The netting and hoops came from France Rurale. Any good local CAVAC or similar or a GC should have them. They're allowed to be open here for sales of animal feeds and edible plants but that doesn't stop them selling other stuff.
As for Post Offices, our local ones are closed too but the big ones in Luçon and La Roche-s-Y are open so google and see where your nearest available PO is.
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)."
Thanks for info. Just haven't seen that quality up here, and Garden Centres and DIY stay shut except to Trade. Our 2 big P/Os are open but not the counters for depots/retraits -only to post parcels. Mayors are giving Bon d'Achats 50Euros to pensioners who cannot withdraw their pensions so that they can do their shopping -dreadful situation to bein. Our p/os don't have ATMs due to vandalism by tourists!!! -Can't fault many things in France but this is 'ridicule'!
Our POs have their ATMs inside. The white mesh insect netting is good stuff and I also bought the green plastic hoops which are hollow and sold in different lengths for bening over a bed or frame? I used 5mm metal rods (builders merchant) cut to about 30cm and half buried in the sides of the bed to hold the hoops.
However, when I rotate the crops it will all have to be dismantled so I'd like to make a frame like GH had when he did Gardeners' World as that means the whole thing could be lifted and moved in one go and also propped out of the way for weeding, feeding, harvesting.
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)."
Just haven't stopped gardening since Sunday am, as weather ideal!! -and RAIN today -joy!
I planted 16 Cherokee Potatoes in Raised Bed and 4 single tubers in 4 pots to see what yield was like. Trying new Clamp 'Butte' Method in R/bed. Base wet newspaper, then layer of dry lawn mowings, then layer of potatoes, then layer of home grown compost then earth up as they sprout alternating lawn mowings with compost. -Cashing in on rainy period to water bed for me.
Yesterday I cleared lat year's Bean and Sald Bed and sowed Chaggia/Crapedine and Burpee's Golden Beetroot, plus Polish Parsnips (Picture looked like parsnips but lettuce type seed inside) -Don't know what to expect from it but like adventures. Then line of Flat Leaf Parsly as companion. I have let Chervil flower as hoverflies have gone berserk over it. AND Rhubarb has appeared!!! In the middle of Forget me nots. Also 1st Dahlia sprouted in Border Bed and we have loads of gooseberries fruiting up, So -ceremonial War Dance carried out all round Potager to celebrate!! -Is it just me or do you whoop with joy when new things sprout etc?!
Cats redeemed -They have found the voles -6 in quick succession so all's well with the world!
Finally had some rain this afternoon , just finished cutting lawns , garden & allotment both needed it Rhubard at allotment is doing rather well pulling some for us and neighbours , infact had some this morning for breakfast with oats & yoghurt Also cutting Aspargus
O/H repotted so plants in g/h and put some chickpeas in pots to see if they will germinate ? I See cat 🐈 tribe are earning there living again
Made a note to send you some more rain GWRS as brace yourselves for May -LunarWeather Calender prophesies HOT HOT & HOTTER!!!! To clarify- 1-14th Gradual rise in temperatures with variable wind speeds in particular on 7th when warmer wind comes from the South. 15-16th Expect Thunderstorms with heavy rain. 17-22nd Sunny days with rise in temperatures on higher ground. From 23rd Temperatures steadily rising. Sneaked a quick look at June and 6-15th wet weather predicted -So get some more rain barrels (In my case dustbins) and store what you can. (Source: Jean Marais)
Here is the Lunar Calender 1st -15th May:-
1/2/3rd May -Moon descending in Leo so Fruit and Seed Days. Plant out Aubergines/Peppers and Chilies sown 18-20th Feb. Prick out Tomatoes sown 17-18th March. Plant out Tomatoes sown 29th Feb. Plant out Courgettes/Cucumbers and Pumpkin family sown 13-14th April and Melons sown 27th March. Keep all of these under Tunnels or Cloches for the time being.
