Gosh you have all been busy! I did get most of my List done but it took 3 days not one morning! Anyway Shallots and Red Onions planted in in Orange Boxes. Thought I had lost tomatoes/courgettes and cucumbers as whole Polytunnel blew away Monday including contents!!!! Joy of joys found Seedtrays of T/C/Cucs tucked in between 2 buckets unscathed, plus starting to sprout!! So something came out of damage. O/H pushed Polytunnel Frame back into place and since then I have been generally tidying up like you Obelixx. Oh -A ginger and white kitten sporting a very smart peach collar blew in through the French Doors of our bedroom with my motley crew 3am Tuesday morning. No idea where he came from. Now have to trace owners and we are NOT allowed to visit neighbours and the Mayor's office is shut due to the 'lockdown' -Photos and notices will have to suffice around the village. -He's a nice little chappie but definately due to be neutered, so not allowed in house. Must be about 5mths old. Will take him to the vet next week if not claimed and see if he is chipped (which is not likely as they normally do that here when they neuter) -Next step neuter him -So we may end up with five cats!
Here is the Lunar Calender 14th - 24th April
14th April -Fruit Day with Moon ascending in Sagittarius. If you can keep 18-20C sow Courgettes/Cucumbers and Pumpkins. Start grafting fruit trees (We have loads of blossom on the Crab Apple -So pleased)
15/16/17th April - Root Days -To deter Onion and Carrot Fly sow Carrots between rows of Leeks. Pop in some Turnips now and sow some onions for pulling as Salads or chopped Leaves in handy corners of the Herb Garden.
18/19th April - Flower Days. Moon ascending in Aquarius. Sow Annuals where they are to Flower and cover sparingly with light compost. Remember to sow some in the POtager between vegetables to attract bees.
21/21/22nd April - Leaf Days. No gardening on 20th after 3pm as Moon apogée. In a well exposed Nursery Bed sow Celery and Swiss Chard. Sow some Salad crops where they are to be harvested, thin them as young leaves, and mix and match to create Mesclun.. Under Tunnels or fleece sow some fennel, remebering to keep the soil moist.
23/24th April -Fruit Days again. If mild enough sow Melons and Cucumbers.
No moles here yet Obelixx, but Pushkin good at getting rid of them. Looking forward to seeing the first house martins and swallows. Take Care all of you. Keep the messages coming and Happy Gardening!
We have swallows, or maybe house-martins. Not close enough to see yet.
We had a young ginger cat visit us yesterday and catch its lunch over by the pond and right under the noses of our pair. I reckon he's a young farm cat from next door and has to work hard for his food or he wouldn't be so bold but he scarpered once Bonzo dog spotted him. For an 11 yr old Labrador with a new knee he can't half shift!
I sowed some cavolo nero last weekend and have lots of babies so I shall try sowing PSB this weekend. Neither available as seeds or plants of veggies here. Other than that, weeding the rose beds and, with any luck, doing some planting tomorrow.
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)."
Widening flower borders at the moment before soil bakes hard for Summer. Found some baby Lupins and Rudbecka so transplanted them and scattered presents of annual flower seeds from mystery pack sent by O/H cousin in UK. Love surprises!!! Broccoli doing really well grown on in greenhouse throughout Winter and then planted out in raised bed late March. Aim is to beat the Cabbage White -Will let you know if it works. Courgettes/Cucumbers and Tomatoes have sprouted. -Glass greenhouses in France are a horren dous price in France, which is why everyone has polytunnels. It's my own fault top blows away, I ordered a replacement and when it arrived it was too big. O/H has offered to add extension to Tunnel -Waiting for it!!! -All Garden Centres shut which is really frustrating as now people fighting over supplies in Garden Section in Supermarkets. Luckily I have plenty of home grown compost so should be OK. Gardening Association failed to deliver Seed Compost due to confinement and closure of Supplier!
Finished weeding Rockery. Boots the Bengal ratting again! -Wish neighbour did not have hens. Told other cats to concentrate on voles and mice as Mange touts munched -obviously Kelvedon Wonder Peas next door not up to standard as they have been left alone (Thank Goodness!)
We grow our brassicas outside under new butterfly netting and hoops (bought last autumn) altho OH put some ordinary green mesh on the end when he put the mesh back up last week and I'm not convinced it's fine enough.
next to it is the garlic doing well.
Sowed some PSB yesterday and the cavolo nero I sowed last weekend are doing well. No gardening today as it's so wet we're both doing h****work!
