Gardening

[Whyperion]

This years peonies have weathered much better than last years. Pity that you only get one flower per season.P1010045.JPG

Can you get different varieties that will bloom earlier/later. blooming is probably triggered by temperature or length of daylight I would imagine.

[plaques]

Just started harvesting the gooseberries. Quite a good crop with about 30lb collected so far. I found it to be a very dangerous occupation with these bushes doing their damnedest to stop me. If PanBiker can spare an odd pint of blood I would be much obliged.

[PanBiker]

Yes we have had a good crop so far from our tiny front garden, one already consumed and a few crumbles in the freezer. If you want my blood (A Rh+) you will have to go to Manchester Royal Infirmary, got a text the other week to tell me where my last donation ended up.

[Stanley]

No thorns on mint......

[Sue]

The weather in Brittany may be awful but I have a bumper crop of courgettes, I have been picking tomatoes for 4 weeks, my cabbages are huge and my Brussels sprouts are forming. I have a huge crop of tomatillo which I have never grown before, a type of green tomato related to the cape gooseberry. My pumpkins and butternut squash have started to produce well and we have had cucumbers since we came. But where oh where are my English runner beans, loads of flowers but few beans forming.

[Stanley]

No flowers on mint Sue......

[Sue]

Mine has all flowered, grown very straggly and been cut back. The Southern wood is enormous!

[Tripps]

No flowers on mint Sue......

Really? There are on mine, and I eat them. Delicious.

[Stanley]

If there are any on mine I have missed them.

[Sue]

Mint flowers prolifically but then goes woody. You have to cut the flowers back to keep soft green shoots

[Sue]

IMG_4135.JPG

[Stanley]

Nothing like that on mine!

[Sue]

Not enough sun, also don't you manure the patch, that tends to generate a lot of leafy growth. Mints tend to prefer rather poor soils, and the flowers are produced in their response to long term survival. I.e. Flowers= seeds= new plants. My theory anyway. My mint has always flowered

[Stanley]

You could be right Sue. I wonder if hedgehogs are having a good year? They eat slugs don't they..... We have a lot this year.

[Sue]

You could be right Sue. I wonder if hedgehogs are having a good year? They eat slugs don't they..... We have a lot this year.

It would be good if they do have a good year.

I have never seen a slug in our garden in Brittany. Frogs eat them too. With all the rain you/ we are all having Europe is at risk of become one giant pond of fat frogs!

[plaques]

You've just upset my French friend with that comment!

[Stanley]

It's quite evident that I have neither hedgehogs or frogs hiding in my Mint forest! Last night it was calm and at 9pm when Jack went for his bedtime pee I noticed how strong the scent was from the mint..... It's certainly thriving!

[Sue]

You've just upset my French friend with that comment!

The hopping type plaques

[Tripps]

Good crop of plums this year. . .

[Tripps]

The mint picture seems to have vanished overnight - so I've done it again. This was mainly to show the flowers - Sue's seem to be on steroids. I seem to have included my right foot in the shot.

[PanBiker]

Looks like we are in a "famine year" with our pear tree, we only have two on the tree this year. We got about 40lbs of fruit from it last year.

[Stanley]

Over the years I found that plums are a moveable feast and nothing I did influenced the crop. The Conference Pear was a different matter. I found that the key was the second pruning in I think it was June but I have forgotten now. If you crack that you improve your chances no end!

[Sue]

Mine was a download from t'internet , as my mint was all cut back a week ago being 2 feet high and covered in flowers and going rather woody. It will be back very soon with all of this rain

[Sue]

Looks like we are in a "famine year" with our pear tree, we only have two on the tree this year. We got about 40lbs of fruit from it last year.

We have next to no fruit on on our fruit trees here in N France, the late frost coincided beautifully with flowers opening.

[Stanley]

Always a problem Sue. My mint is overgrown and falling over but still powerful. The scent from it last night was amazing!