Had an unexpected day at allotment today , a day without rain , storms due tomorrow Pak Choi has gone to seed Lots of apples but they don’t look very good
Tomatoes still green in greenhouse at home , have had a couple of yellow tomatoes Cucumbers & chillis growing very well
The stream banks are my wild area
Last night I noticed a Muntjac Deer 🦌 in the garden , when he saw me he darted into Hawthorn Hedge , definitely a first
You lucky thing, we occasionally see Muntjaks but usually nearer cities. Our star turns at dawn when I go on the Forest Road are Roe Deer. Have to drive really slowly as they dart out. As a child I remember our local vet driving at speed up to our house, leaping out of her car and opening the back to reveal a dead Fallow Deer which she had found on the road through the Ashown Forest in Sussex 'Quick lay it out on the lawn and I'll butcher it for you!' We dined well for weeks!! Probably not politically correct story to tell nowadays no doubt, but back in the sixties sheer joy. Pouring down today. Glimmer of hope yesterday as sun shone but still too wet to mow. At least it keeps the tourists off the beaches and they come to the Market instead. Sold out of Lemon & Thyme Jelly and Peach & Lavender. Making Lavender Shortbread this afternoon...nothing I can do outside.
Have spent most of the day going to and from Nantes for knee X-ray and follow-up with surgeon. All good but storm Patricia was getting excited by mid afternoon and the driveback over the high bridge across the Loire was interesting. Lots of heavy downpours on the way home but just the odd short shower here so far tho it's getting very blustery. Forecast is for rain tomorrow.
What do you use your lemon and thyme jelly for @biofreak ? Toast or to eat with meats, cheeses etc? I like the sound of it?
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)."
The French tell me it's great to add to pan when sautéeing off chicken or rabbit. I say you can use it as a marinade as well. Lawnmower protested loudly yesterday when asked to mow back lawn. Never got round to front and sides as storms broke again. Did any of you watch The Wonders of The Moon 🌙 Tues/Wed. ? Biodynamic pal coming to tea. Toasting Teabread..that sort of weather! Runner Beans beginning to pod up and at last some Peas.
@biofreak , Hello , unfortunately I forgot to record the Moon program, it got a really good write up in todays News paper , have been so busy sorting out & decorating study , pleased to say it’s finished Its been raining for the last 2 days but going to be nice and sunny tomorrow , so going to allotment , it will be interesting to see what’s what O/H has been making plum & ginger and pear & walnut chutney today , strong smell of vinegar in house at moment
Well this weather has been pretty accurate this month. Water Butts are full and all veg looking good. Picked first Tomatoes 🍅 yesterday and working my way through Belle de Fontenay Potatoes and lady of Spring Onions fast. No idea where ordinary Onions have gone .Total disaster this year. Runner Beans coming on and some more Asparagus coming through French Beans. They definitely work well together. I know I don't need to grow them but they are so rewarding to watch growing. Desperately weeding Flowerbeds in between showers as Couch Grass rampant. Puppy good at helping and Bella Bella the Spanish Greyhound is a great success and OK with the cats just TOO BIG for them to play with! Local butcher supplying me with free bones which I roast off. 19/20/21st August sees the Moon on front of Virgo so Root Days. Sow Winter Radish and Turnips, you have time to try some more Beetroot as well given our longer Autumnal weather. 22/23rd are Flower Days. Take cuttings from Roses, Budlea and in fact all Summer Flowering Shrubs 25/25th August Moon in front of 🦂 Scorpio so Leaf Days. Plant Salads/Cabbage and Cauliflower, cover well with netting to keep off Caterpillars and scatter shredded Tansy/ Mint or Sage amongst young plants to put off 🦋 Butterflies. Talking of which have you seen any Peacock Butterflies this year.? Not one in my garden despite masses of Nettle Patches. Loads of Red Admirals and Swallowtails whose caterpillars adore Fennel. Plus Comas. Common Blues and Meadow Browns. Strange year isn't it? Happy 🏡 Gardening!
Hello , definitely another strange weather year This afternoon have been cutting Hawthorn Hedges , never in 30+ years have I seen so much growth !!!
Allotment , our onions have been very poor this year as well Picked some cabbage which have done well Runner & French beans have finally started producing “ beans” will pick some next week , it’s only me that likes them
So many apples & pears will start picking them next week as well
Need to dig up main crop potatoes 🥔 as all the tops have gone
Only real disappointment is the Autumn Raspberries , lots of growth but no fruit !!!
Pleased to hear dogs have settled in well
At home , have a given Holly tree a major prune as it was out of control
@biofreak , Hello , nice sunny weather started for September and no rain , however , mornings and evening feel very Autumnal
Can’t believe we have flowers on strawberry plants , can’t remember this ever happening before
Lots of empty beds at allotment , covered with membrane or a good layer of horse manure
Talking to allotment holder today , who’s parents live in Northern France ( I should have asked where as it’s a big country ) and she said it’s been colder than normal ?
