Re Your Carrots GWRS..I think it must have been voles because that's how I found my Parsnips and Celeriac. If you have little holes in the ground around your potager or particularly in the lawn.. it's voles!!!
@biofreak , hello sorry to hear you where in hospital for longer than you thought but sounds like you where well looked after Enjoy your birthday 🥂 Have been rather busy with family staying so allotment a bit neglected , hoping to go there tomorrow for a couple of hours to see what’s what , had severe winds last Friday and hope no damage Will look at carrot bed , I did think about moles but they don’t eat veg as far as I known Allotments do have a Rat problem and committee is looking at getting some feral farm cats for site and provide shelter for them
Sunday we woke up to a hard frost and a slight covering of snow , which was nice as we had a Christmas market in our Village Cant believe how fast this year has gone
Beautiful day today but had allocated it making two Christmas Cakes..one for us and one for the nurses at the hospital as I have a check up 13th Dec and thought it would be a nice gesture to show how much I valued them. Not much to do in garden 3rd and 4th Dec as noeud descending on the 3,Rd so no gardening recommended after 9.50am and there is an eclipse of the sun and the moon is perigee on the 5th. So wrap up warm and stay indoors. 5/6th Dec are Fruit Days. If you have grafted any fruit trees now is the time to separate the grafts and plant them against a North facing wall. 7/8th Dec are Root Days Make a note of good and bad plantings in 2021, with particular emphasis on where you planted things, taking not of light and shady patches where you may or may not choose to grow things again. 9/10/11th Dec are Flower Days sow some begonia sempervirens and pelergoniums (not to be mixed up with geraniums) Do not cover the begonia seed as they need maximum light to germinate. Cover trays with glass, remembering to lift the panes off regularly to avoid condensation. So not a huge amount to do so take time out to choose some gardening presents for friends. For those of you housebound with snow and no electricity. Bon Courage, I hope your life gets back to normal soon.. although I would love a White Christmas..they come about once every ten years here.
Hello , they have a big Christmas Market in Lincoln from the 2nd to 5th December, obviously cancelled last year , we went on the Friday , cold but sunny , very busy , not as many stalls as in previous years , however , they recon visitors numbers where well up
Only one Christmas Market for us here as all others cancelled. Don't know about Obelixx region further south. Seems we are locking down again fast although only 16 cases of new variant reported at the moment in whole of France. So glad I bought and planted my Plums and Quince. Well staked against storms to come.😊😊 40 day peas now ready to eat in polytunnel..worth the gamble..fresh peas in December??!!! Has anyone else got anything unseasonal still growing? Ate last Pepper last night.
Hello , the only unseasonably items is lemon 🍋 & orange 🍊 bush in pots , now back in conservatory until next summer and both got lots of fruit on them Still got lots of veg at allotment Pleased to say no lock downs hear and unless thing turn bad , don’t think there will be You are once again required to wear masks in shops & on public transport , although we always did anyway
Decided to bubble rap g/h , done as I have more less hardy plants in there this year Also did some tidying up in garden Managing to get to allotment and get back log of jobs done Hares / rabbits have dug up and eaten a lot of my parsnips We have a rat 🐀 problem , they even tried to get into one of my sheds by chewing at bottom of door , so I have fitted metal strips The allotment association has registered with a cat charity to have some Feral cats 🐈⬛ to live on the site
There are small Xmas markets here and we went to one on Saturday just after sunset and before any crowds or drunken revelry. One stand selling mulled wine, another selling Loire fizz and another doing New York beefburgers, whatever they are. Quite a few selling hand made jewellery, fabric, knitted and crochet stuff and, joy for me, a couple of the usual, morning only stalls selling fresh seafood and shellfish. Possum bought new studs for her ears, OH a glass of mulled wine and I came hoe with 500g of fresh gambas and a préfou - the original and very serious garlic bread.
We won't be going to any others as it's too risky and Possum doesn't get her 3rd jab till the 17th and I don't want to risk her getting the new variant.
I have moved my cannas to the polytunnel along with the citrus plants and fuchsias and a Bird of Paradise plant acquired at the November plant swap. I still have chillies in the ground in there packed with luscious fruits plus a good crop of lemons and limquats. I picked the last tomatoes two or there weeks ago and pulled up those plants leaving lots of dry soil clear for chooks to dust bathe.
Outside we have a good crop of broccoli plus curly kale, Savoys, red cabbage, Swiss chard and OH's horrid sprouts. The fennel that bolted and I left to set seed for the birds has started sprouting again and is full of lovely fluffy fronds I may use to make gravadlax since I can't get dill here in sufficient quantities.
