamed of the thousand leeks I once planted in the garden. 300 was not much!!!! Finally Janine tore up 4 rows of potatoes and in the available place one of our daughters, Véronique who was passing through, planted the leeks (with my small participation).
So I had fulfilled my dream as a former gardener. Do you know I was happy?!!
Malheureusement je n’ai pas de photos de Janine arrachant les pommes terre . Voici un échantillon de la récolte : de jolies pommes de terre que l’on a déjà dégustées .
Unfortunately I have not any photo of Janine digging out the potatoes. Here is above a sample of the crop: beautiful potatoes we already have enjoyed .
“Ta femme sera dans ta maison, comme une vigne féconde et tes enfants seront autour de ta table, comme des plants d’oliviers. » Psaume 128 :3
« Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. » psalm 128 :3
fauquetmichel
fauquetmichel 
Rien ne vaut les poireaux du jardin ! Bravo, Michel … et Janine et Véronique !
Quand j’étais gamin, c’est à dire il y a … longtemps, j’ai eu l’occasion d’assister à une course de lenteur, avenue de Soissons – très en pente – à Château-Thierry. Je me souviens d’une 2CV, d’une excavatrice et d’une machine à planter les poireaux. Même bricolée, la 2CV est arrivée la première. Une heure après l’arrivée de l’excavatrice, la planteuse de poireaux avait peut-être fait 500 mètres. Les organisateurs ont demandé au chauffeur d’aller plus vite. “Elle est déjà au maximum !” À ce rythme là, il y en avait bien pour encore 2 ou 3 heures. Alors, les organisateurs ont disqualifié la machine au prétexte que le chauffeur descendait parfois de sa machine. Pardi !
Douce journée à vous deux.
h mais ! C’est que des poireaux cela ne se plante pas à toute vitesse ! 🙂 Cela demande beaucoup de soins ! 🙂
Je me souviens très bien la route en forte pente en entrant dans Château-Thierry en venant de Soissons . Château -Thierry est-il le pays du poireau 🙂 ou de la vigne en Picardie ?
Amitiés
Michel
De la vigne, certainement. Il y a du champagne à Château-Thierry. Quant aux poireaux, c’est certainement un maraîcher du coin qui s’était mécanisé.
Belle journée à vous, Michel et Janine.
Ces vignobles du côté de Château -Thierry ont été une révélation pour moi quand je circulais dans le secteur et ce au milieu des année 80!
Les Caves Panier sont juste en dessous de l’ex maison de mes parents.
Belle soirée à toi et à Janine, Michel.
Gilles, tu es né dans une maison où le Champagne te remontait par les racines , si j’ose dire.
En fait, je suis né à Chalons sur Marne … à l’époque. Ma mère était institutrice à Écury sur Coole et nous habitions au dessus de l’école. Quand j’avais sept ans nous avons déménagé vers Mont-Saint-Père, au Pigeon-sur-le-Toit, tout près de Château-Thierry avant de déménager aux Patis Saint-Martin puis finalement rue du Paradis … eh oui, le Paradis !
Une partie de ma famille est dans le Champagne, Blin à Vincelles, alors j’ai quand même des racines de vigne.
Belle soirée à toi et à Janine, Michel.
J’ai trouvé la rue du Paradis à Château-Thierry , près des Champagnes Pannier:
https://www.google.fr/maps/place/Rue+du+Paradis,+02400+Ch%C3%A2teau-Thierry/@49.0505758,3.3778432,15.96z/data=!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x47e8e8978f8d4397:0x363c85dedce12228!2sRue+du+Paradis,+02400+Ch%C3%A2teau-Thierry!3b1!8m2!3d49.0502627!4d3.3778036!3m4!1s0x47e8e8978f8d4397:0x363c85dedce12228!8m2!3d49.0502627!4d3.3778036
Et bien si tu te mets en mode Street View, plein est, la deuxième maison à droite, avec le pignon un peu noirci par les mousses, c’est l’ex-maison de mes parents, au 16 rue du Paradis. Sur le pignon de l’autre côté, il y a une fenêtre. C’était ma chambre.
Belle soirée à toi, Michel.
Je ne manquerai pas d’utiliser Street View qui est sur mon ordinateur de bureau au 1er étage . Bonne soirée, Gilles .
Glad to hear you are still planting for the future, with the help of your lovely wife and daughter. That’s what life is really all about! I hope you aren’t suffering too much from the heat. Stay cool!