Hi Everyone Brilliant 2 weeks of Garden Fairs, so not alot of time spent in own garden. However strawberries in full flower too GWRS , maybe a few fruit 🍓 too as September promises to be a warm yet humid month so watch out for mildew and blight. Some of my outdoor tomatoes have succumbed to this but no damage to Courgettes which is odd. 6-17th sees variable temperatures with those awful winds coming back. 18-20th Still mild but wet 22-27th Hotter than seasonal average with potential for storms. 28-30th Drop in temperature..wet and windy Nothing changes then! 5/6/7th September are Root Days so lift balance of potatoes remembering to let them lie out in the sun for a minimum of 12hrs before storing to harden skins and dry off 8/9th September are 🌹 Days Plant out Iris/Narcissi/Crocus and Snowdrops to ensure that they flower before the end of Winter. These are always good bulbs to sow early. 10/11Th September are Leaf Days make sowings of Lambs Lettuce Endive and Winter Lettuce. Ideally buy as plants because this is planting time with the Moon descending. 12/13/14th September are 🍑 Days Harvest all types of Stone Fruit (Plums etc) Cut back Pumpkins to two leaves after formation of fruit to increase nutrients to work harder prior to harvest. (My Melon was the size of a Tennis Ball and absolutely delicious...only a quarter the size of the Supermarket one I took the seed from... don't care the flavour was stunning. 15/16th September Root Days Harvest the last Onions and store the best. Still mowing the lawn every 4/5 days, decided to redesign and enlarge 🌺 flowerbeds for next year Bought a lovely Water lily at the weekend for new Bassin (Cattle Trough Drinker) Aren't they expensive? I'm sure they never used to be. Have you new projects in mind for next year bearing in mind these strange seasons? Change of Crops?Change of area for flowers and shrubs? Tree Surgeon has just removed Leylandi Hedge along one side of garden...towered over house, and I really only wanted it topped so that the pigeons🐦 could stay there, but taken it down to 1.50metres! Actually looks brilliant opening up shady area of about 12square metres so I can plant perhaps climbers up trunks and allow baby Elderflower to grow on and at last Gunnera has more light now. Pigeons have moved into Oak Trees so no major harm done and Woodpeckers and Insects will benefit from trunks. Let's have your news and views. Off on Bio Dynamic Course this weekend, so lots to talk about next week. Happy Gardening.
@biofreak , thanks for update and I trust you are enjoying the various markets
Weather , it’s been really warm , humid and dry , however , weather finally broke this evening with heavy rain Have you ever eaten just the runner bean , beans 🫘 only , it was suggested to me how to deal with large beans that are to stringy to cook & eat ?
Took all the out door tomato plant at allotment up , tomatoes going off and covered the bed with horse manure , until I use it next year
Another plot holder picketed a punnet of strawberries 🍓 today , never happened before !
Chilli 🌶 plants in greenhouse absolutely brilliant
Have been picking and eating sweet corn from allotment , very pleased we have got them before the rats , looks like the wild cats we had a couple years ago could be keeping them down !
I like to grow something I’ve not grown before each year on allotment , still thinking about that one ?
Posts
Had an unexpected day at allotment today , a day without rain , storms due tomorrow
Pak Choi has gone to seed
Lots of apples but they don’t look very good
Tomatoes still green in greenhouse at home , have had a couple of yellow tomatoes
Cucumbers & chillis growing very well
The stream banks are my wild area
Last night I noticed a Muntjac Deer 🦌 in the garden , when he saw me he darted into Hawthorn Hedge , definitely a first
Probably not politically correct story to tell nowadays no doubt, but back in the sixties sheer joy.
Pouring down today. Glimmer of hope yesterday as sun shone but still too wet to mow. At least it keeps the tourists off the beaches and they come to the Market instead. Sold out of Lemon & Thyme Jelly and Peach & Lavender. Making Lavender Shortbread this afternoon...nothing I can do outside.
What do you use your lemon and thyme jelly for @biofreak ? Toast or to eat with meats, cheeses etc? I like the sound of it?
Its been raining for the last 2 days but going to be nice and sunny tomorrow , so going to allotment , it will be interesting to see what’s what
O/H has been making plum & ginger and pear & walnut chutney today , strong smell of vinegar in house at moment
Well this weather has been pretty accurate this month. Water Butts are full and all veg looking good. Picked first Tomatoes 🍅 yesterday and working my way through Belle de Fontenay Potatoes and lady of Spring Onions fast. No idea where ordinary Onions have gone
.Total disaster this year. Runner Beans coming on and some more Asparagus coming through French Beans. They definitely work well together.
