Found variegated agapanthus at Garden Fair near Rouen last year. There is a Specialist Agapanthus Nursery who developed this some 8 yrs ago - It is really stunning. Not very big but bushes up well. Will dig out the name for you amongst my box of 'I bought this' labels.. It's not so much the Tour de France as crowds I don't like. Rather watch major event on Telly, although football is a 'no no'! Cricket and Wimbledon - well now you're talking! - Actually if I'm honest, sitting quietly in the garden planning strategy (and probably falling asleep) is more my kind of thing.
Actually - I don't know if they do play cricket here - and we've been expats for 24yrs now, so we should know!!! Strategy Planning was to start another thread on Biodynamic Gardening to encourage others to come on board - but to date no joy. It would be so nice to share other gardening methods - Still us Moonbeams are managing OK. Still staggered by the weather being so accurate using BioD Calender by Maria Thun. Have just given the Potager a good spray of Comfrey Tea and Nettle Broth. Plus sworn at the Peach Tree which has succumbed to Peach leaf Curl despite all attempts to help it - Now definately dead. I have a new Apricot Tree safely planted in a totally different area, so hope this does not give up. Mind you with peaches £1.99 Kg in the shops, no reason to bother growing one really I suppose.
Next Gardening Fair end August near Evreux - Have just crystallised some lavender for this event and made lavender sugar for shortbread before the flowers open fully. Such a pretty colour against chocalate icing. Made Lemon & Thyme cakes last week - the smell of fresh thyme is fabulous at this time of year. Must go and gather some Lemon Balm to dry for tisanes. And of course some Borage Flowers to pop into Ice Cubes for Winter Gin & Tonics! Oh the joys of the Potager! Munching our way through raspberries at a rate of knots and blackcurrants nearly ready. Golden Courgettes coming on well, but peas not happy.Still not sure if gooseberries are ready - so hard!
Red hot tomatoes!!! - Literally!! - 36degrees outside 42degrees in the greenhouse yesteday even with door and windows open. peppers and chillies loved it. Cucumbers sagged a bit, and tomatoes set some fruit!
Hope all went well at the Village Show? - Yes Nice bad news - Never stops does it? Glad to hide in the garden. French very sympa about Britex - 63% of them in poll earlier this month wanted to leave too! Sorry I'm a stayer even in this heat!! Recipe for Citron & Thyme Cake available if you send me a message.
So - here we are boiling as predicted mid July - hoping for storms to re-fill water butts. Have crystallised more lavender/munched raspberries and blackcurrants plus the odd pea (not many this year just popped some more in -living in hopes on Fruit Day) Spanish beans coming on well (Runner beans in UK). Misting peppers and chillies - Gave up on gooseberries - went to pick them having leered at them every day, to find none left. Stroppy blackbird winked at me, so guess he ate them!
Here is Lunar Calender for 18th - 26th July Happy Gardening!
18/19th July - Moon Rising in Sagitarius. Fruit Days. Graft apples/pears and plums.
20/21 July - Full Moon Root Days - Sow turnips and Winter radish - Keep moist until sprouted.
22/23 July - Leaf Days - Graft all Roses. In Nursery sow forget me nots/pansies & violas Don't garden after 1.55pm 23rd. Moon occluded by Neptune (watch out for heavy storms)
24/25/26th July - Leaf Days Sow all salad crops in shady spots for Autumn pickings and Chinese Cabbage plus Winter Spinach to pick before major frosts.
27th July - No Gardening between 7.30am and 5.45pm Moon closest to Earth so Take a Break and enjoy your garden. I have a very rusty garden chair that I leave out in all weathers and all year (so that I can snatch an odd moment even in mid winter to sit and reflect) I move it around the plot so that I can take in different views and plan strategy for next season (Usually forgotten what this was once I go back indoors!) I say rusty chair because I have fallen through it and off the side of it when the arms snapped this year, but - well - I love it. Have you got a favourite piece of garden furniture or tool that you will not be parted from??
Off to wonderful fair this w/e. Chateau only open to the public once every 2 years, with superb parkland and unfortunately one very lonely swan on lake. The owners tried to give it a friend, but it would not accept one.
