HAHA ! You were quite right, I have been doing some real gardening instead! Agree though, it depends where in France, it's a big place and the north has an English style climate while the south can have either a lush (SW) or mediterranean (SE) climate. Here in the West there are good conditions for growing veg as it is mild.
You can plant just about anything you can in the UK and more of the hotter stuff like tomato, melon and beans. Here many gardeners grow what is called half-dry beans (demi-sec) like Coco de Paimpol, that you let swell in the pod and pick Oct-Nov for eating or freezing, they make lovely casseroles. Also lots of different salad varieties, like lamb's lettuce, chicory endive, winter scaroles and roquette.
There are a few gardening oufits, I prefer Jardiland because it is a bit cheaper but there is Truffaut (pretty but dear) and lots of local places to buy plant starters and seeds. I find that the DIY places (CAstorama, Leroy Merlin) often have cheaper potting mix, tools etc.
In my lot this year I have/could potentially have if it grows :)
garlic, onions, potatoes (white & red), lettuce, roquette, peas, dwarf beens (green/yellow), toms, peppers, chilli, melon, pumpkin, strawbs, gooseberry, raspberry, cape gooseberry, carrot, parsnip, beets, fennel and herbs.
tell me where you are, you can PM me no problem.