I know I don't need to grow them but they are so rewarding to watch growing. Desperately weeding Flowerbeds in between showers as Couch Grass rampant. Puppy good at helping and Bella Bella the Spanish Greyhound is a great success and OK with the cats just TOO BIG for them to play with! Local butcher supplying me with free bones which I roast off.
19/20/21st August sees the Moon on front of Virgo so Root Days. Sow Winter Radish and Turnips, you have time to try some more Beetroot as well given our longer Autumnal weather.
22/23rd are Flower Days. Take cuttings from Roses, Budlea and in fact all Summer Flowering Shrubs
25/25th August Moon in front of 🦂 Scorpio so Leaf Days. Plant Salads/Cabbage and Cauliflower, cover well with netting to keep off Caterpillars and scatter shredded Tansy/ Mint or Sage amongst young plants to put off 🦋 Butterflies.
Talking of which have you seen any Peacock Butterflies this year.? Not one in my garden despite masses of Nettle Patches. Loads of Red Admirals and Swallowtails whose caterpillars adore Fennel.
Plus Comas. Common Blues and Meadow Browns. Strange year isn't it?
Happy 🏡 Gardening!
This afternoon have been cutting Hawthorn Hedges , never in 30+ years have I seen so much growth !!!
Picked some cabbage which have done well
Runner & French beans have finally started producing “ beans” will pick some next week , it’s only me that likes them
So many apples & pears will start picking them next week as well
Need to dig up main crop potatoes 🥔 as all the tops have gone
Only real disappointment is the Autumn Raspberries , lots of growth but no fruit !!!
At home , have a given Holly tree a major prune as it was out of control
We have another week of nice weather to come
Can’t believe we have flowers on strawberry plants , can’t remember this ever happening before
Lots of empty beds at allotment , covered with membrane or a good layer of horse manure
Brilliant 2 weeks of Garden Fairs, so not alot of time spent in own garden. However strawberries in full flower too GWRS , maybe a few fruit 🍓 too as September promises to be a warm yet humid month so watch out for mildew and blight. Some of my outdoor tomatoes have succumbed to this but no damage to Courgettes which is odd.
6-17th sees variable temperatures with those awful winds coming back.
18-20th Still mild but wet
22-27th Hotter than seasonal average with potential for storms.
28-30th Drop in temperature..wet and windy
Nothing changes then!
5/6/7th September are Root Days so lift balance of potatoes remembering to let them lie out in the sun for a minimum of 12hrs before storing to harden skins and dry off
8/9th September are 🌹 Days Plant out Iris/Narcissi/Crocus and Snowdrops to ensure that they flower before the end of Winter. These are always good bulbs to sow early.
10/11Th September are Leaf Days make sowings of Lambs Lettuce Endive and Winter Lettuce. Ideally buy as plants because this is planting time with the Moon descending.
12/13/14th September are 🍑 Days Harvest all types of Stone Fruit (Plums etc) Cut back Pumpkins to two leaves after formation of fruit to increase nutrients to work harder prior to harvest. (My Melon was the size of a Tennis Ball and absolutely delicious...only a quarter the size of the Supermarket one I took the seed from... don't care the flavour was stunning.
15/16th September Root Days Harvest the last Onions and store the best.
Still mowing the lawn every 4/5 days, decided to redesign and enlarge 🌺 flowerbeds for next year
Bought a lovely Water lily at the weekend for new Bassin (Cattle Trough Drinker) Aren't they expensive? I'm sure they never used to be. Have you new projects in mind for next year bearing in mind these strange seasons? Change of Crops?Change of area for flowers and shrubs?
Tree Surgeon has just removed Leylandi Hedge along one side of garden...towered over house, and I really only wanted it topped so that the pigeons🐦 could stay there, but taken it down to 1.50metres!
Actually looks brilliant opening up shady area of about 12square metres so I can plant perhaps climbers up trunks and allow baby Elderflower to grow on and at last Gunnera has more light now.
Pigeons have moved into Oak Trees so no major harm done and Woodpeckers and Insects will benefit from trunks.
Let's have your news and views.
Off on Bio Dynamic Course this weekend, so lots to talk about next week.
Happy Gardening.
Weather , it’s been really warm , humid and dry , however , weather finally broke this evening with heavy rain
Have you ever eaten just the runner bean , beans 🫘 only , it was suggested to me how to deal with large beans that are to stringy to cook & eat ?
Another plot holder picketed a punnet of strawberries 🍓 today , never happened before !
Have been picking and eating sweet corn from allotment , very pleased we have got them before the rats , looks like the wild cats we had a couple years ago could be keeping them down !