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)."
Hello , had to fill my garden water butts today from stream , hardly any rain For weeks and more sunny 😎 days to come but we are getting some very cold winds
Going to allotment tomorrow
Seeds coming up nicely in greenhouses , if they all germinate we will be ok
Lots of talk in Newspapers that garden centres should open ! Two local to us have started doing home deliveries but minimum spend of £50 , pleased to say don’t really need anything
It's raining!!! Hurray! - I was getting a bit worried about water levels in Butts due to heat of last few days meaning that I had to refresh raised beds and pots. Still a few showers will set things right. Normally this w/e would see us at Salon des Fleurs at Val de Reuil near Evreux south of Rouen. Actually quite glad they cancelled -Temp down there 25C plus usually very humid with no air movement. Only disappointed becuase some superb plantsmen whom we will miss again at Evreaux in May as that is cancelled too. Still there is always next year, and if I'm honest I don't really need anything -just get led astray!!
Voles 10 -Me 0 -All Mangetouts devoured. Replaced them with White Onion sets Snowball which I pull as Spring Onions June/July -hoping smell will make them move house. Cats useless!!! Popped some more Oregan Giant Mangetouts in different place yesterday -Fingers crossed. - Your Butterfly netting looks very good Obelixx -Where did you get it?
Would do Mail Order but Post Offices still shut here (As are Banks).
Here is Lunar Calender 25th-30th April
25/26/27th April - Moon ascending in Taurus so Earth and Root Days. Sow some Turnips and Parsnips where they are to be harvested as they do not transplant well (Unless you know otherwise??) Keep moist and cover with twigs to stop Birds picking out seeds.
28/29th April - Change from Moon ascending to descending 4.21pm on 28th in Gemini so Air and Flower Days -Plant Dahlias/Cannas/Begonias/Gladioli and Container grown perrenials. Plant up Pots with Annuals and transplant Cauliflower and Broccoli from Nursery Bed to final positions. Prick out Geraniums and Petunias sown 23/24 Feb.
30th April Leaf Day - Prune evergreen hedges, carry out topiary.
Such a shame we have no Bio Club Meetings at the moment -I can't give you any new tips and ideas that we don't all really know already. Perhaps one might help though -If you normally use Sand and Seed Compost together to sow small seed like carrots or flowers -Try replacing sand with used dried coffee grains -Works a treat and deters slugs.
Well that's it -back to the end of the month again - It really is wonderful having a garden during this time -everything feels as though it is growing and the different shades of green are fabulous. My Lily of the Valley have gone beserk and I hope they will be in flower for May Day. They have rooted really well and don't seem to have minded moving house 5 times!!! As for Gunny the Gunnera -Full of joy and getting bigger! -He is next to a Chinese Rhubarb which is taking well -They both like the Bog Garden which is now finished and together with the Hostas -Look splended.
Posts
Decided to put main crop potatoes 🥔 in , Maris Piper , not grown these before
All the seeds in g/h are starting to come up , always exciting .
Another Cat 🐈 added to your tribe , hope he is getting on with the others
Its very dry hear , all my water butts at home are now empty , will have to fill them up from the stream that run at the side of the garden
Would a greenhouse be better for you instead of a poly tunnel ?
Stay safe
We had a young ginger cat visit us yesterday and catch its lunch over by the pond and right under the noses of our pair. I reckon he's a young farm cat from next door and has to work hard for his food or he wouldn't be so bold but he scarpered once Bonzo dog spotted him. For an 11 yr old Labrador with a new knee he can't half shift!
I sowed some cavolo nero last weekend and have lots of babies so I shall try sowing PSB this weekend. Neither available as seeds or plants of veggies here. Other than that, weeding the rose beds and, with any luck, doing some planting tomorrow.
We grow our brassicas outside under new butterfly netting and hoops (bought last autumn) altho OH put some ordinary green mesh on the end when he put the mesh back up last week and I'm not convinced it's fine enough.
next to it is the garlic doing well.
Sowed some PSB yesterday and the cavolo nero I sowed last weekend are doing well. No gardening today as it's so wet we're both doing h****work!
Going to allotment tomorrow
Seeds coming up nicely in greenhouses , if they all germinate we will be ok
Lots of talk in Newspapers that garden centres should open ! Two local to us have started doing home deliveries but minimum spend of £50 , pleased to say don’t really need anything