Grow Your Own Magazine

roitelet · #36 (**permalink**) 14-01-2007, 08:53 PM

Well a pretty grey and damp week until today when the sun shone ALL DAY and there was very little wind. A beautiful day

Overall the week has been very mild until today when we had the first frost since 29th Dec. Which meant that the low for the week was 0c and the high was 13C (Last Tuesday). Wetness has been minimal 13mm total.

You may have noticed that I rarely mention wind. Well I used to live on the edge of a cliff 400ft up facing the Bristol Channel so unless the wind gets above force 8 I don't even notice it

Good news is that today the first crocus has opened, I found a snowdrop in flower and the Japonica has flowers on it.

Is Spring far away?

roitelet · #37 (**permalink**) 14-01-2007, 09:04 PM

Quick PS,

I also saw a peacock Butterfly and CK saw a bumble bee(both flying) and the gnats were dancing.

roitelet · #38 (**permalink**) 21-01-2007, 09:43 PM

Hi All,

I am not going to bore you all with the events of Thursday 'cos I think we all know about that, but even I noticed the wind!!

The week in general has again been mild with night time temperatures ranging from -6 to 11c and the day time +6 to 13C. There has not been a great deal of R***, 25mm, which, for the time of year is not a lot. However things are set to change next week according to the forecasts. Depending on which one is read we could have a mixtre of rain and snow tomorrow and snow showers on Tuesday and Wednesday, but by the next weekend it seems as though it will return to the mild weather. I shall just have to wait and see

The Witch hazel is in flower and the bulbs I planted to flower in the late spring, Dutch Iris, Alliums and Frittalarias are screaming out of the ground. There is life in the pond and yesterday I saw waterboatmen and evidence of frogs, ie the splash!!

jcwhite · #39 (**permalink**) 26-01-2007, 10:34 PM

Hi, I also live in France for nearly a year now,I am new to the Forum. I am a new gardener but used to buy Grow Your Own magazine in the UK, and was very proud of my success here with cherry tomatoes, peppers and squash and round courgettes that were freebies last year.I am looking forward to doing battle with the extreme weather conditions here again.Maybe I can pm roitelet and any other French resident for lots of advise.I have a greenhouse and a polytunnel, what should I be doing now?

smallblueplanet · #40 (**permalink**) 26-01-2007, 10:41 PM

Hi jc I think suee also lives down sw france way, whereabouts are you? I'm a bit of a Francophile and so need an outlet for my jealousy!!

jcwhite · #41 (**permalink**) 28-01-2007, 06:51 PM

Hi Sue
We are in dept 24, Dordogne.
We had snow on the ground for several days, bright sunshine as well.
Would welcome dialogue with others, we really do have bizarre conditions, how do the French grow such wonderful produce from little patches of ground, that would otherwise be redundant? I take my hat off to them!

madderbat · #42 (**permalink**) 28-01-2007, 07:54 PM

Bonjour JC, Roitelet
Have no experience of weather in france, but respond to the feelings about growing in the Med.
We visit Crete a lot and the locals grow everything and anything all over the place. Little room for flowers, but they don't half eat well! That's part of the reason we got a lottie.

roitelet · #43 (**permalink**) 28-01-2007, 08:42 PM

Hello All,

Welcome to the vine JC, I have PM'd you.

Before I forget, last Sunday we had the most amazing Hail Storm. CK and I were in the garden and we heard this strange rushing noise which got louder quite rapidly and the Hail arrived. It only lasted a few minutes bit it was heavy and turned the ground white!

It's quite not this week to say 'we have had another mild week'. Night time temperatures have not been above freezing the lowest being -11C, Burrrrrrrrrrrr. During the day the temperature has reached 6C and apart from about 5cm of snow on Wednesday there has been nothing falling from the sky. There has only been one obvious frost but Wednesday and Thursday there was a lot of black ice around. Later in the week there has been quite a lot of mist/fog as well as a little sun, other than that it has been rather grey and un-inspiring

On the growing side of things the cold has put a hold to anything that was making an effort but the weather is now forcast to be mild again things will move on

roitelet · #44 (**permalink**) 04-02-2007, 09:15 PM

Hello All, Sunday again, how time flies when you are having fun

The week started GREY,GREY and more GREY, misty and generally damp but no actual r***. Saturday the SUN SHONE for the first time in 10 days and today it has shone again. We had frost this morning for the first time in a week. Day time temperatures for the whole week have been 7 or 8C and the nights ranging between +6 to -4C and the only wet precipitation recorded was 1mm. Strange weather!!!

On the growing side of things not much change on last week. Daffs are showing buds and the crocus are in full bloom. There are signs of the herbaceous stuff growing and the Allium bulbs (pretty ones) I planted in the Autumn are up.

