Here it was hot and sunny and the forecast rain disappeared. However; the day before we'd had thunder storms and some rain tho not as much as we need.
Today has mostly been spent planting out 4 courgettes and 5 pumpkins in a raised bed and then setting up a chicken wire surround to keep the marauders off. Our two surviving chooks are demons with new plants. That only took an hour or so but we then set up the shade canopy in a roofless barn so we can protect my "nursery" from the worst of the sun. Took ages but seems to be OK.
Apart from the odd possible dribble, no rain expected here for 10 days.............
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)."
Similar here forecast rain, often doesn't come, now we've had steady rain all night. Trouble is I'm expecting workmen to replace soffit & guttering etc this week, showers forecast off and on all week !
Here's the latest update of moon movements. I hope you are getting better @biofreak
Jolly hot here so have been hiding indoors all day but need to venture out and check which pots need watering.
Tuesday June 14th full moon at 15:51 GMT then it
become waning gibbous and moves into Sagittarius, a fruit sign, until June 16th
when it becomes an ascending moon. Perigee
at 00:21on the 15th so no gardening for 5 hours either side.
Friday 17th is a roots day until 18:41 when the
moon moves into Aquarius, an air sign, so flowers, until 9:22 on Monday 20th
when we have the moon in Pisces and leaf days until 21:10 on the 23rd.
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)."
Hi Everyone...Home at last!!!! And what a welcome from the garden! O/H had mowed the lawn and worked wonders with the tomatoes/aubergine 🍆/cucumbers and peppers. The rest had become overwhelmed with grasses and weeds that had set seed or flowered and it looks stunning! The roses and lupins are peeping through the top, whilst scabious, géranium,day lilies and salvias are holding their own making a tapestry of texture and colour , the likes of which I have never seen before..it is so vibrant and with a covering of weeds the ground is moist and friable...who would have believed that letting the garden grow wild could actually look great...less labour definitely and a method worth considering again. The Broad Beans, Peas and Potatoes look fantastic and as for fruit.. 🍓 strawberries . Raspberries gooseberries and currants all bursting at the seams with fruit, because I had left them alone to do their own thing no doubt. The Philadelphus is just bursting into flower and as for the Clematis..wow..best ever. Ok there are brambles and nettles (great for butterflies,decoctions,tisanes and jelly)plus thistles sticking out from all angles but it is truly a haven of joy, and as though it knew I was coming home!!! ..we have herons nesting in the trees over the fishing lake opposite which is a first. The crapauds (toads) are singing (sound like turkeys )their hearts out. OK loads of work to do, but I shall leave it until the Autumn and have a total rethink. I must admit to thinking most biodynamic gardens that I have visited especially here in France have looked an awful jumble, but now I can see why and the many benefits gained by letting things mix together naturally. Even the herbs look bigger and better for being left alone and not tidied up all the time.
Anyway we did get to the Garden Fair at Eze but I had not allowed for still not being able to walk properly as legs so weak and medicines given in hospital had messed around with my brain so much that I took a back seat and stayed a few extra days sitting next to the lake in the hotel grounds, with just the ducks, water volés and gigantic green frogs plus lots of goldfinches and two golden pheasants for company.
It's time to say thank you to you all for your best wishes and ongoing support. Yes Obelixx I would love you to continue with the Lunar Diary and I shall bring the Lunar Weather Calender and Biodynamic Diary back in line. Hopefully to cheer you up, storms are forecast from 14-19th and hotter I'm afraid 21-30th but more storms at end of month so get those water butts ready!! Brace yourselves for July, I took a sneaky look at the Diary and it forecasts hot hot hot..but lots of storms as well.
All cats fine but Bipsy Boo Baa (known to his friends as Soldier) has gone AWOL.. no idea where but remember he did this last Summer and he is wild so perhaps like the garden he has gone back to nature, and will be back in the Winter when the nights get colder and wetter, as he does also like home comforts!
I am still very shaky and back to daily visits from nurse with injections to straighten out my red and white blood cells which have gone into orbit due to COVID. Set me back six months with bone marrow treatment according to Prof, and I had been doing so well!
But the garden beckons and it's great to be back. Elizabeth my nurse bought me an enormous bowl of roses to make Rose Jelly yesterday, I added some strawberries and shall give her a jar as a Thank You this afternoon.
Looking forward to weather reports; 38C here yesterday and 42C expected today and tomorrow then a drop to the mid 20s on Sunday but no storms or rain. It is bone dry out there so I'm really pleased I laid the seep hoses for the tomatoes in the polytunnel and then the dahlias and pumpkin beds and the soft fruits.
We've erected a shady canopy to protect my nursery plants and, so far, so good but I suspect our salad potatoes are going to be floury again this year and my brassicas and beets need a thorough downpour or three.
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)."
25c outside now. Made Rock Cakes and Lemon Cookies 6am before kitchen got too hot. I'm signed off work for awhile but O/H still doing Farmers Markets.
