Great to know you're out there. Thank you for your encouragement and kind words.
Keep your notes coming, they all help to build up a picture of this 'alternative' approach to gardening. I have just received my Maria Thun Biodynamic Calender for 2016 as an early Xmas present - well worth having (Author Matthias Thun - Printed by Floris Books ISBN 978-178250-106-0) £6.99. so not much to spend on bags of (slightly complicated) info. I really must get to grips with 'preperations' for next year to stimulate growth etc These infusions/decoctions can get quite weird! And I certainly don't understand how they all work - but they do seem to.
It's been a good, busy summer /autumn for me and in spite of my not getting to grips with leaf and flower days keeping an eye on the moon's phases is an instinctive help.
Well , I have to say that so far these bio-dynamic weather predictions have been pretty accurate!! However seeing bluebells coming up, and lilacs budding seems really weird. Carol Singing tonight with no hats/scarves or coats is taking December a bit far, but I am actually really really chuffed, and just hope snow and horrors don't arrive in June!!!! - Actually I do know what is supposed to happen , but will save it up for telling you after Xmas.
Here is Lunar Calender 21-31st December
21/22 December - Moon rising Fruit Days. Sow Broad Beans outside.
23/24/25th December-Root Days Sow radishes under cover, protecting young shots from slugs, by popping bonfire ash or better still pine needles around them. (Fallen needles from Xmas treese would work well here) You should be able to harvest them in 1 month. Work out plans for 2016 and make sure you get Bio seeds ordered quickly as there is a strong demand and lots of variety available prior to the New Year.
26th December Last Flower Day of the Month. Plant Amaryllis in pots for New Year cheer.
27/28th December Leaf Days Trim dead leaves away from last salads in potager to allow maximum sunlight to reach last of the crops. Do the same to perrenials but leave grasses alone to give shelter to insects and mammals. (Boots the Bengal keen on this idea! - Voles are a constant delight for him, as unfortunately was a sleepy robin last week)
29/30/31st December Fruit Days. Plant bare root trees and Fruit bushes. No gardening after 3.10pm on 31st. RELAX and have a wonderful Christmas.
Hello , yes has been very mild , have been up to allottment this morning for veg for Christmas period , leeks , sprouts , artichokes , swede , turnip and horse radish root , the sprout tops where to mangy for cooking so binned them
It is definately turning cold and we now are getting frosts
look forward to your weather predictions after Christmas , no snow forecast where we are staying from Wednesday until New Year , remember 1 year had a really bad frost and tempreture was 0 so it looked like snow
Quick potter round plot as gale force winds meant re-stacking log pile and sticking tear in polytunnel corner yet again! Delighted to find (and eat) 2 raspberries! My Sprouts are dreadful this year, but Black Italian Kale looks fantastic, so think we shall have that Xmas Day instead. Chard still producing good salad leaves (sorry don't like the stalks cooked - tried all ways, but then we don't like cooked spinach) Loath to lift beetroot whilst so mild as still growing on well. Onions doing well in cucumber frame. Might try the radishes as per Moon Calender. Can't find horse radish, but it was a baby, and I did keep treading on it! - How do you make horseradish sauce?
Hello , chard have you tried adding them to a stir fry like spinach
took all beetroot up , cook it as a veg , pickled and did a chutney for the first time which was really nice
Horseradish can be evasive , grow mine with a barrier around it , sorry other half does the sauce , she just got recipe from Internet , lots of different recipes
she grates it , white wine vinegar , seasoning and a bit of light mayo
forgot to plant any kale this year
Now with family , glass of red , Christmas has started , have great time
Hi - Just been out hunting for holly WITH berries on in hedgerows, but yet again birds have beaten me to it. Tons of mistletoe though. Christmas Eve is celebrated here as opposed to Christmas Day. The meal is 5 courses, starting at 10pm and finishing around 3am (Sometimes eaten a little earlier for those wanting to go to Midnight Mass) At midnight all presents opened. Christmas Day a much quieter affair with a late lunch. Boxing Day doesn't exist. They have a Fete des Etraims on the 27th which is similar, when you give unwanted presents away!
We stick rigidly to an English Christmas. Tried the French one but could not keep up the pace! With just the two of us, it is nice to potter, chill out with a good bottle of wine and our traditional Christmas Goose!
Could not resist weeding just now and found the LAST Spring Onion, to go with our Seafood Salad tonight and a glass of Fizz. Picked a few deep purple beetroot leaves to brighten up scarole, and resorted to cutting some red berried shrub (Skimmia?)to match Kilner Jars full of our own conifer hedge trimmings. Actually good replacement for holly. No tree this year as far to expensive. We light up the conifers in the garden and they look really great.
The moon was stunning last night - Looking forward to opening new Gardening Books and allied presents tomorrow.
Posts
Hello , hope your forecasts are right , they sound good to me
Bubble rapped the Greenhouse today , and put in some pots & hanging baskets
hoping to go up to allottment Sunday
always interesting in read your posts
yes happy gardening
Great to know you're out there. Thank you for your encouragement and kind words.
