The complete gardener’s sayings calendar, month by month

A calendar passed down from generation to generation

Long before weather apps, every region of France had its own signs for knowing when to sow, prune, or harvest. Some proverbs traveled from one region to another and became universal; others remained characteristic of a specific area, sometimes even in a regional language. Here we have compiled as complete a chronological calendar as possible, month by month, indicating the regional origin whenever it can be identified.

January

• “Prepare your new seeds for Saint Marcel’s Day.” (January 16) — the traditional time to prepare your seeds and growing plan for the year.
• “In mid-January, spread your manure.” (January 15) — nourish the soil in the heart of winter so it will be ready in spring.
• “If it freezes on Saint Vincent’s Day, the wine rises like blood.” / “On Saint Vincent’s Day, the sap rises in the vines.” (January 22) — frost on this date was thought to herald a good wine-growing year, and also marks the grapevine-pruning period.
• “A frosty January means a year of fruit.” — a heavily frosted January was considered a good omen for the upcoming fruit harvest.
• “January gathers the logs, February burns them all.” — January is the month for cutting and storing firewood, which is then burned in February.
• “The first 12 days of January predict the weather for the 12 months of the year.” (Béarn proverb) — an evocative way of encouraging careful observation of the weather at the start of the year.

February

• “If you sow leeks on Saint Agatha’s Day, you’ll get four shoots from one.” (February 5) — a traditional time to sow leeks and onions, even though the cold has not yet gone.
• “February is a good month for sowing carrots and peas.” — a simple guideline for starting the first seasonal sowings under cover.
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• “By Saint Eugenia’s Day, all sowing must be finished.” (February 7) — traditionally marking the end of an initial window for winter sowing.
• “On Saint Valentine’s Day, the vinedresser must have the pruning hook in hand.” (February 14) — confirming that grapevine pruning is in full swing in mid-February.
• “A vine pruned in February fills the basket with grapes.” — February remains a good time to finish pruning the grapevines if it was not done in January.
• “On Saint Honorine’s Day, the hawthorn comes into bud.” — a late-February marker for the appearance of the first buds on hedges.
• “February too mild, spring full of fury.” / “If February has no squalls, all the months will have their troubles.” — an overly mild or calm February would announce an unsettled spring.

March

• “March’s north wind and April’s wind bring wealth to the land.” (Savoyard proverb) — winds at the beginning of spring were thought to herald good harvests to come.
• “Prune on Saint Paulinus’ Day to have large grapes.” (March 1, also attributed to Saint Aubin’s Day in some regions) — another reference point for pruning vines at the very beginning of March.
• “Prune early, prune late, nothing beats pruning in March.” — March remains the reference month for pruning shrubs and fruit trees.
• “Windy March, bountiful orchard.” — March winds were thought to promote the pollination of fruit trees.
• “For Saint Joseph’s Day, prune the garden trees.” / “For Saint Joseph’s Day, the swallow comes and goes.” (March 19) — another reference point for pruning, and a symbolic return of spring.
• “On Saint Cunegund’s Day, the earth becomes fertile again.” (March 3) — it marks the warming of the soil, making it suitable for the first sowings.
• “Sow peas on Saint Patrick’s Day, and you’ll have them whenever you please.” (March 17) — a traditional date considered favorable for sowing peas.
• “Sow your peas on Saint Benedict’s Day, and you’ll have them for three months.” (March 21) — sowing peas at the very beginning of spring ensures a staggered harvest.
• “On Saint Casimir’s Day, mild weather frightens gardeners and ploughmen.” — an early spell of mild weather in early March would be suspicious, often followed by a cold snap.
• “March dust, golden dust.” — a dry March would bode well for the year’s crops.
• “March snow scorches the bud.” — a late snowfall can damage young buds.
• “In March, whoever sows too thickly harvests little.” — a warning against sowing seeds too close together.
• “On March 25, you shall clean the meadows and vine trellises.” (March 25) — the last major spring cleanup.
• “March hammers, April stabs.” — a popular image meaning that March’s bad weather is sometimes only a foretaste of April’s.

April

• “In April, don’t take off a single layer.” — reminds us that it can still freeze in April despite the fine weather.
• “An April flower hangs by a thread.” (variant from Hérault, Gard, and Lozère) — emphasizes the fragility of the first flowers in the face of the last cold spells.
• “On Saint Fulbert’s Day, we get April showers for the winter.” (April 10) — April showers remain frequent.
• “April’s caprice makes flowers fall and plowmen tremble.” — frosts and gusts in April can damage fruit-tree blossoms in full bloom.
• “On Saint George’s Day, sow your barley.” (April 23) — a traditional marker for sowing spring cereals.
• “April makes the flower, and May takes the credit.” — buds form in April, but it is in May that flowering fully reveals itself.
• “April and May are the keys to the year.” — most of the season’s sowing and planting takes place during these two months.
• “When it freezes in March, it freezes just as many times in May.” (Norman saying) — links late spring frosts to the earlier frosts of March.
• “Once the red moon has passed, frost is no longer a concern.” — the period of the “red moon” (mid-April to early May) is traditionally feared for its frosts.
• “In April, prune what is needed, and in May, do as you please.” — April is still a time for measured pruning.