Life is resisting and adapt ! 🙂 Thanks for your kind comment.
Nice to see you gardening again and enjoying the potatoes your family grew!
I’ve been on a social media break, trying to cut down the amount of time I spent online.
Hope you have been well ❤️
You are right, Suzy, for the break about social media ( excepted for me , of course ! ) 🙂 ❤
One of your loveliest posts Michel. Now I’m imagining delicious leek soup! Have a wonderful day ❤️
Yes the leeks may be used in various ways in the cooking, Holly!
but I have not the right to eat soup anymore ! 😦
❤
Lol, I need a cook book on 100 ways to use Leeks! Sending love ❤️
Fortunately there are other ways to eat leeks than soup : roll with ham, flamiche of Picardy (leek pie ) ….
I cannot eat soup because the juice contains a lot of potassium coming from the veggies and , dangerous for my muscles and heart ❤
Those dishes sound delicious. I’ll have to look them up and first purchase some leeks. I have no wonderful garden like yours. ❤️
You have a garden better than mine, Holly: a garden of poetries, shining by the sea .
I agree for the leeks , the dishes are delicious and refreshing . ❤
Oh but good food is amazing and I have a feeling Janine is a superb cook. ❤️
Yes, Holly, Janine is an excellent cook ! 🙂
Not at all surprised! 👩🍳
🙂 ❤
Potato digging is hard work.
Yes and this is Janine who did it to make place for the leeks !! ❤
I am the one who ends up doing the digging here.
Are not women strong and courageous ? 🙂 ❤
We have to be. Because most of us are wired to take care of people and to carry our woes close to our chest.
So true. For instance I can say thanks to Janine who supports me ❤
She would love to hear it I am sure. It always makes me feel better to heat those words.
I understand . It is so true for Janine and for you with your husband . ❤
It makes me feel like I am doing it for a reason and that I am not unappreciated.
…and love is there . ❤
It is.
It ‘s beautiful.
Thanks.
❤
Michel, a very beautiful post! Love the photos! Janine has beautiful geraniums like my mother used to grow. The potatoes look delicious. I enjoyed reading the apt quotation. So happy to see you working in the garden and enjoying the sunshine. All the best!
Love ❤
Cheryl
Yes Cheryl Janine love the flowers , and is gifted for many things including gardening ! ❤
I’m smiling with the reflected pleasure of your garden – not just the leeks but that you have tended the family – psalm 128:3 – and now you enjoy the fruits of that labor!! ❤
Well said, Val . Great interpretation of the psalm. ❤
That is a lot of leeks,Michel. Nice crop of potatoes too. Now I want to go to the store and buy some leeks and make my favorite potato leek soup 💕💕
Hello Barbara ,think of me while eating your potato leek soup! ❤
I have read about leeks but have not tasted them. We all love potatoes and I make different dishes from them. We get them in the market throughout the year. But those grown in your garden look wonderful. I am happy very happy to read your appreciation of my posts. Thank you very much. I like your posts and the photos. Regards, Lakshmi
I like to read your posts because they teach me about life in India . ❤
Comme quoi il en faut peu pour être heureux….quand on a une idée dans la tête…..bravo pour les belles pommes de terre on en mangerait …belles jardinières qui semblent rayonnantes aussi…
Tout effort mérite un réconfort…bon apero..je vous souhaite une bonne soirée et vous embrasse
Oui effort il y a eu mais c’était Lundi ! Devrais-je prétendre à l’ apéritif ce Mercredi? 🙂
Aren’t those beautiful potatoes! I have wanted to try growing them but haven’t gotten to it. I have eaten home grown potatoes and they are so much better than store bought ones. I hope the leeks grow well for you!
Yes Susan we already have eaten those potatoes . they were a delight! 🙂
Hopeful for the leeks , too . Thanks . ❤
Those potatoes look great! 300 leeks?! That will make a lot of soup!
I have no right to eat any soup ,Dian, because of the potassium they bring.( dangerous for my muscles and heart ) . The leeks are used to make rolls with ham and leek pie .(delicious )
In the past I planted 1000 leeks but now I need only 300 !! 🙂
Yes the potatoes are tasty! ❤
That’s too bad. Sometimes I grow things that I don’t like just to see if I can do it!
Take it easy in this terrible heat!!