Broad beans still not sown but I should have time later this week as all patchwork, mosaic and dance classes will be finished by Thursday and then a 2 week break in which I can garden and get mucky. Been too wet here anyway for the last 2 or 3 weeks.
I have a tray of baby PSB and another of cavolo nero up on the landing - safe from chooks who scoffed the last lot - but now it's turned milder I shall take them down the polytunnel and give them lids for protection.
No problems with pests here - as long as we can keep the chooks out of veg beds - cos we have 2 dogs and 2 cats and fences or hedges all round so no rabbits or deer but I did see a fox this morning, scavenging under our bird feeders. Not welcome as we have the chooks so I let the dogs out to chase it.
Hope your cats work for you @GWRS. Make sure they have some food supplies too as healthy cats hunt better.
There's just the 3 of us @biofreak so we don't mind if there's a lockdown of sorts. We've been staying away from crowded places and wearing masks for shopping, dancing, patchwork and mosaic and being careful when meeting friends.
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)."
Spent past week shuttling between Lille and Caen hospitals so sorry for silence Took homemade Christmas Cake to medical team at Lille as a thank you for everything that they have done for me. Just made Giant Gingerbread Loaf for ambulance taxi team today and gave last mini gingerbreads out to nurses who come and see me every day. At last got round to marzipanning our own Xmas Cake this afternoon. Now I can stop!! Only the Foie Gras left to marinate. Checked herbs in garden with plans for which to use for Roast Goose Xmas Day, We have home grown Brocoli/Mangetout and Runner Beans stashed away in the freezer so that's the veges sorted. Green manures growing well in raised beds. Can't get over how many flowers are out. Roses/Lavender/Day Lilies/Primroses/Hellebores/Mimosa/Fuschias/Geraniums/Sauge/Scabious. Today 20th December is a Flower Day and time to plant Amaryllis indoors. of much to do between now and Boxing Day but 23/24/25th Dec Fruit Days so if you get Bare Root Fruit Ushers for Christmas pop them in weathr willing, or take cuttings from Gooseberry and Currant Bushes. just push them into the soil and they will 'take'. Ordered my 🥔 Potato tubers today as Delivery free until 31st December and I really did want to grow Cheyenne again, and lost out last year as seedsmen sold out by mid January. It's raw outside but dry today. Still possibility of snow in Northern areas at Christmas (backed up by TV weathermen I see. Must get my Lunar Diaries for next year. So glad you are well Obelixx and GWRS. Stay safe. Stay warm and happy Gardening!
Bio , glad to hear alls well and your baking sounds fad O/H has been volunteering at a local vaccination clinic and when people bring chocolates and cakes always a nice touch
Spent a few days at allotment , renewing paths with bark chippings , which are delivered free to site , you just help your self Also been cutting back eg Budlia to be burnt and clearing / tidying up eg Rhubarb beds and putting in compost bins
Will be harvesting some veg for Christmas on Wednesday sprouts / cabbage red & green / artichokes/ leeks / carrots
A friend of O/H has a small farm so will pick up Turkey 🦃 on Thursday
Posts
Enjoy your birthday 🥂
Have been rather busy with family staying so allotment a bit neglected , hoping to go there tomorrow for a couple of hours to see what’s what , had severe winds last Friday and hope no damage
Will look at carrot bed , I did think about moles but they don’t eat veg as far as I known
Allotments do have a Rat problem and committee is looking at getting some feral farm cats for site and provide shelter for them
Sunday we woke up to a hard frost and a slight covering of snow , which was nice as we had a Christmas market in our Village
Cant believe how fast this year has gone
Beautiful day today but had allocated it making two Christmas Cakes..one for us and one for the nurses at the hospital as I have a check up 13th Dec and thought it would be a nice gesture to show how much I valued them.
Not much to do in garden 3rd and 4th Dec as noeud descending on the 3,Rd so no gardening recommended after 9.50am and there is an eclipse of the sun and the moon is perigee on the 5th. So wrap up warm and stay indoors.
5/6th Dec are Fruit Days. If you have grafted any fruit trees now is the time to separate the grafts and plant them against a North facing wall.
7/8th Dec are Root Days Make a note of good and bad plantings in 2021, with particular emphasis on where you planted things, taking not of light and shady patches where you may or may not choose to grow things again.
9/10/11th Dec are Flower Days sow some begonia sempervirens and pelergoniums (not to be mixed up with geraniums) Do not cover the begonia seed as they need maximum light to germinate. Cover trays with glass, remembering to lift the panes off regularly to avoid condensation.