May

• “Always stand firm against the three Ice Saints.” (May 11–13) — Mamert, Pancras, and Servais traditionally mark the end of the risk of late frosts.
• “Ice Saints, beware, for they bring the cold of Saint-Urbain.” (May 25) — extends caution through Saint-Urbain’s Day.
• “Once Saint-Servais has passed, you can sow.” — confirms the end of late frosts: the main spring sowing can begin.
• “After Saint-Angèle, the gardener no longer fears frost.” — a late confirmation that the risk of frost has definitively passed.
• “A rainy May makes the farmer happy.” (Auvergne saying, Cantal) — a wet May is considered a good omen for the harvests to come.
• “In mid-May, winter’s tail, but at Saint-Honoré, there are plenty of green peas.” — a marker for harvesting the first peas.
• “Beans sown on Saint Didier’s Day yield half a setier.” (May 23) — a traditional date considered favorable for sowing beans.
• “May dew fills the granary.” — abundant dew in May was believed to bode well for the harvests.
• “Until May has reached the twenty-eighth, winter is not quite over.” — a reminder to remain cautious until the very end of May.
• “As the gardener, so the garden.” — a timeless reminder that a garden always reflects the care it receives.

June

• “In May, do as you please; in June, eat what comes your way.” — May is the month for every kind of garden work; by June, the first harvests are already arriving.
• “When the cows go out to pasture, sow your leeks.” — the livestock’s return to pasture marks the right time to sow leeks.
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• “Between Saints Peter and Paul, plant the leeks and cabbage.” (June 29) — a traditional window for transplanting leeks and winter cabbage.
• “On Saint Barnabas’s Day, sow the turnips.” (June 11) — a traditional guide for sowing summer turnips.
• “If it rains on Saint Medard’s Day, it will rain forty days later, unless Saint Barnabas comes to stop it.” (June 8–11) — one of the year’s best-known weather proverbs.
• “At Saint Anthony of Padua’s, the weather is always mild.” (June 13) — a traditional sign of fair weather in mid-June.
• “Saint John’s rain carries away the vintner’s pruning shears and the gardener’s basket.” (June 24) — rain on this date was believed to signal poor harvests to come.
• “Too much rain in June, and the gardener is bored.” — Excessive rain in June is believed to encourage disease in young plants.
• “One hoeing is worth two waterings.” — Regular hoeing in June limits evaporation and the need for watering.

July

• “When July begins, sharpen your scythe.” — marks the period for harvesting cereals and mowing grass.
• “Whoever wants fine turnips sows them in July.” — a traditional guide for sowing autumn turnips.
• “At Saint Anne’s, put the meat on the hay and the wheat in the ground.” (Breton proverb, July 26) — marks the end of the hay harvest and the beginning of winter wheat sowing in Brittany.
• “July without thunderstorms, famine in the village.” — an excessively dry July would jeopardize late-summer harvests.

August

• “In August, gather your fruit without delay.” — the height of the harvest season for tomatoes, peaches, and eggplants.
• “On Saint Abel’s Day, make your mirabelle plum preserves.” (August 5) — marks the beginning of the mirabelle plum season.
• “Whoever sows on Saint Lawrence’s Day wastes their seed.” (August 10) — sowing this late in summer would be too late for many crops.
• “When August is good, abundance comes to the household.” / “If August is fine, it is a sign that winter will be good.” — a favorable August is considered a good omen for the whole year.
• “A dry August is good for wine; a wet August is good for oil.” — grapes prefer dry weather, while olives prefer moisture.
• “August rain makes truffles and chestnuts.” — August rains are said to encourage a good harvest of truffles and chestnuts in autumn.

