From Vineyard to Vegetable Garden: Our Mediterranean Dream
Sometimes a dream starts with something very simple. For us, it starts with a tomato. A tomato we can pick ourselves from our own garden, still warm from the Spanish sun, wash quickly and enjoy exactly as nature intended.
A tomato that has grown from a tiny seed into something full of flavour because we have taken care of the soil, the plant and everything around it. For a long time, we have had the dream of creating our own vegetable garden. Now, living on the Costa Blanca, we feel that the time has come to turn that dream into something real.
We want to create a place where we can grow our own food, learn from nature and enjoy the simple things in life. And most importantly: We want to take you along with us from the very beginning.
Not because we are experts. Because we are not. We are starting this adventure with curiosity, excitement and a lot to learn. Welcome to our Mediterranean garden journey.
From wine tours to a deeper connection with nature
For the past 3.6 years, I have had the pleasure of working at Montesanco, where I guide wine tours and welcome guests into the world behind the vineyards. Working at Montesanco has shown me that wine is so much more than what is inside a bottle.
Wine tells a story. A story about the land, the people, the seasons, the climate And the passion behind every step of the process.
What I love most about my work is the connection with people. Every wine tour is different. Every guest arrives with their own story, questions and curiosity. I love welcoming people, sharing the story behind the vineyards and creating experiences that people remember.
Montesanco is a family winery connected to the Mediterranean landscape of Alicante and Valencia. The winery focuses on expressing the character of the land through its wines and describes its approach as organic and biodynamic, with attention to biodiversity and respect for nature.
Through my years at Montesanco, my interest in biodynamic farming and the Demeter philosophy has continued to grow.
Being surrounded by people who think carefully about the relationship between the soil, the vines and nature has made us look differently at where our food comes from. And that is where this new dream began.
Our own vegetable garden.
Discovering Demeter and biodynamic principles
One of the things that inspires us most is the idea that nature works as a whole. The soil is not just dirt. It is alive. Plants are not just products, they are part of an ecosystem.
Demeter agriculture focuses on creating balance between soil, plants, animals, people and the surrounding environment. Biodynamic farming looks at the farm as one living system, where biodiversity, healthy soil and natural cycles play an important role.
We love this way of thinking. We are not trying to create a professional farm or become experts overnight, we simply want to bring some of these ideas into our garden. We want to understand our soil, We love to encourage life in the garden. We want to grow food with respect for nature and we are exited learn along the way.
Starting our garden on the Costa Blanca
Creating a vegetable garden here in Spain will be a completely new adventure for us. The Costa Blanca has an amazing climate with many sunny days and warm temperatures, but gardening here also has its challenges. The summers can be extremely hot. Water is precious and every garden has its own conditions.
Before we plant anything, we want to understand our space. Where does the sun reach during the day? Where is there shade?Where does the wind come from? How does the soil behave after rain? Which plants will enjoy this Mediterranean climate?
We believe that the best gardens start with observation.
The garden plan: starting step by step
We do not want to start too big. Our goal is not to create a perfect garden immediately. I mean it woud be grate haha. But our goal is to learn a lot.
We want to start with a manageable space and slowly build from there.
Preparing the soil
The first thing we want to focus on is the foundation of the garden: the soil.
Just like in a vineyard, everything starts underground. We want to discover what type of soil we have and how we can improve it naturally.
We are looking into using compost, organic soil improvers and natural methods to create healthy soil.
We also want to learn more about protecting the soil with mulch, especially during the hot Spanish summers. Healthy soil means stronger plants.
Creating a smart water system
Water will probably be one of our biggest lessons. We want to use water wisely and not waste this precious resource. Our plan is to investigate a drip irrigation system, where water goes slowly and directly to the roots. We also want to learn how to keep moisture in the soil and understand the different needs of every plant. A Mediterranean herb does not need the same care as a vegetable that produces fruit. The garden will teach us.
Choosing what we would love to plant
There are so many things we would love to grow. Of course, we dream of having beautiful tomatoes that we can pick for dinner, fresh herbs that we can walk outside and collect, and vegetables that become part of our everyday cooking.
We would love to experiment with Mediterranean favourites and discover which varieties feel happiest in our garden. For us, it is not only about growing vegetables. It is about creating a garden full of life. A place with flowers, herbs, insects, birds and plants that all have their own role. We want to discover what works here, learn from local gardeners and slowly create our own little Mediterranean ecosystem.
When do we plant?
One of the things we are currently researching is the best planting calendar for our area.The Costa Blanca is very different from northern Europe. The seasons are not exactly the same, and planting times depend on temperature, location, sunlight and the specific conditions of each garden. Our first year will be a learning year.
Generally, the cooler months are ideal for preparing the garden and growing plants that enjoy milder temperatures. As spring arrives and the soil becomes warmer, we can start introducing more heat loving plants.
During the summer months, our focus will be on protecting the garden, watering efficiently and learning how plants respond to the strong Spanish sun. After the hottest period, autumn brings another opportunity to grow and experiment. We want to follow the rhythm of nature instead of forcing everything to grow all year round.
Cooking with the seasons
One of the things we are most excited about is changing the way we think about food.Normally, we decide what we want to cook and then buy the ingredients. We would love to do it the other way around. Walk into the garden and see what is ready.
Create something from that Maybe it will be a simple salad with ingredients picked moments before. Maybe a homemade sauce made from our own harvest. Maybe a Mediterranean dinner outside with a glass of wine and herbs from the garden. For us, that is the dream.
Learning, making mistakes and growing
We know this journey will come with challenges. Some plants may not grow the way we hoped, while others might surprise us. But that is exactly what makes this adventure so special. For us, the beauty is not only in the harvest, but in everything that happens along the way.
Watching the first seed grow, seeing the first leaves appear, discovering the first flowers and eventually picking something that we have grown ourselves. That feeling is what we are looking forward to most. We would love your advice As we begin this journey, we would love to learn from others who already have experience growing in Spain.
Do you live on the Costa Blanca?
Do you have a garden or tips about soil, watering or plants that thrive in this climate?
We would love to hear your stories and advice.
Because this garden is not only about growing vegetables. It is about learning, sharing and connecting with people who have the same love for nature and good food.
The next chapter begins
In our next blog, we will take you with us as we turn this dream into a real plan: discovering our space, preparing the soil, creating our watering system and choosing what we want to plant.
Then the real adventure begins.
Getting our hands in the soil.
From the first seed…
to the first harvest.
We cannot wait to share it with you.
Denise & Wilco