4/5/6th May - Moon descending in Virgo so Earth & Root Days. On 6th No gardening before 9.10am Moon perigée. Plant out Leeks sown 1-3rd March (Top and Tail them before planting to strengthen Stem growth) -Did any of you try this last year?. Thin out Parsnips sown 29/30th March. Prick out Celeriac sown 1-3rd March
7th/8th May -Full Moon 11.45am on 7th. Flower Days. Prune Spring flowering shrubs if they have finished flowering. Plant out Begonias (sempiflorens) and Pelargoniums (as opposed to Geraniums) sown 27-28th January. Thin out Flower seedlings sown 18-19th April in flower beds -mine are just sprouting so won't interfere.
9th May - Moon descending in Scorpio so Stem and Leaf Days. Plant Herbs. Mow lawns and plant out Cabbage and Brussel Sprouts sown 24-26th March. Prick oout Celery sown 20-22nd April.
10/11/12th May (12th up to3.30 when it changes in favour of Root Day) - Moon rising in Sagittarius so Fruit Days. No gardening on 10th before 3.05pm as Noeud descending. Sow some Beans (At last! I've been waiting for the go ahead for this -despite Moon, weather has just not been right -Have you sown yours already perhaps??) Both Climbing and Dwarf can be sown now in pockets of 5-8 seeds for Climbers and in lines of singles for Dwarf.
13/14th May - Root Days. Sow some Beetroot (BioD note Soak seeds overnight for quicker growth) Keep bed damp. Sow chicory and Winter Leeks.
Are you trying any new methods this year? Are you trying any new varieties? Are you repeating and new varieties that you tried last year? Have you any firm favourites that you really would not swap? -Let us know -We value your input on this Thread.
Lockdown finishes in our region of France 11th May -Garden Centres open again HURRAY!!!
Hello , thanks for the rain and update , we had a couple of Wet days which has definitely helped Just looked at BBC forecast for next week and it looks good & sunny 😎 more gardening & allotment I think Next week
Government reviewing look down on the 7th next week , for phase 2 , whatever that is
Garden centres still closed and supermarkets sold out of seeds which is good , if it encourages people to do more gardening but difficult to try and find some thing new , they are also selling a lot more plants 🌱 . I do like seed tapes from a Lidl
The Village Produce Show in July has already been cancelled
Having soaked Beetroot seeds prior to sowing, it hasn't stopped raining since, so I suppose they will now rot!!! Got some Tigerella Tomatoes (present from UK) sown on Sunday plus popped in some Melon seed that I had saved from stunning M, we ate last year. I am resisting putting Courgette plants outside yet as weather just not right. Chick peas really popular here to grow GWRS, especially in South of France. Apparently they make excellent flour to make flatbreads -Moroccan influence I suppose around Marseilles.
All Fairs on hold until Sept, but Street Markets open again 14th May so O/H will be extra busy as I am in isolation for a further 6-8 weeks. -Actually thoroughly enjoying my own company, can't understand why UK Tv seems to be permanently showing families and indeed individuals seemingly in complete confusion -even those with gardens!
Countryfile was a joy on Sunday, I think that they have done an excellent job re-hashing the programme due to lockdown. Now that's what life should be like -Calm!!
Cats in overdrive hunting. They do however have their eye on my pair of Robins which really are far too tame for comfort, one sat on my foot whilst I was drinking a cup of tea in the Potager, whilst the other sat on the back of my chair (with me in it) - They don't move too far when the cats approach and that worries me -Still survival of the fittest and all that -Luck of the Draw. -The shades of green in the hedgerow are stunning, we have Hazel/Dogwood/Elder/Sloe and young Oaks -Even though the Council cut our hedge in error, it really has re-grown remarkably well. I am keeping the brambles as last year the blackberries were superb -Talking of which how are your Bush Fruit. Looks as though we may have a bumper crop of Rasps/Strawbs/G/berries and Currants. I have not weeded around them as BioD and permaculture recommends that you leave in place or cut and leave grass as mulch around bushes, particularly if hot Summer likely. Also apparently confuses birds (I'll wait and see!). Put up 2 more raised beds from wood left over last year. One for Salads (Good deterrent against dogs cocking legs) the other for Beans.
