Thanks @biofreak. In France it's illegal to cut hedges between March 15th and 31st July in case we disturb nesting birds. In Belgium it's till August 15th.
I really fancied sowing some carrots this week but it's far too cold so they'll have to wait. Our farmer neighbours do well with carrots and they're very tasty so I thought I'd try but they'll have to wait fo rth enext root phase. i wanted to prune my roses this week but with frosts at night I can't.
Did some sewing instead and tomorrow I'll finish off the last batch of marmalade.
Not a lot of garden or producers' fairs here but there's one at Angles ( @Papi Jo) on the 2nd of April with a man who sells about 100 varieties of heritage tomatoes and the Asphodèle garden club organises a fair on the 15th. I'm in charge of the cake stand.
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 dear Biofreak, I think I will give up now as I am in my eighties so if I have to wait 60 years for my mulberry to fruit I am not going to be around to see it. I was wondering if dwarf varieties were grafted as I was considering removing all of the new spindly growth coming from soil level. My "mulberry bush" has never had a noticeable trunk. The second batch of onion seeds I sowed are through and growing well, they will soon need potting on individually. The sweet peas I sowed at the same time have had their tips pinched out and the kale is just about ready to be potted on. I am now holding fire with seed sowing etc., as the weather is turning very cold again. We are still under a hose pipe ban, not lifted from before Christmas despite having a substantial amount of rain recently, the reservoirs are still not full and we have another Easter holiday season looming when water consumption rockets.
Hello all , good day at allotment today lots done but as ever still more to do
The weather forecast next week is not good , Artic blast not sure if we will miss it ? Glad I cut a load of wood 🪵 for fire . Cheaper than putting central heating on
I been watering the outside pots as the Wind drys them out and not much rain
Bio , so much marmalade must be popular at farmers markets , is it something the French don’t make ?
O/H made some Blood Orange Gin , did think about turning the oranges 🍊 from the gin into marmalade but decided just to bottle it , nice desert with either Vanilla ice cream or Greek yoghurt Hows the cats 🐈 doing?
No the French don't really make Marmelade as we know it as they use dessert oranges or can't be bothered! Have topped up bird feeders twice today. Too cold and wet for Farmers Market this morning..Took advice from the cats as they refused to go out!! Garage stinks of Tom Cat and saw large ginger beast (wearing collar) climbing out of window this morning. Not happy to find the last of my stored Onions tipped out over floor after Cat Battle at lunchtime. Miserable weekend as had our Italian Greyhound put down on Friday. The time had come as he had had a mini seizure last week after I found him swimming around in the stream at 5.30am. It is some distance from the house and he must have lost sense of direction due to semi blindness and strayed further from the house than usual when I let him out at 5am. (Normal time for my gang as I have to bake for the Market) He was 17 so a good age and the Vet and I agreed the time was right. Last piece of O/H now gone as Blue was his dog. Still hopefully they are together now. No gardening as whilst dry apart from today it is really too cold to sow or plant anything. So much for my Mild Weather Report!!
First Garden Fair next week
..not sure I'm looking forward to it!!
Bit down in the dumps so will do Calendar tomorrow.
Sorry you're feeling down @biofreak but it's all part of the grieving process so do take some "me" time. Sorry about Blue too. Hugs.
We've lost another chook to the dreaded parasite thing so that just leaves Bess who was in fine voice today when I was pottering and she's been helping OH spread compost on veggie beds for the last 3 days.
It's been very cold again here for a week or so and bone dry but today we have a bit of cloud cover and should get some rain this evening. Fingers crossed. I've been out watering the apple trees again and treasures in the polytunnel. Picked the last of the lemons so the new season's flowers and fruits can grow unhindered.
I did want to sow some carrots and beetroot tomorrow but it's just too dry out there. Maybe Thursday or Friday then.
I have tomatoes and chillies starting to come thru on their heat mats but no sign of any onions under cloches in the polytunnel. Patience!
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)."
Thank you for your kind words. Onward!! Warmer today but pouring down. Lawn like a sponge with loads of moss. According to the Biodynamic Calendar, with the Moon 🌝. Descending now is the time to weed out Buttercups and Thistles as the roots are still weak and easy to pull. A Garlic Purin sprayed on the cleared ground will help deter further weed growth 8/9/10th March sees the Moon in front of ♍ Virgo so Root Days
Pop in young Artichoke Plants. Lift balance of Jerusalem Artichokes saving some tubers to replant on new plot. (Actually you can leave them to resprout where they are as not really affected by rotation.) Earth up Dandelions and cover with straw to blanche leaves for tasty early salads. (I let Dandelions grow on in the flower beds and pick the leaves young ..I keep taking the flowers off, but really should leave them in situ as wonderful source of early nectar for bumble bees)
11/12th March are Flower Days. Sow under cover achillea millefeuille and Valerian for biodynamic preparations . Also a good time to crystallize Primroses..choose a sunny dry day if possible and pick before midday. 13/14th March sees the Moon in front of ♏🦂 Scorpio so Leaf and Stalk Days. Dig in Green Manures and shred dead leaves. Leave the ground untouched for 10/14 days afterwards to let worms and other invertebrates do their work. Plus a good time for chickens to peck out pests. Divide Chives and sow Chervil and Parsley. (An old Wives Tale that always works for me is to soak the Parsley Seed in boiling water for a few minutes before sowing) In reality this action breaks down the hard outer shell of the seed. 15/16thMarch Moon in front of Sagittarius 🏹♐ so 🍑 Fruit Days. Sow Tomatoes/Aubergine/Peppers/Chillies,/Celery/Parsley and Artichokes.. Sow climbing Peas and finish pruning Apples and Pears. That should keep us busy
Thanks @biofreak. It's been cold so no primroses yet, not that I'd be sugaring them anyway. Rain today and windy so hibernating today and tomorrow, maybe longer.
