Spring in the Castle Garden in Otočec

The sun ensures a spring harvest

The southern position of the Castle Garden, with plenty of sun exposure, allows for early sowing and thus provides us with a harvest already in early spring. We grow asparagus, radishes, early lettuce … The restaurants of both hotels in Otočec are also supplied for most of the year with the highest-quality vegetables and herbs, and since we harvest them at their edible ripeness, they have a full flavor and high nutritional value. Our guests appreciate this the most.

A no-dig garden

The garden is designed to allow cultivation without digging, and since we can reach the beds from both sides, we do not walk on them. Before planting and sowing, this spring—already for the fourth year—we will cover them with mature, highly humus-rich compost, so the use of mineral fertilizers will not be necessary at all. We will restore the paths and prepare mulch to prevent weed growth. This year, we will also use straw for this purpose. And since we planted garlic and onions already in autumn, there is already quite a bit of green in the garden these days …

We plan together with master chefs

We prepared the planting plan for vegetables and herbs together with our chefs, as we sow and plant in the garden what is needed in our kitchens. We already have enough experience to manage crop rotation appropriately and in a timely manner, ensuring a steady supply of vegetables throughout the entire season.

We are already planting and sowing

On the prepared beds, we will first sow lettuce, radishes, and parsley, and plant spring onions and leeks. This will be followed by planting fingerling potatoes and sweet potatoes; we will also sow bush beans, chard, spinach, celery, carrots, beetroot, and kohlrabi. Shortly after, we will plant seedlings of broccoli, cauliflower, early cabbage, fennel, cucumbers, and zucchini. Finally, we will transfer seedlings of various tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants to the beds.

We also have raised beds

In the raised beds, we will alternately grow mini carrots and red radishes. In the beds with perennial herbs and aromatic plants, we will additionally plant marigold, mint, rosemary, chamomile, echinacea, and more. Recently, we also planted some fruit trees and berry plants, and we will soon prune and rejuvenate the existing raspberries and fruit trees.

Prepare something delicious – asparagus with eggs

Ingredients: 2 eggs (free-range), 1 bunch of asparagus cut into pieces, 1 teaspoon of olive oil, ½ clove of garlic, a pinch of salt, pepper, parsley

Fry sliced young asparagus in olive oil. Add chopped garlic and beaten eggs. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve with a piece of homemade buckwheat bread with walnuts and a glass of good wine. Enjoy your meal!

This year, we are planning to set up a greenhouse in the garden – so that our kitchens can have access to some home-grown vegetables and herbs such as lettuce, lamb’s lettuce, carrots, parsley, chives … even when they are not naturally in season here.