September

• “September is called the May of autumn.” — September is said to offer gardening conditions as favorable as May does in spring.
• “On Saint Onesiphorus’ Day, the sap falls asleep.” (September 6) — symbolically marks the slowing of vegetation.
• “On Saint Regina’s Day, sow your seeds.” (September 7) — a traditional marker for the last autumn sowings.
• “On Saint Apollinaris’ Day, the last sowing of lettuce in the open ground.” (September 12) — the traditional last date for sowing lettuce before winter.
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• “On Holy Cross Day, pick your apples and knock down the walnuts.” (September 14) — a marker for the start of the apple and walnut harvest.
• “On Saint Damian’s Day, walnuts are found all along the roads.” — the walnut harvest traditionally begins in September.
• “From Michaelmas to All Saints’ Day, plough at full speed.” (September 29) — an invitation to make the most of this period to prepare the soil before winter.
• “In September, if the willow blooms, the grapes ripen.” / “In September, fine rain is good for the vines.” — two observations linking September vegetation to grape ripeness.

October

• “October rain, December bread.” (Breton proverb) — autumn rains are said to benefit cereal crops.
• “On Saint Denis’s Day, gather your fruit.” (October 9) — the traditional final window for finishing the orchard harvest.
• “On Saint Luke’s Day, the beet turns to sugar.” (October 18) — the beet, left in the ground all summer, has finished accumulating its sugar.
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• “A little summer may still return around Saint Géraud’s Day.” (October 13) — a spell of warmer weather (Indian summer) is possible in mid-October, without signaling a lasting return of fine weather.
• “Saints Simon and Jude: winter has arrived.” (October 28) — symbolically marks the transition to the cold season.
• “Plow under the new moon, and your harvest will be beautiful.” — one of the few sayings to directly combine the calendar of saints with the lunar calendar.
• “In October, those who do not fertilize well will harvest nothing.” — mulching and fertilizing the soil in October nourish the following spring’s crops.

November

• “On Saint Catherine’s Day, every tree takes root.” (November 25) — the best-known saying in the gardeners’ calendar.
• “Sow your carrots on Saint Catherine’s Day, and they’ll grow nice and plump.” — a variation applied this time to sowing winter carrots under cover.
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• “On Saint Martin’s Day, draw your wine.” (November 11) — traditionally marks the time to taste the year’s new wine.
• “Whoever plants during Advent gains a year’s head start.” — planting at the very beginning of winter gives the roots time to establish themselves well.
• “After Saint Clement’s Day, rain and wind.” (November 23) — announces the arrival of late-autumn bad weather.
• “In November, those who spread no manure harvest nothing.” — the last opportunity to enrich the soil before the full onset of winter.

December

• “Well-sprouted Saint Barbara’s wheat is a sign of abundance to come.” (Provençal tradition, December 4) — wheat is sprouted in small bowls; vigorous growth is said to herald a good year.
• “If Saint Eligius is very cold, the bitter cold will last four months.” (December 1) — a weather saying announcing a long winter when cold arrives early.
• “On Saint Nicaise’s Day, frosts are born.” (December 9) — traditionally marks the arrival of the first severe winter frosts.
• “December takes and does not give back.” — reminds us that vegetation enters complete dormancy.

Vegetable Garden Sayings for Every Month

• “Sow your carrots on Saint Joseph’s Day and pull them up on Saint Michael’s Day.” (March 19 – September 29) — a complete carrot calendar, from sowing to harvest.
• “When primroses bloom, it is time to sow carrots.” — primrose flowering serves as a natural marker for sowing.

Sayings about fruit trees and orchards

• “When February begins, you can prune every fruit tree.” — an old guideline placing the start of fruit-tree pruning in February.
• “Fruit trees have little success when planted too close together.” — emphasizes the importance of proper spacing between trees.
• “Without manure, no good soil; with manure, good fruit for sure.” — highlights the role of soil fertilization in fruit quality.
• “Whoever prunes their tree cares for its descendants.” — good pruning today prepares the tree for healthy growth in the years to come.
• “Trees grafted during the new moon will not bear fruit for thirty years.” — a belief linking the success of grafting to the lunar phase, best taken as a piece of folklore.
• “Cut trees intended for timber during the old moon, so that worms do not infest them.” — wood was traditionally cut during the waning moon, which was believed to protect it from insects.

Sayings about flowers

• “No tree has borne fruit without first having had flowers.” — flowering is a necessary stage before any fruit can develop.
• “The wind does not make all the flowers fall; the sun does not ripen all the fruit.” — calls for moderation: weather hazards never affect the entire garden uniformly.

Where do all these sayings come from?

Most of these sayings circulated from region to region over the centuries and are now considered part of France’s shared oral heritage. A few, however, remain strongly rooted in a specific region or language (Breton, Savoyard, Auvergnat, Béarnais, Provençal, Norman, and so on)—we have indicated this whenever the origin could be identified.

To access our complete collection of sayings and the full lunar calendar:

See our “Gardening with the Moon” page

In summary

From Cantal to Brittany, via Savoie and Provence, every region has its own way of saying the same thing: observe nature to garden better. Pick your favorites!

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