Grow Your Own Magazine

Hi everyone,
Although I've been reading forum messages for several months now I haven't got round to introducing myself. I currently live in Surrey where I have had two allotments in the past - until work overtook demands on my time. Now that I have just retired I have more free time. However, my wife and I will moving down to our place in SW France (Lot et Garonne) full time. We have had the house for 7 years but have only had a small veg strip to grow tomatoes and courgettes in the summer in that time. Veg growing is extremely difficult when you visit the garden a few times a year! Last summer I started expanding this strip in our front garden after 2 Acacia trees fell after heavy rains and wind. The grass (definitely not a lawn) was rotovated to create an area. We have manured/composted as much as possible and started planting. I am able to spend more time this year on getting this area sorted as well as keeping the rest of garden which is 2 1/2 acres in total. I have just spent two weeks here re-weeding the potager and planting a lot of seeds and plants. I am away for 2 weeks and then back again for another 2. Just have to keep my fingers crossed that everything goes well in that time. Really looking forward to being here full time in just over a month when my wife retires and she is able to take over the digging!!! Then we can start thinking about a larger veg patch. I have added a photo of the veg patch (potager) as it was last evening between rain showers.

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Hello there and welcome to the Vine Rodley

Sounds like you've got some lovely plans there.
It's great fun trying out different crops in different regions !
We have 3 ft high blueberry bushes which are confusing our French neighbours ( should be 1ft max) , Curly kale and parsnips have got them thinking we are a bit mad in the head!

welcome near neighbour....i'm in the Lot - east of Cahors - there is another 47er on the site i think she's near Tournon d'agenais .......if your weather has been anything like ours you won't have had to worry about not being able to water the garden whilst you are not there.....

As I said in my introduction, I have been at my place near Marmande for a fortnight there sorting out the garden. It has been a mixture of rain and good sun, but often the mornings were wiped out because the ground was too wet to work on - and then I often had to stop between 5 and 6 because the rain came on again! Back in England for a fortnight and then back again - more or less permanently then.