No doubt you have been making up for loss time since 11th May, I hope that any of you who had to temporarily give up visiting allotments and gardening centres have now started to get things back on kilter. Luckily it is early enough in the season to make up for any shortfalls. The Saints de Glace (Ice Saints) certainly made their mark 11/12/13th May with icy and frosty conditions for most of us. Courgettes were not amused. It is believed in France that once the Saints de Glace are out of the way, there will be no more danger from frost and we can plant and sow away. (Bit like our UK St Swithins)
We lost our beloved 23yr old Norman Ginger man on Sunday. He came out of the woods and found us as a kitten many moons ago, tempted by a slice of Pork Pie on a return trip from UK! -We found his mother shot by hunters in the wood, and he had appeared to have been living in an adjacent barn. Anyway, he never let any humans near him except us so we were very honoured to gain his trust - He had been ageing rapidly during the last month or two, and whilst the vet did tests etc, he was fine apart from needing some extra Thiamine daily.
On Sunday morning he wandered across the lawn to see me, and gave me that deep meaningful look that only animals can give -I picked him up and placed him over my shoulder and we had a walk around the garden and down to the fields. He whispered lots of sweet nothings in my ear asked to be put on the ground and we walked slowly together back to the house. Later in the afternoon as the weather was turning for the worse, he asked to go outside. -We never saw him again. -I feel his time was right and he went off in search of a quiet corner. I write this at a time of sadness at the loss of Nigel to Monty Don. Those of us who have pets cannot help to be forever moved and surprised at the circle of life.
Obelixx did you get down to Aldi and buy their 6 pack heritage varieté of tomatoes?? O/H bought me a pack yesterday: Ananas Noir/Andine Cornue/Noire de Crimée/Rose de Berne/Rouge Russe and Green Zebra. Nice chunky little things, and of course I can take cuttings to get a couple more plants out of each.
Here is the Lunar Calender 15-24th May (Interesting piece about the Sun on the Today programme this morning -entering its 11yr cycle with less hot spots than usual)
15-16th May - Flower Days with Moon ascending in Virgo. Sow Cauliflowers and Brocolli in Nursery Bed plus Summer and Winter Radish.
17//18/19/20th May (Gosh that's alot!) Leaf Days but beware 18th as Moon apogée so no gardening recommended. Moon in Pisces and this alignement is always good for sowing all salads. Sow Artichokes (Cardons not Jerusalem) Brussel Sprouts and Cabbage.
21st May -Only one Fruit Day so make the most of it sowing Courgettes/Cucumbers and Melons.
22/23/24th May - Moon ascending in Taurus so Root Days. Sow Carrots. On 24th Noeud ascending so avoid gardening.
Wishing all of you Good Health and Happy Gardening!
Hello , so sorry to hear your news about Norman Ginger but you obviously provided him with a good life Although garden centres opened Wednesday we will leave going to one until it calms down a bit , somebody at allotment went to one but you would have had to queue for an hour & half , they didn’t bother Still finding plenty to do in garden & allotment
Thanks for update , weather is still good , Never done a much watering , have had a couple frosts as well Picking lots of Rhubard & Aspargus , just started picking raddish & spring onions
Posts
As for Post Offices, our local ones are closed too but the big ones in Luçon and La Roche-s-Y are open so google and see where your nearest available PO is.
However, when I rotate the crops it will all have to be dismantled so I'd like to make a frame like GH had when he did Gardeners' World as that means the whole thing could be lifted and moved in one go and also propped out of the way for weeding, feeding, harvesting.
Rhubard at allotment is doing rather well pulling some for us and neighbours , infact had some this morning for breakfast with oats & yoghurt
Also cutting Aspargus
I See cat 🐈 tribe are earning there living again
Just looked at BBC forecast for next week and it looks good & sunny 😎 more gardening & allotment I think Next week
Government reviewing look down on the 7th next week , for phase 2 , whatever that is
Garden centres still closed and supermarkets sold out of seeds which is good , if it encourages people to do more gardening but difficult to try and find some thing new , they are also selling a lot more plants 🌱 . I do like seed tapes from a Lidl
Although garden centres opened Wednesday we will leave going to one until it calms down a bit , somebody at allotment went to one but you would have had to queue for an hour & half , they didn’t bother
Still finding plenty to do in garden & allotment
Thanks for update , weather is still good , Never done a much watering , have had a couple frosts as well
Picking lots of Rhubard & Aspargus , just started picking raddish & spring onions
Stay safe