[we need a good accountant]

thank you " O great one" we'll give it a go. We know what you mean, you love race cars we love plants. All we want to do is open a small pepinieres and sell plants. We should be thinking about the business and wether it will be a success or not. But no it looks like "red tape" for petit dejeuner, dejeuner et diner!!!!

[we need a good accountant]

right. we have been planning our business for a couple of years (in france). After months of research everyone says start with a good accountant. Could someone please tell me where the good accountant shop is in the charente maritime? So we can just go along and buy one!!!!

[artichokes]

Tony, 

I did look it up on a gardening site that they are very invasive.  You obviously know your onions!

[artichokes]

Thanks Tony,

The jerusalem artichoke look like a good nutrional food.  Apparently it doesn't have to be invasive if looked after properly, so it's a thumbs up from me.

 

[artichokes]

Hi Tony,

What's the other sort?

 

[artichokes]

Jane

I cut it off at the base of the fruit not the base of the stalk.  I know that if you remove "seed pods" from any plants it encourages more growth instead of putting all of its energy into the seed.  That's why I cut them off.  They were quite small anyway.  But thank you for your advice.

[Boarding cattery wanted whilst searching for property in Pas de Calais]

Kathy,

Heard today that there is a cattery (French owned, but speak a little english) near Chalais at Yvier.  Any good?

 

[artichokes]

Thanks for the link - they look a bit like large scottish thistles.  Very pretty. 

I did cut them off and the base is very bulbous.

Usually when a vegetable plant flowers, it has gone to seed, so it's usually too late to harvest and sometimes it affects the whole plant if it's left.  Is this the case with an artichoke plant or will it recover next year.

[artichokes]

What do the flowers look like?

[artichokes]

We have grown four plants this year and one of them has "fruited".  I read somewhere that you can't or shouldn't eat them until the second year and I wondered if anyone had tried eating them the first year.

[artichokes]

Is anyone growing artichokes?

[Boarding cattery wanted whilst searching for property in Pas de Calais]

Thanks for that.  The only problem for us is that Misty hates travelling and even a trip to the vet (about 10 minutes) gets her hyperventilating big time.  So we do need somewhere nearer if possible.  We are in the Jonzac/Montendre area so a trip to Fouras would take about an hour.  If we find anything I will let you know.

[Boarding cattery wanted whilst searching for property in Pas de Calais]

Can anyone recommend a cattery in the Charente Maritime.  We only have one cat, but need to spend a few days in northern France looking for accommodation before we complete on the sale of our house.  I have looked on most of the sites but so far no luck.

[plant pots]

That will do nicely to start with, perhaps they have some bigger ones as well.Thanks very much Cooperlola.

[plant pots]

Thanks Jane and Danny, very good ideas. We did read about making pots but as you say they don't hold together very well. We have not had any replies, but we have got on to the forum. We have been here for five years and have viewed the forum but not taken part. We will in the future.Thank-you for your good wishes and help.Gwen and Danny

[plant pots]

Thank-you Framboise. Brilliant question. We want to open a small garden-centre and sell our plants for a small price, but we need to keep the price of the basics ( pots and compost etc.) low. To buy simple plastic pots from a garden-centre or supermarket is astronomical. To be able to go to a wholesaler here we need to register and pay all the social charges. We need at least another year to finish building the infastructure and bring on the plants we are propagating. Of course when we are ready to trade we will register. We can buy pots in england and get them posted here and we will most likely have to, but whenever we speak to anybody they say " oh we have lots of old pots in the barn you can have". So we thought we might try the forum and see what happens. We are after something for nothing but we are willing to spend our time and petrol by collecting them. And its a tiny bit of recyling.( sorry bit of a serious answer to a good question)

[plant pots]

Thanks again Sue. There are lots at the dechetterie but they will not allow us to take anything out of the big skips. Most people buy small plants, then plant them in the garden and have no further use for the small pots. Then they throw them away. We have collected many from local friends but we need more. We even use our old plastic milk bottles by cutting them in half.

[plant pots]

Thank-you Sue, I'll give it a try. The thing is that I don't want big pots or planters just small plastic pots but lots of them.

[plant pots]

who?

[green duck-pond]

get yourself some watersnails.  They just love algae, yum yum ....

[plant pots]

I could start my own dechetterie I suppose....

[plant pots]

Thanks Trumpet - good idea but our local dechetterie has a sign saying nothing can be removed.

[plant pots]

I am looking for second hand plant pots within a 50 Km radius of Jonzac (departement 17).  If you wish to dispose of unwanted pots I would be pleased to hear from you.