All well with the world here in Normandy apart from wet & windy. 10hr round trip to Lille hospital yesterday for 30min appt!!! Glad I didn't do the driving (hospital taxi) as could look out of window and see massive high tide as we drove over Pont de Normandie highest I have ever seen water in estuary, plus our own marais (Salt water marshes) rising already. Studs have moved their racehorses to higher ground and cows now moved indoors, not normally done until November. Garden a bit battered but still lush and green. Cosmos thriving and roses and dahlias still flowering well. probably because it isn't cold 17c here. Always sad to go home GWRS, sorry you missed your walks.
Well here I am tucked up in hospital in Lille for definitely 3 weeks. Miss my garden and animals plus O/H of course already and only came here last night!! Spent morning doing last minute checks on last batch tomatoes/runner beans and beetroot and left strict instructions with O/H what to pick to eat etc!! Still I bought all my gardening mags with me and have just connected to the internet after a busy morning filling in forms and having xrays/blood tests and a super lunch! Here is the Lunar Calender 12-21st October. 12/13/14th Oct Moon descending in Leo so fruit & seed days.Plant the last strawberries and potted bush fruit. Dig out holes where you intend to plant fruit trees in November/December to allow moisture to penetrate sub surface/frost to kill bacteria and birds to access insects. remove all dead branches and perished fruit from orchards. 15/16/17th Oct New Moon on 16th at 8.31pm Root Days Plant Shallots. Plant onions sown 30/31 August. Thin out Carrots sown 26/27th September.No gardening recommended on 17th before 5.55am Moon perigee (This might seem an unnecessary note but it is recommended in biodynamic circles not to garden 5hrs before or after a Moon perigee (At nearest point to Earth in monthly cycle due to adverse magnetic forces) Spread oldest compost heap on and around flower beds and potager and start New compost heaps. dig up Chicory and leave on surface for several days to allow top growth to die back. 18th Oct Moon descending in Libra so Flower Day. Plant out Pansies and Violas plus other spring flowers sown 5/6th August.Plant out pot grown perennials and shrubs. Lift Dahlias/Cannas/Begonias and Gladioli For storage in a dry frost proof dark place.(I am going to leave my Dahlias in the garden this year as Winters have got so much milder than a few years back...so fingers crossed!!) 19/20th Oct No gardening recommended on 20th after 11.45,am due to noued descending. Take the Chicory that you dug up on the 15/16 or 17th Oct cut back all top growth and bury in boxes of sand water well and keep in a dark well ventilated shelter. Because it is recommended that you sow round as opposed to wrinkled peas on 21-23rd Oct Pop out now and buy them before they are all sold. Obelixx..Have you been to Super U and bought your half price tulips and narcissi yet?!..I found they had a Sale on Saturday and bought 3 Packets of Colour matched Tulips I chose deep purple and white for a change plus some lovely white Thalia narcissi and only paid 2euros a pack (about £1.80) 15 cracking bulbs in each pack. popped them in pots on Sunday so something fresh to look at next Spring. Since starting this I have seen 3 doctors and a Pharmacist in my room all inside 45mins!! Each one said 'What are you writing?' Turned out tobe allied gardeners!!
Keep the comments coming I need to be entertained in here, especially as last doctor told me that due to lockdown in this city, I will probably be here 5-6 weeks!!!!
Interesting your comment about “ super lunch “ , it’s a couple of years ago since I was in hospital and thats not how I would describe NHS food
More pruning & trimming yesterday in garden , garden bin full being collected tomorrow Last Sunday cut my Autumn 🍂 Rasberrys down at allotment, I realised they are in the wrong position so I will move them , hopefully at weekend
Any..This isn't the NHS This is France where stomachs are not allowed to suffer!! Lunch today was local fish in cream & caper sauce.Potato Dauphinoise and a green Herby ratatouille. Apparently there is a hospital garden where you can walk and here are plans to create a potager for the hospital. Lovely shell pink dawn this morning.O/H said it was raining at home but he would still check the Broccoli for caterpillars. True love!!
Sorry just reread this ..using tablet keyboard which seems to change words without me noticing. I meant to start with Ahh.. and of course you cannot have a green ratatouille..I had typed great. Just been given a big bowl of tea (We have soup bowls of tea in hospital which you slurp out of) by French nurse who adores England and remembered that at 4pm we have a cup of tea!!! Sorry this has nothing to do with gardening.But I have just read 2 issues of Gardeners World this morning so I feel excused😊
Fingers crossed you get the shorter "sentence" @Biofreak.
Belgian hospital food is good too, at lunchtime anyway and they bring a bottle of beer for new mums to build up their strength again but "tea" is just a couple of slices of bread, a wedge of cheese and a teeny pot of jam and a yogurt. No beer when I had my new neck and feet but lunches still good. However OH was under strict orders to bring smoked salmon sandwiches on decent wholemeal bread or a pizza for evening visits if he was coming from work and not home.
We've been moving fuchsias down to the polytunnel today and I have som eoak leaf lettuce plugs to plant up in troughs near the house on the sunny side and up on a rusty iron display thingy so I keep them safe from slugs, snails and cold. Tomorrow I need to go and buy fresh straw for the chooks and will look for garlic and maybe even some onion sets or shallots.
