Thanks @GWRS. I am very much a beginner at the mosaic stuff and heve just 3 tiny panels completed. I'm doing a series on marine ply to hang on the old donkey shed which will become the hen house. I thought starting small would be best but it's turned out to be very fiddly with all the small pieces I need to cut and glue so it's been slow going. Never mind. I'll get there.
As for the planting, it's flipping cold at the mo and we're expecting frosts on Monday but then it's set to get warmer again with temps around 8C on Tues, Wed and Thurs with light showers between sunny spells. Perfect planting weather.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Here is Lunar Calender until end November. Moon perigee yesterday (23rd) so have re-commenced details as from 4.41pm this afternoon (24th) as still Root Day. Plant shallots in mild areas and lift root vegatables according to your needs. Break up Clay soils by just pricking and lifting slightly with fork (Do not dig) This breakage will allow microbes to breathe and worms to move freely around improving surface. Spread straw or bracken over bare beds.
25/26th November - New Moon 15.05pm on 26th Moon descending in Libra so Air & Flower days. Cut back shrub roses and treat with prele (Horsetail) purin. Cut back dead growth on shrubs and burn for good woos ash for compost heap. Do not be tempted to cut back grasses yet as birds benefit from seeds and other wildlife from shelter.
27th November - Leaf Day Finish pricking out Spring Cabbage and start blanching chicory. Plant Ivy or Flowering vines against a wall and plant out bare root new hedges.
28/29/30th November - (No gardening before 9.20am on 29th Noued ascending) Fruit Days. In mild areas sow Broad Beans and round as opposed to wrinkled Peas.
Sorry this is done in a bit of a rush. O/H carted off to hospital midnight Friday, In Intensive Care with bacterial throat infection/virus -God knows where he got it from but he can't swallow or talk and not processing oxygen by himself in blood so on sci fi machines. All very Dr Who Tardis stuff -They have stabilised him, but he will be there awhile. Lucky I'm a Doctor's daughter and very grounded. Cannot fault the treatment here in France - He was through Casualty in 10mins and straight to ICare. Looks very frail, not his usual bouncy self at all.
Thank you for your cheery messages. O/H moving to local hospital this afternnon -Out of woods thank goodness. You might have to pay out here but it is worth every penny and you get 80% back.
Will do gardening update Monday as 1st Xmas Market this w/e. Don't know where the time goes!
O/H came out of hospital yesterday so all well with the world. He is not allowed to do anything for a couple of months other than take lots of pills and potions! -But the main thing is that he is on the mend. More Fizz more Oysters!!
Anyway the Weather Report for December is not too bad either which is a relief.
3-12th Dec Likely to be cold and wet with a little snow on moors and hills.
13-17th Dec Slightly milder with 18-20th wet and/or snowy.
21-25th Dec Slight improvement but weather very changeable.
26-28th Dec High risk of natural catastrophes like avalanches/landslides and flooding primarily due to Eclipse of the Sun on 26th but improvement at end of month.
So I suppose that means we may or may not have a white Xmas in some places -either way I need to wrap O/H up warm and keep him indoors -Lucky it is not Peak Season for us and not alot of gardening to do plus no lawn mowing!
On the Garden Front no gardening before 9.15am this morning 5th Dec as Moon apogée.
6/7/8th Dec - Moon ascending in Pisces so Leaf Days. Harvest Brussel Sprouts and Salad crops and if really cold pop fleece over balance in ground and even in greenhouse. Sow some Cress and other indoor salads such as chick peas and soya on window sills.
9th Dec - Fruit & Seed Day as Moon in Aries. Sow more Mange touts and round as opposed to wrinkled peas. (Mice or Voles already seeking out my Broad Beans -suspicious holes in soil!!) Any tips to avoid these attacks apart from NOT having lazy cats welcome!
1/11/12th Dec - (Full Moon on 12th 5.12am) Root Days Under cover dow radishes and short Carrots. Check root veg in clamps and rub off any sprouting shoots from potatoes.