Just enjoyed a Curried Parsnip soup made with one of the huge and straight parsnips I dug yesterday

I will post the receipe on the Season to taste. Yumeeeeeeeeeee

roitelet · #45 (**permalink**) 11-02-2007, 09:06 PM

Monday and Tuesday were grey but dry, Wednesday we had an 'icing sugar' sprinkle of snow, Thursday was windy with showers (4mm) Friday, grey with sunny periods and showers (1mm), Saturday, overnight rain and then SUN, Today, heavy overnight rain, windy with heavy showers and a little sun. It has calmed down now and is quite still and dry.

It has not been at all cold with a low of -4C and the highest recorded temperature of 9C (today). The total wetness for the week was 16.5mm which is not a great deal and I hope that the general lack of rain is not an indication of what we might get in the growing season.

Not a lot on the growing front, a little 'window sill' gardening only which is a bit difficult because the French dont 'do' window sills inside

. Their's are all outside for the Geraniums in the Summer

jcwhite · #46 (**permalink**) 14-02-2007, 10:11 AM

French windowsills!!
Yes, I agree with Roitelet, French style windows are very strange. Try making English curtains fit them!Just recieved the Seed catalogue that one of the Forum readers recommended, and its raining today, so might just go and see if I can understand a little, or even just look at the pictures!

roitelet · #47 (**permalink**) 18-02-2007, 08:43 PM

Fantastic day today

One of those days when it's good to be alive. Sun this morning and the air smelt of spring. The frogs are singing love songs in the pond and the first daffodils are out. Purple Sprouting Broccoli is showing signs of sprouting and if this weather keeps up we should be eating it next week which will please No. 2 daughter no end. She is on leave from Kazakstan where they have NO GREEN VEG

Harvested the grass for the first time this year.

Having commented on the low rainfall last week, on Monday and Wednesday it fell down giving a total for the week of 32mm. The lowest temperature this week was -3C and today it soared to 14C.

Itching to get stuff in the ground!!

TonyF · #48 (**permalink**) 24-02-2007, 08:40 AM

Hi folks

I'm new here, live in Dept 24, Dordogne where we've been for a couple of years having bought small house and the garden we always wanted. Season seems to have started early here - last year was so cold this time but this year wet but much warmer - and the seasons here are seasons, not the smudged times of year that we had in London.

Last year I started to put in raised beds and this year will continue the project as I live on the side of a rocky hill. In some places I have little soil over the rock so raised beds are my only option, including raised beds in the fruit cage.

I've started cutting back the graminees, cleared the pond a bit and have sterted getting seeds into the cold frames. The overwintering cabbages are coming on now, starting to heart and the over wintered onions and garlic are doing ok.

Last year was difficult in the garden because of other domestic reasons but still had a huge glut of tomatoes, courgettes, melons and aubergines.

This year it's more of the same, more raised beds, different veggies - I belong to the Heritage Seed Library and will be trying some of their seeds again this year. Last year got some great toms and haricot vert from them which I've managed to save seeds from, fingers crossed. Probably aiming to get the early haricots vert, pois and feve in pots this week, once they're in the cold frames, should grow away fine.

I just love living here - my garden is about 75 times bigger than my garden in east London was and now have so much room to grow stuff I've always wanted to grow.

J looks after the front of the garden, I get the back and we share the wood that we bought - wonderful stuff and I can be as organic as I've always wanted to be here, no probs with manure, leaf mould by the tonne, recycling (a way of life here) and generally being more aware. All supplemented by living in a fairly rural community where bees and butterflies abound in the spring and summer (bee hives next project) with the most wonderful bird life - sounds idyllic because it is!

We worked for 40 years to be able to finally live our gardening dream and it was worth every day of the slog to get here.

Regards

Tony F
Berbiguieres, 24220

pigletwillie · #49 (**permalink**) 24-02-2007, 04:14 PM

Having been going to Normandy and Brittainy for the last few years I can honestly say that if the funds were available I would be over the water today.

Mrs Dobby · #50 (**permalink**) 24-02-2007, 08:47 PM

Hi Tony and a warm welcome to the madhouse! Your veg patch / woods / garden sounds amazing, I'd love to see some piccies if you have any?

Hope you have as much fun on the land as it sounds like you will, and hope you enjoy being here on the vine with all us really jealous grapes!

sewer rat · #51 (**permalink**) 24-02-2007, 08:58 PM

Tony
Sounds as if your garden / woods were well worth the 40 years wait. Welcome to the ever expanding Vine!

roitelet · #52 (**permalink**) 25-02-2007, 09:27 PM

First of all, welcome to the vine Tony. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

A bit of a mad week here as my Daughter visited and I haven't seen her for 18months. BTW the Purple sprouting Broccoli went down very well indeed

The weather has been mixed this week with the prevailing weather coming mostly from the south west. This has meant that there have been lots of heavy showers and wind, on Friday night there was a small thunder storm.
High temperature for this week was 11C and the low 3C and a total of 17mm of rain.

