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Garden in a mess


anotherbanana
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This winter has wrought havoc in the garden. Just had a good look round and cut back the grasses as it was the first day that temperatures were marginally above freezing.

At first sight it seems that the plant loss will be heavy,either in pots or in the beds as the ground has frozen badly. Not had a winter as bad as this since being here. Maybe it is the sign of things to come.

Curse it.
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Freezing cold over here too.  I have never in my life, until now, turned on the heat in September!!!  Heating bills highest we've ever experienced anywhere in the world here.  Gas system and not that old either.

We are looking forward to moving South.  Don't think we could take more than another year up here.  Mainly due to the weather. 

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I know nothing about gardening, I thought one pulled one's bulbs up for wintering? ........ but as I said, I know 'nothing'.

Maybe you will be surprised as to what has survived and what has not, what ever, it would seem you have a busy spring time ahead of you... but don't let anyone like me near it, true recipe for disaster and worse than any winter could do.

Strangely I am very good with recipes[Www]

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I'm reliably informed by my wife that the snowdrops are long gone and the tulips and hyacinths, both the potted and the beded, are well on their way towards blossoming.

As regards to the weather and climate, I've never understood why anyone would want to live in northern France or northern Europe for that matter.

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Cajal said 'As regards to the weather and climate, I've never understood why anyone would want to live in northern France or northern Europe for that matter'.

Global warming perhaps ?

You could not pay me enough to live South of the Loire.

It has been a 'tad' cold this year but wait to the summer.

Can't go out...and all that. You can go out in the cold.

Take your pick. I know I what I would pick.

Global warming will economically save the UK in 10 years time.
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[quote user="anotherbanana"]People, my dear Cajal, people.[/quote]

That would go some way to explaining it, with me not being a people sort'a person.

Strange, when I checked this thread the first time it addressed you by your original name and avatar coupled with an icon as opposed to the term Moderator. I thought "Ah, he's rescued his original details". Apparently not it would now seem. As I said - strange?

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Last week, when there was that £126 million up for grabs in the euromillions, a friend and I had a frivolous conversation...... where would we go if either of us won.........

...........friend, somewhere hot!....... me.......... if I win, I will send you somewhere hot in a private jet for as long as you want..... and, I continued, you know where I would want to be......... somewhere cold and northern, or the southern island of NZ!

I loved the Alpes very cold winters, springs and autumns were OK too and the summers down in the valleys where we lived.............well, if we could, we would head north, to England and sometimes other northern countries.

I have not a clue as to why anyone would want to live anywhere 'hot' or be anywhere hot for a prolonged period of time. Feels like I spent far too many years when we couldn't head north, in the hot Alpes. And sadly I have the damaged skin to prove it and I don't even sunbathe....... northern skin, doesn't take to too much sunshine[Www]

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Yes, it's cold, but it has certainly been colder in previous years. As far as we can see things are surviving and some even starting to flower, snowdrops, daffodils etc.

The thing we dread is that late frost when the fruit trees are in flower, but we're not there yet.

I've noticed a lot more moss in the grass this winter... perhaps NoMoss could suggest something ? :-)

I like the sunshine in Spain for a winter break (not this year of course) but I couldn't live there all year, far too hot in summer. I do like it for cycling in February/March.
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[quote user="alittlebitfrench"]

Global warming perhaps ?

You could not pay me enough to live South of the Loire.

It has been a 'tad' cold this year but wait to the summer.

Can't go out...and all that. You can go out in the cold.

Take your pick. I know I what I would pick.

Global warming will economically save the UK in 10 years time.
[/quote]

Our abode faces southwest. At the height of summer the thermometer regularly breaches

50°C although, granted, it is in direct sun on a wall. Heat has never halted me from going about my everyday life.

In '78, between tours, colIeagues and I hiked 330 miles from Vegas to Mammoth Lakes via Death Valley and in '86 I repeated the hike with my wife.

In '82 after a tour I went on a three week organised trek across the Sahara through Egypt, Libya, Algeria and Morocco.

At no time did I stop and think 'wtf am I doing?'.

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So, anyway, back to the garden, WB. (God knows it's not a subject that's done to death on here, is it?) ;-)

What do you grow up there? Ornamentals? Potager? Fruit?

The biggest feature of the nasty winter here has been the excessive rainfall. Like last winter. A soggy disaster for agriculteurs and particulièrs alike.

I can understand the anger of the former when by law they're no longer allowed to construct reservoirs. Then, in 4 months time, we'll be into water restrictions. Crazy!

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Noisette, to reply, minimal potager largely grow beans and pumpkin type things but good fruit bushes; the freezer is groaning with raspberries and gooseberries. A few apples but the trees are only two or so years old so, hopefully, more to come.

All types of flowers, particularly dahlias but I lift them late autumn. Wallflowers, roses, sweetpeas do exceptionally well.

The soil here is very rich, as the moles have found, because the previous owners but one ran it as a small holding and self sufficiency plot.

The biggest problem is drought in the summer. I have five good sized waterbutts but they are never enough. Thinking of pumping from the nearest stream.

This winter has done damage as the ground was frozen hard quite deeply so we shall see what has survived. I am worried about pot plants of which I have far too many and loads of heucheras, largely as border plants. They all look very sad now but I shall start singing to them soon which will frighten them into growing!
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Ah...green with envy over the soft fruit! I grew blackcurrants and raspberries fairly successfully 15 years ago, but it's definitely become hotter and drier here in 47 over the years. They hate it!

The current bugbear of new arrivals round here is the failure of sweet-peas. Best solution is to grow them like the edible variety, as overwintered spring-flowering plants!

