gardening easy in South west France ?

Sounds like a polytunnel would be a advantage. (I'd still rather be there than here, ).

Hi Jambop

Coincidentally i was thinking of you yesterday when the radar was showing severe thunderstorms over your way. Nothing arrived yesterday, except the same high temps as you experienced. Today, the bottom has dropped out of the thermometer! but steady soaking rain, well received.

As MOS stated, wherever you garden it's always a game of roulette with the weather.

It's still more rewarding, surely, to enjoy the warmer temps, the extended growing season and the wider variety of crops made possible by the latitude.

We're on a winner even though you've had a rough few days. Keep calm, chin up and carry on!

Bon jardinage

Everywhere has it's problems. And in distant history, most people would normally only grow that which they knew they could rely on. In this country that was mainly oats, grains, beans, dairy and currants/berries.

Us allotmenteers and kitchen garden people are a lucky bunch nowadays and try to grow a really wide range of food that would not normally be possible in one location year in year out. It takes a lot of planning and arranging to crop everything. There are bound to be failures given this desire, given the vagaries of weather everywhere.
I love the challenge of growing the diverse food we have become accustomed to, with an eye on sustainability. Do I plump for cusp growing or do I go fo risk free crops.