Just done my good deed for the day - First time ever found bird caught in fruit net (Garden Warbler) dear little thing had got itself in a right two and eight with netting wound round wing and claw - Rushed for scissors and cut all twine away, once finished popped him/her onto compost heap and he/she bounded away happy as larry. - Only found it by accident whilst browsing around fruit bed searching for last raspberries.
Not much to add to Moon Calender up to end of month, can't believe that we are almost into August!
28/29/30th July - Root Days , continue sowing Winter carrots/swedes and radishes.
31st July - Flower Day - Prick out bi-annuals and perrenials sown 25/26th June.
Thank goodness there is rain today -Water Butts empty. Much cooler too which I prefer.
Tomatoes coming on well and 5 baby cucumbers now, have added lemon cucumber this year - no idea what it will be like. Baby Broccoli struggling and new peas sprouting - went back to Kelvedon Wonder despite trying others - this still really works for me. Weeds outnumbering flowers - Plus brambles arriving from nowhere! - Massive pruning and weeding to do this w/e.
Look out for August weather prediction and Lunar Calender this w/e.
Posts
Hello , thanks for update , enjoy the Medival Fair
never seen a variegated Agapanthus ?
Bark preparations not sure ?
Just sitting in garden thinking I really should be doing something but
You are not Tour deFrance fan then ? what about Football , France doing rather well at moment ?
Found variegated agapanthus at Garden Fair near Rouen last year. There is a Specialist Agapanthus Nursery who developed this some 8 yrs ago - It is really stunning. Not very big but bushes up well. Will dig out the name for you amongst my box of 'I bought this' labels.. It's not so much the Tour de France as crowds I don't like. Rather watch major event on Telly, although football is a 'no no'! Cricket and Wimbledon - well now you're talking! - Actually if I'm honest, sitting quietly in the garden planning strategy (and probably falling asleep) is more my kind of thing.
Happy gardening!
Last edited: 05 July 2016 15:47:00
Do they play cricket in France ?
Use to like playing tennis many many years ago , not so keen on watching it
Hope your strategy planning has gone well
Actually - I don't know if they do play cricket here - and we've been expats for 24yrs now, so we should know!!! Strategy Planning was to start another thread on Biodynamic Gardening to encourage others to come on board - but to date no joy. It would be so nice to share other gardening methods - Still us Moonbeams are managing OK. Still staggered by the weather being so accurate using BioD Calender by Maria Thun. Have just given the Potager a good spray of Comfrey Tea and Nettle Broth. Plus sworn at the Peach Tree which has succumbed to Peach leaf Curl despite all attempts to help it - Now definately dead. I have a new Apricot Tree safely planted in a totally different area, so hope this does not give up. Mind you with peaches £1.99 Kg in the shops, no reason to bother growing one really I suppose.
Next Gardening Fair end August near Evreux - Have just crystallised some lavender for this event and made lavender sugar for shortbread before the flowers open fully. Such a pretty colour against chocalate icing. Made Lemon & Thyme cakes last week - the smell of fresh thyme is fabulous at this time of year. Must go and gather some Lemon Balm to dry for tisanes. And of course some Borage Flowers to pop into Ice Cubes for Winter Gin & Tonics! Oh the joys of the Potager! Munching our way through raspberries at a rate of knots and blackcurrants nearly ready. Golden Courgettes coming on well, but peas not happy.Still not sure if gooseberries are ready - so hard!
Happy Gardening!
Hello Just got back from allotment , more strawberrys , thought they where nearly finished
Also picked load of raspberrys from new bed only planted this year didn't think we would get any , o/h to make raspberry jam which we both like
Ment to say had courgette and lime cake yesterday absolutely divine
Like idea of borrage for gin & tonics , I just cut and freeze lemons , something for next year
We are going to make rhurbarb gin
We also make port from used sloe berrys ie. Used for sloe gin , cheap red red wine with a slug of cheap Brandy
Gooseberries neatly ready
Must get seeds for golden courettes
Cheers
Lemon & thyme cake sounds fab
Hello , just wondered how you are doing
I think summer had finally arrived hear
Entering lots of items in Village Show tomrrow , although lots of veg not very good
Terrible news about what happened in Nice
I trust you are keeping well
Red hot tomatoes!!! - Literally!! - 36degrees outside 42degrees in the greenhouse yesteday even with door and windows open. peppers and chillies loved it. Cucumbers sagged a bit, and tomatoes set some fruit!