Sunny yellow dawn here, under a line of grey clouds which soon shifted to leave big blue bits. Clouding over again now tho.
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)."
Sweet Dreams!! I wouldn't mind a touch of smoked salmon😊 O/H can't visit me though just too far away and not fair to expect him to. We speak twice a day on he phone so that's good for both of us. First-time separated in 50yrs!!!! You have jogged my memory Obelixx to ask him to put the geraniums indoors next w/e.
Yesterday prepared bed for moving autumn raspberries , today moved them , however , lots of extra canes , gave a dozen to 2 other plot holder and put on allotment face book page , still have more available if anybody wants some
Autumn 🍂 well and truly hear , started lighting fires 🔥 , rather than central heating , will cut some wood up tomorrow Best wishes
Posts
Going home tomorrow
Hope your ok
Here is the Lunar Calender 12-21st October.
12/13/14th Oct Moon descending in Leo so fruit & seed days.Plant the last strawberries and potted bush fruit. Dig out holes where you intend to plant fruit trees in November/December to allow moisture to penetrate sub surface/frost to kill bacteria and birds to access insects. remove all dead branches and perished fruit from orchards.
15/16/17th Oct New Moon on 16th at 8.31pm Root Days Plant Shallots. Plant onions sown 30/31 August. Thin out Carrots sown 26/27th September.No gardening recommended on 17th before 5.55am Moon perigee (This might seem an unnecessary note but it is recommended in biodynamic circles not to garden 5hrs before or after a Moon perigee (At nearest point to Earth in monthly cycle due to adverse magnetic forces) Spread oldest compost heap on and around flower beds and potager and start New compost heaps. dig up Chicory and leave on surface for several days to allow top growth to die back.
18th Oct Moon descending in Libra so Flower Day. Plant out Pansies and Violas plus other spring flowers sown 5/6th August.Plant out pot grown perennials and shrubs. Lift Dahlias/Cannas/Begonias and Gladioli For storage in a dry frost proof dark place.(I am going to leave my Dahlias in the garden this year as Winters have got so much milder than a few years back...so fingers crossed!!)
19/20th Oct No gardening recommended on 20th after 11.45,am due to noued descending. Take the Chicory that you dug up on the 15/16 or 17th Oct cut back all top growth and bury in boxes of sand water well and keep in a dark well ventilated shelter.
Because it is recommended that you sow round as opposed to wrinkled peas on 21-23rd Oct Pop out now and buy them before they are all sold. Obelixx..Have you been to Super U and bought your half price tulips and narcissi yet?!..I found they had a Sale on Saturday and bought 3 Packets of Colour matched Tulips I chose deep purple and white for a change plus some lovely white Thalia narcissi and only paid 2euros a pack (about £1.80) 15 cracking bulbs in each pack. popped them in pots on Sunday so something fresh to look at next Spring.
Since starting this I have seen 3 doctors and a Pharmacist in my room all inside 45mins!! Each one said 'What are you writing?' Turned out tobe allied gardeners!!
Keep the comments coming I need to be entertained in here, especially as last doctor told me that due to lockdown in this city, I will probably be here 5-6 weeks!!!!
Happy Gardening!
Last Sunday cut my Autumn 🍂 Rasberrys down at allotment, I realised they are in the wrong position so I will move them , hopefully at weekend
Best wishes
Lovely shell pink dawn this morning.O/H said it was raining at home but he would still check the Broccoli for caterpillars. True love!!
Just been given a big bowl of tea (We have soup bowls of tea in hospital which you slurp out of) by French nurse who adores England and remembered that at 4pm we have a cup of tea!!! Sorry this has nothing to do with gardening.But I have just read 2 issues of Gardeners World this morning so I feel excused😊
Belgian hospital food is good too, at lunchtime anyway and they bring a bottle of beer for new mums to build up their strength again but "tea" is just a couple of slices of bread, a wedge of cheese and a teeny pot of jam and a yogurt. No beer when I had my new neck and feet but lunches still good. However OH was under strict orders to bring smoked salmon sandwiches on decent wholemeal bread or a pizza for evening visits if he was coming from work and not home.
We've been moving fuchsias down to the polytunnel today and I have som eoak leaf lettuce plugs to plant up in troughs near the house on the sunny side and up on a rusty iron display thingy so I keep them safe from slugs, snails and cold. Tomorrow I need to go and buy fresh straw for the chooks and will look for garlic and maybe even some onion sets or shallots.
Sunny yellow dawn here, under a line of grey clouds which soon shifted to leave big blue bits. Clouding over again now tho.
Pruned apple tree in garden and o/h cleaned g/h glass
Just had lunch , time for a little rest with eyes closed
Yesterday prepared bed for moving autumn raspberries , today moved them , however , lots of extra canes , gave a dozen to 2 other plot holder and put on allotment face book page , still have more available if anybody wants some
Autumn 🍂 well and truly hear , started lighting fires 🔥 , rather than central heating , will cut some wood up tomorrow
Best wishes