Yesterday , Tuesday , we got 40° C ( 110 degres F) in the afternoon . It was awful . Our green beans were almost burned .Today is much better after a thunder storm at night.
It is hard to give up something you love to do. I had to plant hanging plants as they were getting root bound and all I had were a couple large pots and not enough potting soil. So I dug in our bare ground. This wore me out and left back and legs not in a good condition.
I’d love some of your potatoes.
It is the same for me, Bonnie . I always have a chair aside and I use it often . ❤
YAY!
Gardening always makes me happy!
And you know you can always sit in the garden and talk to the plants, Michel! They feel your presence and love!
The potatoes look healthy and yummy! 🥔
and YAY for the leeks! They will also be yummy! 🪴
Janine is a perfect example of the wife described in that verse from the Psalms! 🙂 ❤️ Like love and tender loving care help a garden to grow and thrive…more importantly it does the same for children and relationships! 🙂 ❤️ Your garden AND your family are a blessing and a joy to your heart, Michel! 🙂
(((HUGS))) ❤️
PS…Hope you are keeping safe from the heat.
Thanks for this great comment , Carolyn.
I like the comparizon between tending a garden and make the same for children and relationships ❤
.. and also the meaningful psalm . ❤
One day I will have to try the flamiche picarde aux poireaux from your region!
Leeks and potatoes, if you have good ones, are wonderful but they do need much space. Of course that’s not a problem in your garden. 🙂
Again if I had your space, I would also try to collect & cultivate “heirloom” vegetables. The ones available now in the supermarkets and garden stores are so plain and homogeneous and (often) bland, they are bred mainly to ship and store well. And the ensuing lack of biological diversity is bad, as you would know. But that is the result of the economies of scale for sustaining our world today . . . it would be a shame for these blessings of the earth to disappear for want of homes and lifestyles like your family are blessed with !
I agree with what you say, Neil. At the begining when we came here in 1986 I tried a large diversity of plants in the garden . But only some were growing .I had to adapt myself to the soil, rather poor . The ground is a narrow lay above the clay with flints whom I spoke in the previous post . So I am growing what is possible and also satifying for the familial eating
je crois je le vois—un bon jardin, mais un difficile . . . je viens passe devant le restaurant moyen-orient dont j’ai mentionné il y a quelque temps, peut-être tu le souviens—it struck me because the proprietor used the scant patch of ground along the sidewalk to grow things : herbes augmentées de certains légumes, cultivées dans des seaux en plastique, pour l’utilisation dans sa cuisine.
well, he apparently gradually extended the soil bed, now all the crops are in the ground. i admire it—it is simple and probably the choice is forced by what grows in small space and ordinary soil (a bit like yours, maybe)—herbs and vine and gourd vegetables (lamiaceae, solanum, allium)—but it is creative, literally and figuratively!
significantly, the university building next door seems to follow suit. the area is a business/commercial district, everything is paved, these are just the small decorative strips of “landscaping”. but they have put a flower planting in that near their entrance. it must be the people inside inspired by their neighbor, because the university is now barely tending their grounds everywhere else (trees are dying in the heat etc). un spectacle si merveilleux !
ugh—“je viens de passer” . . .
also, now I understand why you grow Fabacées too, besides the eating. Rotations must be important on your plot.
You’ve probably seen the green beans on the picture. They are remarkable plants whose roots fix nitrogen from the
atmosphere and therefore they enrich the soil.
Unfortunately the most recently planted park of green beans was very weakened by the great heat!
Asians are used to using every bit of land. They have to feed a huge population. Your restaurateur, Neil, is imbued with this culture and we Europeans would do well to draw inspiration from it. It is sad to see in my region fields disappearing to build housing estates there.
Les poireaux,
C’est jamais trop !!!
Je suis contente d’avoir participé à ton rêve !
Véro
Merci, Véronique. Tu as mis du coeur à l’ouvrage . Les 300 poireaux sont bel et bien plantés ! 🙂
I’m so glad you are still enjoying your garden 🙂 I cannot imagine 300 leeks let alone 1000!
My grandmother used to put them in her “frische Suppe” (fresh soup) – my father’s favourite!
It’s always lovely to see your family helping you ❤ Stay well and happy, Michel 🙂
Dans le nord de la France nous faisons des flamiches ( leek-pie ) et aussi des roulés au jambon ( roll wih ham ) ;
About soup I have no right to eat any soup for health reasons .