So not a huge amount to do so take time out to choose some gardening presents for friends. For those of you housebound with snow and no electricity. Bon Courage, I hope your life gets back to normal soon.. although I would love a White Christmas..they come about once every ten years here.
Stay safe😊
Still got lots of veg at allotment
Pleased to say no lock downs hear and unless thing turn bad , don’t think there will be
You are once again required to wear masks in shops & on public transport , although we always did anyway
Also did some tidying up in garden
Managing to get to allotment and get back log of jobs done
Hares / rabbits have dug up and eaten a lot of my parsnips
We have a rat 🐀 problem , they even tried to get into one of my sheds by chewing at bottom of door , so I have fitted metal strips
The allotment association has registered with a cat charity to have some Feral cats 🐈⬛ to live on the site
We won't be going to any others as it's too risky and Possum doesn't get her 3rd jab till the 17th and I don't want to risk her getting the new variant.
I have moved my cannas to the polytunnel along with the citrus plants and fuchsias and a Bird of Paradise plant acquired at the November plant swap. I still have chillies in the ground in there packed with luscious fruits plus a good crop of lemons and limquats. I picked the last tomatoes two or there weeks ago and pulled up those plants leaving lots of dry soil clear for chooks to dust bathe.
Outside we have a good crop of broccoli plus curly kale, Savoys, red cabbage, Swiss chard and OH's horrid sprouts. The fennel that bolted and I left to set seed for the birds has started sprouting again and is full of lovely fluffy fronds I may use to make gravadlax since I can't get dill here in sufficient quantities.
Broad beans still not sown but I should have time later this week as all patchwork, mosaic and dance classes will be finished by Thursday and then a 2 week break in which I can garden and get mucky. Been too wet here anyway for the last 2 or 3 weeks.
I have a tray of baby PSB and another of cavolo nero up on the landing - safe from chooks who scoffed the last lot - but now it's turned milder I shall take them down the polytunnel and give them lids for protection.
No problems with pests here - as long as we can keep the chooks out of veg beds - cos we have 2 dogs and 2 cats and fences or hedges all round so no rabbits or deer but I did see a fox this morning, scavenging under our bird feeders. Not welcome as we have the chooks so I let the dogs out to chase it.
Hope your cats work for you @GWRS. Make sure they have some food supplies too as healthy cats hunt better.
There's just the 3 of us @biofreak so we don't mind if there's a lockdown of sorts. We've been staying away from crowded places and wearing masks for shopping, dancing, patchwork and mosaic and being careful when meeting friends.
Spent past week shuttling between Lille and Caen hospitals so sorry for silence Took homemade Christmas Cake to medical team at Lille as a thank you for everything that they have done for me. Just made Giant Gingerbread Loaf for ambulance taxi team today and gave last mini gingerbreads out to nurses who come and see me every day. At last got round to marzipanning our own Xmas Cake this afternoon. Now I can stop!! Only the Foie Gras left to marinate. Checked herbs in garden with plans for which to use for Roast Goose Xmas Day, We have home grown Brocoli/Mangetout and Runner Beans stashed away in the freezer so that's the veges sorted. Green manures growing well in raised beds. Can't get over how many flowers are out. Roses/Lavender/Day Lilies/Primroses/Hellebores/Mimosa/Fuschias/Geraniums/Sauge/Scabious. Today 20th December is a Flower Day and time to plant Amaryllis indoors. of much to do between now and Boxing Day but 23/24/25th Dec Fruit Days so if you get Bare Root Fruit Ushers for Christmas pop them in weathr willing, or take cuttings from Gooseberry and Currant Bushes. just push them into the soil and they will 'take'. Ordered my 🥔 Potato tubers today as Delivery free until 31st December and I really did want to grow Cheyenne again, and lost out last year as seedsmen sold out by mid January.
It's raw outside but dry today. Still possibility of snow in Northern areas at Christmas (backed up by TV weathermen I see. Must get my Lunar Diaries for next year.
So glad you are well Obelixx and GWRS. Stay safe. Stay warm and happy Gardening!
O/H has been volunteering at a local vaccination clinic and when people bring chocolates and cakes always a nice touch
Spent a few days at allotment , renewing paths with bark chippings , which are delivered free to site , you just help your self
Also been cutting back eg Budlia to be burnt and clearing / tidying up eg Rhubarb beds and putting in compost bins
sprouts / cabbage red & green / artichokes/ leeks / carrots
A friend of O/H has a small farm so will pick up Turkey 🦃 on Thursday
Best wishes for Christmas