Things are beginning to show signs of growth, and the Daffodills are starting to put on quite a show. Forsythia is making an effort and I don't think that it will be long before the Flowering currant is in bloom. I went to Paris today and there is quite a lot of blossom on the trees, some pink and some white but I don't know what it was. Paris is a week or two earlier than us.

I have planted the Broad Bean plants under a cloche and put in another two double rows of seed under fleece. All planted on the appropriate day according to the Moon Gardening Calendar so here is hoping for a good crop.

I am now off for 12 hours sleep to recover from the visit

Any typos due to being kn*****d!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TonyF · #53 (**permalink**) 01-03-2007, 12:06 PM

Weather in the Dordogne is overcast and quite miserable.

But, managed to get out for a couple of hours each of the past few days - getting the early haricot vert and pois in, carrots, onions etc all neatly sown and in the various cold frames.

I really need to put some more raised beds in but the ground is just so cold and wet, will probably have to delay it for a couple of weeks - better get on with making the rained boxes for the fruit bushes I suppose and getting more seeds in.

It's great living in an area where most people with a garden have something approaching a kitchen plot - some of them are the size of severl allotments but the upside is masses of different fruits and veg, lots of kit when and where you need it (seasonally adjusted of course) and lots of organic stuff, though here organic is more of a way of life for everybody so it's not a bit fuss thing.

roitelet · #54 (**permalink**) 04-03-2007, 10:14 PM

A pretty un-remarkable week weather wise. High temperature of 13C and an overnight low of -1C and for once a frost on Friday. A bit of wind and some showers giving a total of 26.5mm of rain.

However Spring is here! Lots of frog spawn in the pond, and the buds on the trees and shrubs are swelling as you watch. I found a ladybird yesterday and was buzzed by a low flying bumble bee today.

Shallots and Garlic have been planted today. I just want to see the difference between the Autumn and Spring sowings. PSB is producing well but I must remember NEVER to plant Curly Kale near to it again. CK had to be composted because of aphids and now it is a race to eat the PSB before it too becomes infested.

Thought you would like some pictures of French Spring to relieve the monotony of me going on about Highs, Lows and wetness or lack of it

Cast in order of appearance - Tete a Tete and Crocus, Tete a Tete, Jetfire, Corsican Hellebore, Oriental Hellibore. In other words Spring at Le Bois Belloir

roitelet · #55 (**permalink**) 11-03-2007, 09:54 PM

This is the week of the pink trees! They are a vareity of Prunus (1st picture). They suddenly burst into bloom and within a week it has all gone but a true indication that spring is here.

The week started off a bit grey damp and nondescript but on Thursday we woke to frost and Sun and it has been like that eversince. The higs and lows for this week happened today 14C to -4C and the total rainfall has been 15.75mm.

There have been a lot of Brimstone butterflies around in the last few days and I have also seen a small Tortashell. The Violet Odorata (2nd Pic) are in full bloom and the true violet ones are just beginning. Not many primroses about but then this is a cowslip area rather than primroses, and of course the lesser cellandines are little patches of gold everywhere along the verges.
Today I saw the first patch of wood anemones, when they really get going the woods are full of them.

Thr Broad beands are still under their cloches but I am opening then during the day to harden them off. The Rhubarb is coming along nicely and we should have a few sticks of forced nextweek

although to my dissapointment the crown that I am forcing is throwing up flower heads.

Seedlings are coming along well even with a lack of windowsills

I have just bought 2 mini plastic covered greenhouse things which have to be put out during the day and taken in at night.

roitelet · #56 (**permalink**) 18-03-2007, 07:51 PM

I has been a pretty good week with brilliant sunny days and the top temperature was 15C. However every night the temperature has fallen to below freezing, the lowest being -5C. Very little dampness this week, 2mm only.

The weather has changed today and the wind has got up so it feels quite cold. We are forecast to have snow on and off until about Friday with low daytime temperatures as well as night. So from getting sunburnt and reaching for the Factor 30 it will be out with the winter woollies again.

I have lined the mini greenkouse with fleece and moved all the Tomato and Pepper plants back to the kitchen table.

On the growing front, I have sown a few Turnips and white Onions outside, prepared the potato plot and they will go in on 1st April. Slight problem with the soil, it is still wet underneath but the top lumps have 'set' to concrete with the hot sun and it is very difficult to get a tilth on the beds.

We have eaten the first of the forced Rhubarb and I think that I am winning the race with the aphids on the PSB. Stripped it the other day of anything edible and then sprayed what was left with a soap solution.

The Magnolia Stellata is just trying to flower

rustylady · #57 (**permalink**) 18-03-2007, 07:57 PM

We've had no significant frosts (YET). Sleet/hail showers today and very windy. PSB has had whitefly, but I just cut it and soak in a bucket of water, they soon drown and float to the top. What sort of aphids do you have on yours?