Thank you, Marlaine for your kind comment ❤
bonjour Michel,
Vos pommes de terre sont certainement très bonnes , souvent ce n’est plus le cas maintenant !
oh super tu as pu réaliser ton rêve avec l’aide des tiens !
un petit-fils de ma soeur a replanté plein de petits poireaux de mon père, également avec grande patience… et ils étaient tous très fiers du joli travail. Le jour d’après, grosses déceptions, les oiseaux avaient tout picoré les poireaux. Ils apprécient fort les poireaux eu aussi.
bises amicales !
A propos des pommes de terre photographiées , ce sont des Amandines . On les a gpûtées hier . Excellentes .
Je comprends la déception de ton petit-neveu à voir les poireaux qu’il avaient replantés dévorés par les oiseaux . L’an passé les oiseaux avaient mangé les fraises au fur et à mesure qu’elles mûrissaient . Ils ont aussi mangé le raisin . Cette année on a pris des précautions : filet au- dessus des fraisiers et pour les grappes : sachets .
Amitiés à toi, Maidy.
Wonderful to see you in your garden and wow…. 300 Leeks…. that is alot of leeks.. We planted 70 on our allotments Michel… Back breaking work.. and so pleased your daughter was there to give you a helping hand..
And your lovely wife Janine made you some room… Digging up potatoes no small thing either Michel so well done both of you..
Loved your potato crop…
Our potatoes already dying back and the main crop haven’t even flowered yet….
Merveilleux de vous voir dans votre jardin et wow…. 300 poireaux…. c’est beaucoup de poireaux.. Nous en avons planté 70 sur nos parcelles Michel… Travail éreintant.. et si heureuse que votre fille soit là pour donner vous un coup de main..
Et ta charmante épouse Janine t’a fait de la place… Déterrer des pommes de terre ce n’est pas rien non plus Michel bravo à vous deux..
J’ai adoré ta récolte de pommes de terre…
Nos pommes de terre meurent déjà et la culture principale n’a même pas encore fleuri…
Thank you Sue for this bilingual comment .
Yes my wife Janine is able to do hard work and she loves gardening as much as it is possible . And indeed we appreciate much when children help us .
I used to plant a lot of leeks but now I have to be wise ! 🙂 ❤
Wise, yes, but Leeks are so tasty especially with a little butter as a side veg on your dinner and so versatile. You can never have to much leeks 😉
Sage, oui, mais les poireaux sont si savoureux, surtout avec un peu de beurre comme légume d’accompagnement de votre dîner et si polyvalents. Vous ne pouvez jamais avoir trop de poireaux 🙂
❤
I agree Sue . When we have leeks and potatoes in the garden no risks to be hungry ! 🙂
🙂 ❤ 🙂
D.G. T. said on FB:
I understand how frustrating it is to want to garden but having disabilities that prevent doing it like old times, Michel. I’m glad Janjne and your family still help plant and harvest a garden in your yard, however.
Yes Doug it is pleasant to be in a productive veggie garden . And it is comforting to see children help both. us.
I hope your visit to the shop will be successful for your computer .
Wow what do you do with so many leeks? You would laugh to see my garden.
Hello Tudy! There are many ways to cook the leeks : soup, leek -pie, roll with ham …..Etc
My garden is not like it was in the past but I always find well being in it! 🙂 ❤
It makes me happy to see your dream come true, Michel! I totally understand the joy of a gardener. Bravo!
I guess you understand Louisa since you are yourself a gardener enjoying your veggies. ❤
I am glad you are still gardening a little, Michel. 300 leeks! Gardening is good for the soul, as well as filling the table with good food.
Much love to you, Janine and the family, ❤️
Lavinia
Thanks Lavinia . 300 leeks were not too much for me as I used in the past to plant around 1000 leeks ! 🙂 ❤
Always a pleasure to read your posts. You are a master gardener indeed. I am imagining potato and leek soup, which I love to have, and love to make.
I wish you good health for many decades Michel.
Love,
Zakiah.
Thank you Zakia. I loved also leek soup but I have no right now to eat soup because of Potassium in the juice . I have only right to eat veegies cooked but not the juice . So we eat leeks in rolls with ham, or in leekpie.oe with potatoes ! 🙂 ❤
maintenant le rêve de jardinier va tout simplement du semis à la récolte 🙂 à la saison tu dois nous montrer l’abondance qui en résulte (et les délices de la table) !