Popped some Orange Boxes upside down over tender plants normally in direct sun (Melons/Pumpkin/Courgettes and new Bed Peas) Supposed to reach mid 30's this afternoon. Being on the coast light breeze which unfortunately is warm! Bipsy Boo Baa turned up yesterday evening with a baby crow we he dumped cheerfully beside the trailer and then scuttled off after saying a brief hello to me, leaving young crow none the worse for wear but definately a fledgling. For several hourse parents bellowed at it to no avail, eventually one got brave enough to come down onto the ground and pushed it slowly down our drive, Uncles and Aunts turned up from nowhere and landed on the drive.. they in turn pushed it into the undergrowth (where too afterwards I have no idea) Fascinating to watch, real David Attenborough stuff! 2 French Beans sprouted in raised bed out of about 60 so it's a start!! Sowed 3wks ago so rest should peep through any moment.
Already 35C here so we've retreated indoors after checking all the vulnerable plants and OH has also weeded on of the cabbage beds to reduce competition. I've scrubbed the big teak table on the terrace so now it can dry thoroughly and be oiled and then be ready for eating outdoors next week when it's cooler.
We have a sea breeze too and it's certainly pleasant but not cooling. All the dogs and cats are flopped on cool tiled floors and the chooks are hiding in the raspberry patch in full shade from all the foliage.
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 watched Lunchtime french news...no school for children around Bordeaux as too hot 42c!! In the Vendée cows and sheep not happy 44c!! Max here expected 32c.. we're on 29c now dog and cats flopped out on tile floors too. Just picked some raspberries..birds too hot to bother!
A bed I watered 2 nights ago has sprouted lots of weedlings in the bare soil. Flipping amazing. I hope to finish the planting on Sunday when it's cooler and will then start with the mulching.
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)."
Posts
Today has mostly been spent planting out 4 courgettes and 5 pumpkins in a raised bed and then setting up a chicken wire surround to keep the marauders off. Our two surviving chooks are demons with new plants. That only took an hour or so but we then set up the shade canopy in a roofless barn so we can protect my "nursery" from the worst of the sun. Took ages but seems to be OK.
Apart from the odd possible dribble, no rain expected here for 10 days.............
Jolly hot here so have been hiding indoors all day but need to venture out and check which pots need watering.
Tuesday June 14th full moon at 15:51 GMT then it become waning gibbous and moves into Sagittarius, a fruit sign, until June 16th when it becomes an ascending moon. Perigee at 00:21on the 15th so no gardening for 5 hours either side.
Friday 17th is a roots day until 18:41 when the moon moves into Aquarius, an air sign, so flowers, until 9:22 on Monday 20th when we have the moon in Pisces and leaf days until 21:10 on the 23rd.
Anyway we did get to the Garden Fair at Eze but I had not allowed for still not being able to walk properly as legs so weak and medicines given in hospital had messed around with my brain so much that I took a back seat and stayed a few extra days sitting next to the lake in the hotel grounds, with just the ducks, water volés and gigantic green frogs plus lots of goldfinches and two golden pheasants for company.
It's time to say thank you to you all for your best wishes and ongoing support. Yes Obelixx I would love you to continue with the Lunar Diary and I shall bring the Lunar Weather Calender and Biodynamic Diary back in line. Hopefully to cheer you up, storms are forecast from 14-19th and hotter I'm afraid 21-30th but more storms at end of month so get those water butts ready!! Brace yourselves for July, I took a sneaky look at the Diary and it forecasts hot hot hot..but lots of storms as well.
All cats fine but Bipsy Boo Baa (known to his friends as Soldier) has gone AWOL.. no idea where but remember he did this last Summer and he is wild so perhaps like the garden he has gone back to nature, and will be back in the Winter when the nights get colder and wetter, as he does also like home comforts!
I am still very shaky and back to daily visits from nurse with injections to straighten out my red and white blood cells which have gone into orbit due to COVID. Set me back six months with bone marrow treatment according to Prof, and I had been doing so well!
But the garden beckons and it's great to be back. Elizabeth my nurse bought me an enormous bowl of roses to make Rose Jelly yesterday, I added some strawberries and shall give her a jar as a Thank You this afternoon.
Happy Gardening and hugs to you all.😊
Hope the recovery continues at a pace now.
Looking forward to weather reports; 38C here yesterday and 42C expected today and tomorrow then a drop to the mid 20s on Sunday but no storms or rain. It is bone dry out there so I'm really pleased I laid the seep hoses for the tomatoes in the polytunnel and then the dahlias and pumpkin beds and the soft fruits.
We've erected a shady canopy to protect my nursery plants and, so far, so good but I suspect our salad potatoes are going to be floury again this year and my brassicas and beets need a thorough downpour or three.
We have a sea breeze too and it's certainly pleasant but not cooling. All the dogs and cats are flopped on cool tiled floors and the chooks are hiding in the raspberry patch in full shade from all the foliage.
A bed I watered 2 nights ago has sprouted lots of weedlings in the bare soil. Flipping amazing. I hope to finish the planting on Sunday when it's cooler and will then start with the mulching.