Hope all went well at the Village Show? - Yes Nice bad news - Never stops does it? Glad to hide in the garden. French very sympa about Britex - 63% of them in poll earlier this month wanted to leave too! Sorry I'm a stayer even in this heat!! Recipe for Citron & Thyme Cake available if you send me a message.
So - here we are boiling as predicted mid July - hoping for storms to re-fill water butts. Have crystallised more lavender/munched raspberries and blackcurrants plus the odd pea (not many this year just popped some more in -living in hopes on Fruit Day) Spanish beans coming on well (Runner beans in UK). Misting peppers and chillies - Gave up on gooseberries - went to pick them having leered at them every day, to find none left. Stroppy blackbird winked at me, so guess he ate them!
Here is Lunar Calender for 18th - 26th July Happy Gardening!
18/19th July - Moon Rising in Sagitarius. Fruit Days. Graft apples/pears and plums.
20/21 July - Full Moon Root Days - Sow turnips and Winter radish - Keep moist until sprouted.
22/23 July - Leaf Days - Graft all Roses. In Nursery sow forget me nots/pansies & violas Don't garden after 1.55pm 23rd. Moon occluded by Neptune (watch out for heavy storms)
24/25/26th July - Leaf Days Sow all salad crops in shady spots for Autumn pickings and Chinese Cabbage plus Winter Spinach to pick before major frosts.
27th July - No Gardening between 7.30am and 5.45pm Moon closest to Earth so Take a Break and enjoy your garden. I have a very rusty garden chair that I leave out in all weathers and all year (so that I can snatch an odd moment even in mid winter to sit and reflect) I move it around the plot so that I can take in different views and plan strategy for next season (Usually forgotten what this was once I go back indoors!) I say rusty chair because I have fallen through it and off the side of it when the arms snapped this year, but - well - I love it. Have you got a favourite piece of garden furniture or tool that you will not be parted from??
Off to wonderful fair this w/e. Chateau only open to the public once every 2 years, with superb parkland and unfortunately one very lonely swan on lake. The owners tried to give it a friend, but it would not accept one.
Thanks for update
Gooseberrys , o/h picked a load today and still more to pick , they have done really well , will freeze them tomorrow for future use
Local heritage peas have done the best
French & runner beans not doing to well but we where late in putting them in
Bought a really good stainless steel hoe a couple of years go which I rather like
Have bench at bottom of garden , nicely sheltered and can see garden nicely
Chateau sounds interesting , have a good visit
Only 28 hear but another great day weather wise
Have sent you message
Just done my good deed for the day - First time ever found bird caught in fruit net (Garden Warbler) dear little thing had got itself in a right two and eight with netting wound round wing and claw - Rushed for scissors and cut all twine away, once finished popped him/her onto compost heap and he/she bounded away happy as larry. - Only found it by accident whilst browsing around fruit bed searching for last raspberries.
Not much to add to Moon Calender up to end of month, can't believe that we are almost into August!
28/29/30th July - Root Days , continue sowing Winter carrots/swedes and radishes.
31st July - Flower Day - Prick out bi-annuals and perrenials sown 25/26th June.
Thank goodness there is rain today -Water Butts empty. Much cooler too which I prefer.
Tomatoes coming on well and 5 baby cucumbers now, have added lemon cucumber this year - no idea what it will be like. Baby Broccoli struggling and new peas sprouting - went back to Kelvedon Wonder despite trying others - this still really works for me. Weeds outnumbering flowers - Plus brambles arriving from nowhere! - Massive pruning and weeding to do this w/e.
Look out for August weather prediction and Lunar Calender this w/e.
Happy Gardening!