Greetings Forkers. Frost here this morning but bright and sunny so gardening for me this pm. Yesterday I started weeding that new bed I made by the barn wall last year but was bare handed after all the planting and found that it is riddled with very young, fresh, potent nettles. Retreated with painful tingles that lasted till bedtime.
Love your daughter's plant @Pat E and yes, that rose is definitely worth watering.
@D0rdogne_Damsel and @Busy-Lizzie I saw onion sets very early on in Leclerc and France Rurale but haven't bought any this year. The last two lots of red were disappointing and last year I tried white ones but I think the early heat and drought last year meant they were quite small. I also only planted one bag so they're long gone. Good flavour and kept well.
I planted garlic and shallots on early December and have found seeds for a pink Niort onion since I really like the pink Roscoff onions but have seen neither seeds nor sets. I shall be sowing some in cells in a week or two and then they can go out.
Hope your dad gets on with his boot @AuntyRach. Hugs to all who need them.
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)."
I've had a lovely day and the sun has been shining. I met up with bestie and we had a very long gossip (so much better in person than over the phone). Came back and sowed the first seeds in my raised bed. Carrots, Spring Onions, Lettuce and Radish. I have a fleece cover that will go over every evening so hopefully the weather wont be a problem. Next job is to sow beans in individual pots to plant out later. Everything is waking up. The only fly in the ointment is that when I came home someone had parked across my drive and she actually complained when I asked her to move. She even started to move back when I pulled on the drive. I'm afraid she got the sharp end of my tongue. We live close to two schools so parking can be difficult but blocking someone's drive is just not on.
In France and Belgium it's illegal to park in front of someone's garage or drive and you can be towed away.
I've popped in to take an anti-histamine cos those nettles are coming thru my gloves and it's painful. OH has been playing with his new mower but it's taken so long for him to order one and then 4 weeks' delivery time that the grass is now too long and it's struggling. Told him to stop and get the strimmer out instead but it seems his strimmer needs tweaking so he went to try another bit of meadow and now has a flat tyre. On day 1. Not impressed.
On the upside, it's warm at last and clematis Huldine has loads of new shoots as do Crispa and Jan Fopma. The variegated acer I planted against the wall is looking very happy and the hydrangea paniculata has lots of buds. And I have 3 teeny chillies poking thru, all Pum'kin Spice. I sowed 4 each of 6 varieties on a heat mat a week ago.
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)."
Unfortunately, it's not illegal here,we have s garage in a slip road, this massive four by four parked in front of it, hubby wanted to get some things out put a very polite sign on the windscreen, even put thank you, next day it was so close, he couldn't even open the door, no idea who it belongs to
I ache all over today so haven't done much, cut down some perennials now that I can see new shoots coming up and tidied up some clematis, although I was horrified to see an old favourite Dr Ruppel has nearly died. Hastily fed and watered the sparse new shoots at the base so I hope it will be okay. After a lot of nagging over several months, I have at last persuaded OH to make an appointment at a private sports clinic in the hope they can sort his knee pain. He's having such difficulty walking and its very painful, although the NHS X-ray didn't show any bone damage apparently. He wasn't keen to go back to the GP - goodness knows why not - men!!
Has been a lovely day here, not done a lot, but it is that lovely time, when every day something new is appearing in the garden. The native Primulas are putting on a fantastic show and the first of the species Tulips are flowering.
Moira leaves her job at the end of the month. They wanted her to stay [ so they said ], but offered her significantly worse terms. No idea when she will get another job, but she is knackered, so I am pleased she will be having a break, plus I need help in the garden.
How can you lie there and think of England When you don't even know who's in the team
Posts
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Love your daughter's plant @Pat E and yes, that rose is definitely worth watering.
@D0rdogne_Damsel and @Busy-Lizzie I saw onion sets very early on in Leclerc and France Rurale but haven't bought any this year. The last two lots of red were disappointing and last year I tried white ones but I think the early heat and drought last year meant they were quite small. I also only planted one bag so they're long gone. Good flavour and kept well.
I planted garlic and shallots on early December and have found seeds for a pink Niort onion since I really like the pink Roscoff onions but have seen neither seeds nor sets. I shall be sowing some in cells in a week or two and then they can go out.
Hope your dad gets on with his boot @AuntyRach. Hugs to all who need them.
I've popped in to take an anti-histamine cos those nettles are coming thru my gloves and it's painful. OH has been playing with his new mower but it's taken so long for him to order one and then 4 weeks' delivery time that the grass is now too long and it's struggling. Told him to stop and get the strimmer out instead but it seems his strimmer needs tweaking so he went to try another bit of meadow and now has a flat tyre. On day 1. Not impressed.
On the upside, it's warm at last and clematis Huldine has loads of new shoots as do Crispa and Jan Fopma. The variegated acer I planted against the wall is looking very happy and the hydrangea paniculata has lots of buds. And I have 3 teeny chillies poking thru, all Pum'kin Spice. I sowed 4 each of 6 varieties on a heat mat a week ago.
After a lot of nagging over several months, I have at last persuaded OH to make an appointment at a private sports clinic in the hope they can sort his knee pain. He's having such difficulty walking and its very painful, although the NHS X-ray didn't show any bone damage apparently. He wasn't keen to go back to the GP - goodness knows why not - men!!
The native Primulas are putting on a fantastic show and the first of the species Tulips are flowering.
Moira leaves her job at the end of the month. They wanted her to stay [ so they said ], but offered her significantly worse terms. No idea when she will get another job, but she is knackered, so I am pleased she will be having a break, plus I need help in the garden.
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.