GWRS Thank you for your message, at last life is getting back to normal. Came back from brilliant trip round Scotland and Ireland (2 weeks later than anticipated so sorry for silence) to find builder who had bought land next door had cut our telephone cable with his bulldozer. That was 10 days ago and we have only had the repair done this morning.
Garden like a jungle when we retuned but what a joy to find loads of courgettes and mangetouts and peas and runner beans and potatoes and kohlrabi and carrots and turnips all ready to harvest and freeze -Seems being away did the garden more good than being here!!! Anyway I am fine having just recovered from what was quite a traumatic experience scattering Mother's ashes at sea. felt very surreal and worse because I was on my own. Anyway all behind me now and I can get back to basics. The postman looked after my cats whilst I was away and they are thriving and out of control as usual. We were in the Highlands at 17degrees when you were having the high 30sC and France 40sC so we were delighted to be cool.
Weather report for August says very variable with rain and local flooding up until the 19th then increasingly high temperatures from 19th -31st with some beautiful days but risks of heavy storms. -Not like any August I remember. The more rain the merrier for me -water butts are empty again and although I revived the tomatoes in the greenhouse who were distinctly peeky on our return, they still have not quite recovered although bearing fruit and I have had to resort to tap water which I don't like using.
The Lunar Calender for 7-14 August is as follows.
7/8th August -Flower Days. Moon descending in Libra so Air and Flower Days. Plant Irises and Day lilies plus other Summer Corms and Bulbs. Take cuttings from pelargoniums and geraniums.In case of mildew attacks on roses spray with milk or ideally buttermilk diluted 10-20% in water.
9/10th August - Moon descending in Scorpio so Water , Stem and Leaf Days. If you intend to lay new turf or sow a new lawn in September, start to prepare the ground now. Dig and rake it over and let the weeds grow (Called a 'false' sowing) They will be ready to hoe off 6th September thus allowing you to sow seed or lay turf with no seconds weed seeding. Thin out Chicory and Lambs Lettuce and Salad crops now to guarantee a good harvest in early October. Sow Rocket and Winter Lettuce.
11/12/13th August - No gardening after 10.40am on the 12th Moon changes from descending to ascending at 5.23am and this changeover causes friction and there is also a noued descending. (In these circumstances and in an ideal world allow 5hrs before and 5hrs after before you garden again) Fruit Days as Moon in Sagittarius. Carry out grafting of fruit trees. Harvest tomatoes for conserving and make up ratatouille for the freezer with aubergines, courgettes and peppers. Fruit days are ideal for this job.
I promise not to disappear again for such a long time but extenuating circumatsances and all that! -Really sorry and hope none of you have been too waterlogged and gardens are in good fettle. Let us have your comments -All welcome on this Thread. -Garden Fairs start in ernest again 23rd August for 8 weeks so plenty to look forward to.
Hello , cut phone line unfortunate accident , shame it took so long to repair Glad you had a good trip to the U.K. , always nice to get back home again , even if garden looks like a jungle This hot weather we have been having has caused lots of items to bolt eg lettuce 🥬, broccoli. Been away for a few days and the peas have gone over Other items are only just started ie tomatoes 🍅 & cucumbers 🥒 Lots of rain of a night which is ideal Spent yesterday at allotment , I did lots of pruning , have a huge pile for burning O/H picked the rest of our Blueberries , which I put in a fruit cage last year , most successful Glad to hear cats are well Is August still the main holiday month in France 🇫🇷?
Yes August is the main holiday month -Great for business as loads of tourists but murder if you want a plumber etc as all on holiday!!! Met three people last week with tooth problems who could not find a dentist open -had to go to hospital!!
Can't grow blueberries here as I believe that they need acid soil. Raspberries and strawberries great if you can beat the birds to them! Fleeced my strawberries for the 1st time this year and that worked, but everything seems to be able to work its way under the raspberries so lost the lot. I know a fruit cage would be the answer but not viable as only narrow border available for raspberries as so many other goodies to grow.
Lost peas whilst we were away to heatwave. runners coming on well despite being knocked over by last w/e winds. Greenhouse cover blew off and tomatoes not at all happy. Gave them Valerian and Comfrey Tea and that did the trick -Now they are full of joy and waiting for new tunnel cover to arrive end next week to tuck them back up. Sowed broccoli to pop in pots and overwinter in greenhouse as I did last year. Hopefully this late sowing will miss caterpillars who are rampaging around brassicas at the moment. Picking them off every day, but still seem to miss one or two.
Will give next update tomorrow. Obelxx -are you OK??
Hello , I have 4 blueberry plants in compost bags ( with holes ) in the ground but bags are full of ericasous compost , planted them at the end of last year and they have done really well French beans & sweet corn are doing well , beetroot & carrots finally growing
Sorry to hear about g/h cover , my only damage I’m pleased to say with the winds was 2 fence posts at allotment , temporary repair done
here is the Lunar Calender for 14th-28th August as I have 3 Garden Fairs coming up so no time in between to update: New greenhouse cover arrived today -O/H now in charge before storms hit again this w/e (Actually may wait until next week as don't want to lose this one as well!