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)."
Primroses just starting here. Far to wet yet to pick them. I use them to decorate Chocolate Cakes at Easter. So pretty. Also do Violets but very fiddly.
@biofreak I have violets! Brought from Belgium in a pot or two of hosta and starting to colonise here now. Very slow tho and teeny flowers. I've just ransplanted some under my Bramley.
Normally by now the hedgerows are full of primroses and the cowslips, wild asphodèles and bluebells should be here by the end of this month.
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
I really fancied sowing some carrots this week but it's far too cold so they'll have to wait. Our farmer neighbours do well with carrots and they're very tasty so I thought I'd try but they'll have to wait fo rth enext root phase. i wanted to prune my roses this week but with frosts at night I can't.
Did some sewing instead and tomorrow I'll finish off the last batch of marmalade.
Not a lot of garden or producers' fairs here but there's one at Angles ( @Papi Jo) on the 2nd of April with a man who sells about 100 varieties of heritage tomatoes and the Asphodèle garden club organises a fair on the 15th. I'm in charge of the cake stand.
I think I will give up now as I am in my eighties so if I have to wait 60 years for my mulberry to fruit I am not going to be around to see it. I was wondering if dwarf varieties were grafted as I was considering removing all of the new spindly growth coming from soil level. My "mulberry bush" has never had a noticeable trunk.
The second batch of onion seeds I sowed are through and growing well, they will soon need potting on individually. The sweet peas I sowed at the same time have had their tips pinched out and the kale is just about ready to be potted on. I am now holding fire with seed sowing etc., as the weather is turning very cold again. We are still under a hose pipe ban, not lifted from before Christmas despite having a substantial amount of rain recently, the reservoirs are still not full and we have another Easter holiday season looming when water consumption rockets.
The weather forecast next week is not good , Artic blast not sure if we will miss it ? Glad I cut a load of wood 🪵 for fire . Cheaper than putting central heating on
Bio , so much marmalade must be popular at farmers markets , is it something the French don’t make ?
Hows the cats 🐈 doing?
No the French don't really make Marmelade as we know it as they use dessert oranges or can't be bothered! Have topped up bird feeders twice today. Too cold and wet for Farmers Market this morning..Took advice from the cats as they refused to go out!! Garage stinks of Tom Cat and saw large ginger beast (wearing collar) climbing out of window this morning. Not happy to find the last of my stored Onions tipped out over floor after Cat Battle at lunchtime. Miserable weekend as had our Italian Greyhound put down on Friday. The time had come as he had had a mini seizure last week after I found him swimming around in the stream at 5.30am. It is some distance from the house and he must have lost sense of direction due to semi blindness and strayed further from the house than usual when I let him out at 5am. (Normal time for my gang as I have to bake for the Market) He was 17 so a good age and the Vet and I agreed the time was right. Last piece of O/H now gone as Blue was his dog. Still hopefully they are together now. No gardening as whilst dry apart from today it is really too cold to sow or plant anything. So much for my Mild Weather Report!!
First Garden Fair next week
Bit down in the dumps so will do Calendar tomorrow.
We've lost another chook to the dreaded parasite thing so that just leaves Bess who was in fine voice today when I was pottering and she's been helping OH spread compost on veggie beds for the last 3 days.
It's been very cold again here for a week or so and bone dry but today we have a bit of cloud cover and should get some rain this evening. Fingers crossed. I've been out watering the apple trees again and treasures in the polytunnel. Picked the last of the lemons so the new season's flowers and fruits can grow unhindered.
I did want to sow some carrots and beetroot tomorrow but it's just too dry out there. Maybe Thursday or Friday then.
I have tomatoes and chillies starting to come thru on their heat mats but no sign of any onions under cloches in the polytunnel. Patience!
Thank you for your kind words. Onward!! Warmer today but pouring down. Lawn like a sponge with loads of moss.
According to the Biodynamic Calendar, with the Moon 🌝. Descending now is the time to weed out Buttercups and Thistles as the roots are still weak and easy to pull. A Garlic Purin sprayed on the cleared ground will help deter further weed growth
8/9/10th March sees the Moon in front of ♍ Virgo so Root Days
13/14th March sees the Moon in front of ♏🦂 Scorpio so Leaf and Stalk Days. Dig in Green Manures and shred dead leaves. Leave the ground untouched for 10/14 days afterwards to let worms and other invertebrates do their work. Plus a good time for chickens to peck out pests. Divide Chives and sow Chervil and Parsley. (An old Wives Tale that always works for me is to soak the Parsley Seed in boiling water for a few minutes before sowing) In reality this action breaks down the hard outer shell of the seed.
15/16thMarch Moon in front of Sagittarius 🏹♐ so 🍑 Fruit Days. Sow Tomatoes/Aubergine/Peppers/Chillies,/Celery/Parsley and Artichokes.. Sow climbing Peas and finish pruning Apples and Pears.
That should keep us busy
Normally by now the hedgerows are full of primroses and the cowslips, wild asphodèles and bluebells should be here by the end of this month.