Won't you need permission to take water from the stream? I've got 9000lts-worth of water recuperation tanks buried in strategic points, but they're not enough, either :-)

I'm sure your Heucheras will pull through. They're pretty tough. Of course, I haven't heard you sing! ;-)

You could cut out a lot of hard work by chucking a thick mulch over the dahlias, non? It used to work in the UK, even on clay soil....
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Just to annoy you a little!!! The winter down here in the Pays Basque has been wonderful. The last few days temperatures have even been in the low 20s.C

The primroses are everywhere in the garden, best year ever though of course they self propagate and each year there are more.

I have even cut the grass twice this year already! This yearI parcelled off a piece of the lawn into a 'wild area' No grass cutting or weed removal. Have planted a few insect attracting bushes and will sprinkle seeds of wild flowers in a week or so. The idea is to attract bees, Butterflies etc. Less grass cutting too!
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I don't think you are too familiar with the Pays Basque my friend. It is luscious and green and that's because of the alternate rain and sunshine. No forest fires around here I can assure you. Even during a scorching summer there are the occasional storms to wet everything down.

Yes, frelons asiatiques and I had to clear out a nest from the BBQ area, stung twice on the face, once on the hand and required a visit to the quacks!! My fault entirely I should have left them alone!!!

As for being cold 'up norf' You are more than welcome to it!!
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But I lived in the Alpes, so actually colder than 'up north' although in fairness the cold is different.

Still we have not had -30 and our water pipes freeze here in England, and in France when that happened, even our septique tank pipes froze....... we did have fun that winter, from the 1st Jan 1985. My youngest was  a 6 month old baby.  I know that when I have looked it up, it says that it was not that cold where we lived, just something like -23, but I know what our outside thermometer said.

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Silly me...I thought this thread was about gardening, not yet another 'my region is better than your region' playground competition.

I'd have said, gardening-wise, that each region has it's strengths, weaknesses and challenges.

What is surprising is how few Brits come here primarily to garden, despite often buying huge swathes of land. The classic case I remember is someone in Dordogne who was the proud owner of 4 acres, which were promptly turned over to the neighbouring farmer to deal with. Then proud owner had the brass nerve to complain about the crops said farmer grew 'because he didn't like the colour of the flowers'.. Classic!

The most recent amusing trend (religion?) is that of the no-dig' zealots. I'd love to know where they get the vast quantities of cardboard and compost that seem to be required!
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I garden...!

Though, the last ten years have been spent digging up rubble. What is it with the French just burrying rubble.

At out last house I dug up and old Lavoir. It took 2 months.

And when I had finished I burried again. I had become officially French.

Trouble with gardening in France is that you do all the hardwork and then come summer everything gets incinerated.

I think a view is better than a garden.
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[quote user="mint"]Id, we do exactly as you do.  If we like something, we just buy it, no need to wait for a special occasion.  Same with meals either out or at home.  If we feel like a special meal, we just have it.

[/quote]

Exactly!  I think that comes with advancing age and experience ... having a meal out when we feel like it is the one thing I really miss during these times.

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[quote user="alittlebitfrench"]I garden...!

Though, the last ten years have been spent digging up rubble. What is it with the French just burrying rubble.

At out last house I dug up and old Lavoir. It took 2 months.

And when I had finished I burried again. I had become officially French.

Trouble with gardening in France is that you do all the hardwork and then come summer everything gets incinerated.

I think a view is better than a garden.[/quote]

ALBF, my view on gardening here is exactly like yours.

Our house has an extension built by the previous owner and you are so right about builder's rubble.  In some places the soil, such as it is, is about an inch deep before you hit cement.

The garden around the original bit of the house is dominated by a massive murrier and some old prune trees that we had to cut down as they were non-productive and their branches hit the cars as we drove past.

Also, the ground, as in large areas of the Dordogne, is largely calcaire (this is vine country after all) and it is not particularly friendly to your average shrubs or flowers.  We can grow roses with some perseverance, some hollyhocks (but they don't flower every year) and lots of geraniums in pots.

OTOH, we have a wonderful outlook and views across fields from the back of the house.  The house has a glassed- in veranda stretching the whole width of the house and the views change with the seasons.  The front of the house just faces a small road though a beautifully landscaped one.  So I do agree with you about views rather than gardens.  Every visitor to the house is surprised by the views because you can't see the back of the house from the road.  In fact, the house has very little kerb appeal and so, when they come round to the back, the view never fails to surprise them.

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[quote user="alittlebitfrench"]I garden...!

Though, the last ten years have been spent digging up rubble. What is it with the French just burrying rubble.

At out last house I dug up and old Lavoir. It took 2 months.

And when I had finished I burried again. I had become officially French.

Trouble with gardening in France is that you do all the hardwork and then come summer everything gets incinerated.

I think a view is better than a garden.[/quote]

How about a view and a garden? We have both so possibly fortunate. As for digging things up: Two of those concrete type telegraph poles, a huge roof rack, around two hundred wine bottles (empty!), roughly a couple of tons of asbestos paving slabs and enough buried rotting wood and wire fencing that would encompass Wembley Stadium!

The previous owner ran an animal sanctuary in the garden and I also had to get rid of about a hundred metres of decrepit sheds and shelters. Gardening here is not quite the same as gardening in our last house in Tunbridge Wells!!

We have wild section that just takes a little managing, nothing serious and a more formal garden that I have, this year, taken a portion of the lawn and turned it into an insect area. No grass cutting and just let it run wild. I have helped it along with wild flower seeds and some insect attracting bushes. The whole garden is incredibly interesting with lots of hidden features. One of the great shames of gardeners is, I think, a lack of imagination. It is sad when you can look out of a window and see the whole thing, no point in going out there is there!!!
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