Keep your notes coming, they all help to build up a picture of this 'alternative' approach to gardening. I have just received my Maria Thun Biodynamic Calender for 2016 as an early Xmas present - well worth having (Author Matthias Thun - Printed by Floris Books ISBN 978-178250-106-0) £6.99. so not much to spend on bags of (slightly complicated) info. I really must get to grips with 'preperations' for next year to stimulate growth etc These infusions/decoctions can get quite weird! And I certainly don't understand how they all work - but they do seem to.
Happy Gardening.
Many , many thanks biofreak
It's been a good, busy summer /autumn for me and in spite of my not getting to grips with leaf and flower days keeping an eye on the moon's phases is an instinctive help.
Finally have my 'no dig' plot!
December dates noted, thank you again.
Hello , spent Sunday up allottment , had a good harvest of swede , turnip , juruslem articokes , sprouts , leeks and carrots
They where purple carrots and they have not kept so well in the ground as the orange ones but have to try these things
Well , I have to say that so far these bio-dynamic weather predictions have been pretty accurate!! However seeing bluebells coming up, and lilacs budding seems really weird. Carol Singing tonight with no hats/scarves or coats is taking December a bit far, but I am actually really really chuffed, and just hope snow and horrors don't arrive in June!!!! - Actually I do know what is supposed to happen , but will save it up for telling you after Xmas.
Here is Lunar Calender 21-31st December
21/22 December - Moon rising Fruit Days. Sow Broad Beans outside.
23/24/25th December-Root Days Sow radishes under cover, protecting young shots from slugs, by popping bonfire ash or better still pine needles around them. (Fallen needles from Xmas treese would work well here) You should be able to harvest them in 1 month. Work out plans for 2016 and make sure you get Bio seeds ordered quickly as there is a strong demand and lots of variety available prior to the New Year.
26th December Last Flower Day of the Month. Plant Amaryllis in pots for New Year cheer.
27/28th December Leaf Days Trim dead leaves away from last salads in potager to allow maximum sunlight to reach last of the crops. Do the same to perrenials but leave grasses alone to give shelter to insects and mammals. (Boots the Bengal keen on this idea! - Voles are a constant delight for him, as unfortunately was a sleepy robin last week)
29/30/31st December Fruit Days. Plant bare root trees and Fruit bushes. No gardening after 3.10pm on 31st. RELAX and have a wonderful Christmas.
Bonne Annee!!
Happy Gardening!
Hello , yes has been very mild , have been up to allottment this morning for veg for Christmas period , leeks , sprouts , artichokes , swede , turnip and horse radish root , the sprout tops where to mangy for cooking so binned them
It is definately turning cold and we now are getting frosts
look forward to your weather predictions after Christmas , no snow forecast where we are staying from Wednesday until New Year , remember 1 year had a really bad frost and tempreture was 0 so it looked like snow
have a good Christmas
Quick potter round plot as gale force winds meant re-stacking log pile and sticking tear in polytunnel corner yet again! Delighted to find (and eat) 2 raspberries! My Sprouts are dreadful this year, but Black Italian Kale looks fantastic, so think we shall have that Xmas Day instead. Chard still producing good salad leaves (sorry don't like the stalks cooked - tried all ways, but then we don't like cooked spinach) Loath to lift beetroot whilst so mild as still growing on well. Onions doing well in cucumber frame. Might try the radishes as per Moon Calender. Can't find horse radish, but it was a baby, and I did keep treading on it! - How do you make horseradish sauce?
Hello , chard have you tried adding them to a stir fry like spinach
took all beetroot up , cook it as a veg , pickled and did a chutney for the first time which was really nice
Horseradish can be evasive , grow mine with a barrier around it , sorry other half does the sauce , she just got recipe from Internet , lots of different recipes
she grates it , white wine vinegar , seasoning and a bit of light mayo
forgot to plant any kale this year
Now with family , glass of red , Christmas has started , have great time
is it very different in France's ?
Hi - Just been out hunting for holly WITH berries on in hedgerows, but yet again birds have beaten me to it. Tons of mistletoe though. Christmas Eve is celebrated here as opposed to Christmas Day. The meal is 5 courses, starting at 10pm and finishing around 3am (Sometimes eaten a little earlier for those wanting to go to Midnight Mass) At midnight all presents opened. Christmas Day a much quieter affair with a late lunch. Boxing Day doesn't exist. They have a Fete des Etraims on the 27th which is similar, when you give unwanted presents away!
We stick rigidly to an English Christmas. Tried the French one but could not keep up the pace! With just the two of us, it is nice to potter, chill out with a good bottle of wine and our traditional Christmas Goose!
Could not resist weeding just now and found the LAST Spring Onion, to go with our Seafood Salad tonight and a glass of Fizz. Picked a few deep purple beetroot leaves to brighten up scarole, and resorted to cutting some red berried shrub (Skimmia?)to match Kilner Jars full of our own conifer hedge trimmings. Actually good replacement for holly. No tree this year as far to expensive. We light up the conifers in the garden and they look really great.
The moon was stunning last night - Looking forward to opening new Gardening Books and allied presents tomorrow.
Merry Christmas.