14/15th August - Full Moon on 15th 1.29pm. Root Days. Time to sow onions in mild areas to overwinter.
16/17th August - Moon ascending in Aquarius so Flower Days.Harvest Broccoli/Cauliflowers and Artichokes. Graft Roses. Sow Pansies and Violas in Nursery Bed.
18/19/20/21st August -Gosh that's a long time for Leaf Days but plenty to do. Sow Lamb's Lettuce/Chinese Cabbage and Chinese Leaves for late Salads and Spinach. In Nursery Bed sow Cabbages.
22nd August -Moon ascending in Aries so Fruit Day. Process and save tomato seed from favourite types this year. Choose really ripe fruit and squeeze seeds out into jar of water. wait until next day then wash away residue and dry seed on kitchen paper then store in envelopes in cool dry place until next sowing season.
23/24/25th August - Moon ascending in Taurus so Root Days again. Sow Turnips and keep soil moist until they sprout. Last chance to sow Winter Radish or 'Mooli' to guarantee good sprouting of seed. Make sure you cover plants well to allow deeper roots to form.
26/27th August - No gardening before 7.55am on 27th ans Noeud ascending and Moon crossing from ascending to descending so negative forces. Flower Days so take cuttings from Roses and prick out spring flowering seedlings.
Hope you are not all too wet -Water butts nearly full which is a joy -Been empty too long. Preparing for Fete du Pain at our local working Mill this w/e -Children make their own flour and there is freshly baked bread all day. Lovely day out. Hope weather gets better!
Thanks for update Love the idea at the Mill and warm Bread 🥖 is just fab , with butter and cheese , o/h stopped making it as we where eating to much Hope all the fairs go well and your storm isn’t to bad
I'm here BF just not able to garden at the mo. The 2 heatwaves mean we have bans on using water in the garden so all sowing, planting etc has ground to a halt. Pots and treasures close to the house are being watered with grey water. So far so good.
There will be a major push this autumn to make new ornamental beds with lashings of horse muck worked in and laid on top and drip pipes to keep things going during future heatwaves in the early summer. New veggie beds to build too and seep hoses for the potager too I think.
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)."
Oh Obelixx -You must be So frustrated and disappointed- I really feel for you. Friends from the Vendee are up here selling their produce and can't get over how green everything is up here (We are on the marais in the Cotentin so always fairly lush) So glad that you have projects ahead, looks as though you will have to buy lots of paillage in hand for next year plus spread lawn mowings around plants as early as possible (assuming you have grass to mow!!) I bet part of you is wishing you had stayed in Belgium?!! Bon Courage.
Bank Holiday today but did Farmers Market so up 5am. Shocked how pitch black it is already at that hour, cats not amused to be disturbed. We really needn't have bothered, hardly any visitors so we all packed up at mid-day. Very automnal today leaves falling already from Silver Birch. Wanted to pick up greenhouse cover but 'delivery point' shop shut. Not sure what the weather will throw at us this w/e, uncanny that Lunar Weather for August has been accurate though to date. let's see what happens after the 19th.
Trying new french recipe tonight -Chicken wrapped in seaweed -Doesn't sound very appetising but picture nice!! Just ordered a range of botanical cordials and kefir from Ireland, first of our post Bxt deliveries. Samples walked out so maybe we have taken the right step sourcing new geographical products. -Must go for walkabout round garden to wake up ...5am (4am in UK) just too early -Hate Thursdays!!!
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Glad you had a good trip to the U.K. , always nice to get back home again , even if garden looks like a jungle
This hot weather we have been having has caused lots of items to bolt eg lettuce 🥬, broccoli. Been away for a few days and the peas have gone over
Other items are only just started ie tomatoes 🍅 & cucumbers 🥒
Lots of rain of a night which is ideal
Spent yesterday at allotment , I did lots of pruning , have a huge pile for burning
O/H picked the rest of our Blueberries , which I put in a fruit cage last year , most successful
Glad to hear cats are well
Is August still the main holiday month in France 🇫🇷?
Thanks for update , Happy gardening
French beans & sweet corn are doing well , beetroot & carrots finally growing
Sorry to hear about g/h cover , my only damage I’m pleased to say with the winds was 2 fence posts at allotment , temporary repair done
Love the idea at the Mill and warm Bread 🥖 is just fab , with butter and cheese , o/h stopped making it as we where eating to much
Hope all the fairs go well and your storm isn’t to bad
There will be a major push this autumn to make new ornamental beds with lashings of horse muck worked in and laid on top and drip pipes to keep things going during future heatwaves in the early summer. New veggie beds to build too and seep hoses for the potager too I think.