Off to the vegetable garden!

Boundary and shelter

The Gortn (Garten in German) is a precious strip of land, protected by a wooden fence. This fence serves as both a physical boundary and a gentle enclosure to keep the animals that graze freely on the surrounding meadows at bay. The garden is sacred, separate and distinct from the large fields where rye and barley ripen in the wind and the expanses dedicated to potatoes and cabbages — vegetables destined for the harsh winter months and transformed into tasty sauerkraut.  

The soul of the woman

Tending the garden is one of the women's tasks on the farmstead. Maintaining it is an act of love and a silent expression of self, as well as responding to the desire to ‘keep the house beautiful’. The garden is not only a place for growing produce; it is also the stage on which the grace and aesthetic sense of the women of the house are expressed. 

The Gortn is often located next to a spring where water gurgles incessantly. Here, in an ideal blend of utility and pride, vegetables, herbs, medicinal plants, and flowers that brighten the day bloom side by side.  

Plum, quince and pear trees, and, naturally, the solitary walnut tree, stand majestically on the nearby lawn, while the garden's picturesque ornamentation is entrusted to the shrubs.

Elderberry, rowan and lilac frame the view from the house's small windows, offering a tranquil scene that follows the rhythm of the seasons. These shrubs watch over the garden, offering shelter and often hosting a small crucifix adorned with fresh flowers.  

A veritable cornucopia

What treasures does this enclosed space hold?  

• Healing herbs such as sage, rosemary, mint and mallow provide silent remedies.  

• Secret aromas such as fennel, whose seeds are added to rye bread, and essential flavours from garlic, onions, carrots, celery and chives.  

• For the daily meals, there are fresh salads, chard, pumpkins, courgettes, beans, peas, and broad beans.  

This miniature cornucopia is a miracle of abundance.  

The magic of flowers

True beauty is created when flowers come together in harmony: not just as decoration, but as a bridge between the home and the outside world. They are a gift for embellishing the table, a grateful offering for the church altar or for the churchyard.  

There are roses, white and martagon lilies, daisies, superb gladioli, late-summer dahlias and the long stems of yellow marsh mallow and blue aconite in bloom.  

The vegetable garden has always been the hidden source of pride for peasant women. Here, ancient knowledge of the land blends with inner beauty — and a silent competition of dedication is renewed every day among the masi farmsteads.