Start ordering new veg and flower seed as suppliers sell out really quickly when we have nothing to do but fill out order forms -Try to be 1st in line! -When I visit the Supermarkets here I always have a quick look at the gardening section and pop a packet of seed into my basket -That way I don't spend a fortune in one hit. I have saved alot of my own seed this year though and a large pile of packets and envelopes is starting to build up!!
Last minute orders for 2 home made Christmas Cakes came in yesterday. So off to beat up oven and check on the invalid! Happy Gardening!
Glad to hear o/h is out of hospital and on the mend and I trust you are keeping well Currently in Indonesia 🇮🇩 , Island of Java Its very warm 35 degrees and 8o % humidity , another week of cruising before back to UK Weather doesn’t sound to good back home
Hi Everyone -AND what an experience GWRS! Despite humidity you must have had a 'ball' -Plus seen some magnificent palnts and trees -Let us know.
Nothing to do in garden at the moment as just so so wet. Stomped round soggy borders today and whilst at a distance the garden looks foul, in actual fact lots of joys are peeping through, reminding me to weed more and pull back edges from border for bunching daffodils to stretch themselves further out. How quick they grow into clumps year on year! No snowdrops yet but lovely Christmas Roses (hellebores) outside in pot. Don't know where they went to in border, seem to be buried under leaf mould. So -what to do on thew run up to Christmas??
22/23 December - Moon descending in Libra so Flower Days. Prune Summer flowering Clematis. Plant Amarylis indoors remembering only to cover half bulb with soil (Don't know why but the label says so -perhaps you know??)
24/25th December -Merry Christmas Moon descending in Scorpio so Leaf Days. Cut some Mistletoe for New Year's Eve remembering to glue severed wound on trees to protect entry of pests or bacteria. Prune Hazels keeping the best cuttings as Pea Sticks.
26th December - No gardening to day as Annual Eclipse of the Sun and Noeud descending -So enjoy Boxing Day and take a break!New Moon 5.13am
27th December - Fruit Day with Moon ascending in Sagittarius. Prune Bush Fruit if no frosts. Lay lots of straw around bases before covering this with compost.
28/29th December-Moon ascending in Capricorn so Root Days. Sow some radishes and carrots under cover mixing them together as radishes will be ready to pull first. Cover lightly with seed compost as opposed to anything heavier -This will ensure even sprouting in low temperatures.
30/31st December Moon ascending in Aquarius so Flower Days In mild areas sow some Autumn Cauliflowers as these will sprout during the cooler months and give an early crop.
In the Polytunnel -My Spring Onions have just sprouted and dahlias are drying out nicely in pots. I usually have a potter around garden on Christmas Day as with only two of us, we just have a normal day following the last Christmas Farmers Market on Christmas Eve.
Hopefully it will be drier next week. I already have the Lunar Weather Diary for 2020 from Jean Marais, but I have not cheated and looked at January -Don't want to know at the moment.
Have a lovely Christmas and we shall speak before New Year! Happy Gardening !
Cheers @biofreak & thanks for all your insights over the year, now the Solstice is behind us, we can look forward to lengthening days and the new season ahead. Regards to all.
Hello , Indonesia 🇮🇩 and Singapore was great , lots of places the rains are late this year However it did rain in Singapore when we arrived , really liked the place went to Gardens by the bay which includes 2 Bio domes , one had a rain forest in it , see it on Goggle
Now with relatives for Christmas week , did take some veg from allotment , however , sprouts this year are so small we didn’t bother with them So many fields flooded and water logged , Hope we get a dry January
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As for the planting, it's flipping cold at the mo and we're expecting frosts on Monday but then it's set to get warmer again with temps around 8C on Tues, Wed and Thurs with light showers between sunny spells. Perfect planting weather.
Currently in Indonesia 🇮🇩 , Island of Java
Its very warm 35 degrees and 8o % humidity , another week of cruising before back to UK
Weather doesn’t sound to good back home
Regards to all.
However it did rain in Singapore when we arrived , really liked the place went to Gardens by the bay which includes 2 Bio domes , one had a rain forest in it , see it on Goggle
Now with relatives for Christmas week , did take some veg from allotment , however , sprouts this year are so small we didn’t bother with them
So many fields flooded and water logged , Hope we get a dry January
Merry Christmas 🎄 & happy new year 🥳