It is quite sure Neil : sowing, planting, tending , crop and cooking. But put aside a part of plant or seeds to sow and replant next year and an so on..
“Those who live are those who fight for a just cause ” Victor Hugo said . 🙂
You must have known I would hunt for it ! 🙂
“Ceux qui vivent, ce sont ceux qui luttent ; ce sont
Ceux dont un dessein ferme emplit l’âme et le front
. . .
Car le plus lourd fardeau, c’est d’exister sans vivre.”
https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5166r/f421
No better thing to strive for than contact with life !
Is not this well said ,Neil? Victor Hugo is the prince of French poets ! 🙂
Frances Winslow said on FB:
I must reply here since WordPress does not want to consider my password, the same one that I always use. In reply to your blog… It is so frustrating when we can’t do what we used to be able to do 20 years ago or even 5 years ago.
Don’ t worry Françoise, our friendship is long and precious . ❤
Wow..the potatoes look great. I am glad that you got to see your dream (pretty much) come to life. So glad you were able to get out to help with the planting. Such satisfaction and contentment.
We always are happy when our dreams are realized, Elizabeth. ❤
Michel, you are just like my father was with the love for growing vegetables and fruits! I know it’s difficult for you now to do the work in your garden, but you’re still able to enjoy being in amongst it all. ❤
Indeed, Marion often has a chair by my side in the garden because I can’t do much anymore, but I’m so happy when I see children helping me to work on it and making it as productive as possible.. I am glad to looks like your father . ❤
No matter what, you will have a good outcome, when the Leeks grow.
I am sure I will be rewarded, Angy. ❤
How wonderful, Michel!
A garden makes a home. A home aches for a garden.
The potatoes look delicious. Now, for the leeks!!!!
Take care! ❤❤
You are right , Resa . We chosed this house in 1986 because here was a veggie garden ! 🙂 ❤
🙂 ❤
wow wow wow Michel … that Janine is fit and willing to tear up 4 rows of potatoes is exceptional! Good for her and for your lovely daughter arriving just at the right moment to help plant.
May you enjoy many meals, and soups, from your produce 🙂
Thanks Kate for Janine . She is like an ant or a bee , she never stops .
Love lifts mountains ! ❤
you sure said it Michel, bet she thrives on your appreciation!
She is like you , Kate: :a very dynamic woman . ❤
appreciate the compliment thanks Michel, but Janine has far more energy than me … and I am younger 🙂
❤
Now I have leeks on the mind! I remember, way back when we were on the Xanga site I made one of my food posts, with the animated GIFs activated by mouseovers, about leeks.
Here is that New York Times article I mentioned. And Mediterranean-style treatments, Turkish and Greek with the same type of philosophy that I like—they might be safe for your diet, and make use of the other bounty of the garden too !
Hoping there will be a picture of a genuine homemade flamiche later 🙂
Janine is very wise.
I am glad the leeks were planted!
Love to you both! ❤️
You are right, Linda. We must always listen to our wife. 🙂 ❤
I thought that was alot of leeks 🤣🤣🤣it’s lovely to see you enjoying your lovely garden even if its only as an advisor 😊😊😊. We have just had green beans for dinner that John’s friend gave us as he has an allotment to grow vegetables
We have also green beans in the garden . Alas they are drying with the drought we have since May! Janine has been able pick a few but they do not look like usual ❤
J’aime beaucoup les photos. 300 c’était peu?!?!?! 🤣 Je suis contente que vous pouviez travailler ensemble dans le jardin. Je vous souhaite de bonne santé Michel
Merci Alex . 300 poireaux c’est peu ou c’est beaucoup selon les personnes ! 🙂 ❤
Qu’avez-vous fait avec les pommes de terre?
Nous avons commencé à les manger: cuites à l’eau ou sautées à la poêle . Elles sont délicieuses ! 🙂 ❤
As long as you live , you will find great joy in your garden…It’s so good that you have family to help you.
Your potatoes really are beautiful and am sure they are very tasty! We used to have a big garden, but I have back problems and cannot work in it anymore. Dan will plant it, but he does not weed it or harvest it, so it is wasteful to plant. I miss the green beans the most. There is nothing better than fresh green beans! We still have asparagus, tomatoes, and some herbs. The asparagus and tomatoes are always much better than anything you can buy. I know that you have enjoyed your big garden and miss being able to work in it. I can imagine that it gave you great satisfaction to provide that wonderful food for your family!