mooky Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 Never have I seen such and abundance of wildflowers as I have seen this year. Yesterday I couldn't walk in a wood i use regulary it was just covered in wood anenomes, and the beginnings of wild bluebells. Further along were fields of , I think, narrow leaved lungwort. Even the Snakes Head Fritillary seemed to have doubled their quantity. I am a simple soul. These beautiful flowers have reduced me to tears this year, for their simple beauty; Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dog Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 You are lucky our Snakes Head Fritillaries aren't out yet.It is fantastic to see so many wild flowers in France. UK pesticide use had nearly killed off many meadow flowers.We should soon be getting a five pointed blue flower that appears evry year in the meadow near us - I don't know what it is called though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babcock Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 [quote user="Dog"]You are lucky our Snakes Head Fritillaries aren't out yet.It is fantastic to see so many wild flowers in France. UK pesticide use had nearly killed off many meadow flowers.We should soon be getting a five pointed blue flower that appears evry year in the meadow near us - I don't know what it is called though.[/quote]Oddly enough I was just remarking to MOH yesterday how few wildflowers there are around here. This is cow country, mainly pasture and orchards. Where are you two that there are so many flowers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carmelle Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 Even during the winter months we can see flowers in meadows. Nature never takes a rest . I particularly like november and december two months that hide the Daisy in gaps . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babcock Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Again I ask , where can you see such a variation of flowers. Cornwall and the gower penisular are renowned for their spring flowers and French farmers are the worst in europe for their use of nitrites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dog Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 No nitrides where I am in 24 the peasants are too poor, the farmers are bio, there are lots of ancient meadows and the department is still 45% wooded.You should get out more and stop believing UK propaganda. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5-element Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 Sadly, Babcock is right. I don't think Le Monde would count as UK propaganda.http://bonnenouvelle.blog.lemonde.fr/2009/03/19/une-france-sans-pesticide-cest-possible/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil & Pat Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 Do pesticides harm wild flowers, or do I have a translation problem? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 I would imagine that the pesticides attack the 'pests' which are the insects - bees etc - responsible for fertilising the plants. No fertilisation = no plants.Danny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5-element Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 See the recent French documentary "Nos enfants nous accuseront" (Our children will accuse us). There are many links to it in French, but here is one where the documentary is used as a tool for teaching French:http://mmeperkins.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/11/nos-enfants-nous-accuseront.html"Produits phytosanitaires" is the global term for all chemicals used in agriculture (not just pesticides, but also fungicides, etc.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil & Pat Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 [quote user="5-element"]"Produits phytosanitaires" is the global term for all chemicals used in agriculture (not just pesticides, but also fungicides, etc.)[/quote]Ah... thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Animal Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 [quote user="5-element"] See the recent French documentary "Nos enfants nous accuseront" (Our children will accuse us). There are many links to it in French, but here is one where the documentary is used as a tool for teaching French:http://mmeperkins.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/11/nos-enfants-nous-accuseront.html"Produits phytosanitaires" is the global term for all chemicals used in agriculture (not just pesticides, but also fungicides, etc.)[/quote] Our Children Will Accuse Us. There was already a thread about it, posted by Twinkle.http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/1480963/ShowPost.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mooky Posted April 9, 2009 Author Share Posted April 9, 2009 I Live neat Chef Boutonne in dept 79 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mooky Posted April 9, 2009 Author Share Posted April 9, 2009 I Live near Chef Boutonne dept 79 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babcock Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 Interesting. I used to live in Charente and I recall that there were loads of cowslips, some bluebells, asphodelles (sp) and other flowers. I don't know if it is a function of the soil type or the agriculture but here in Correze with locally heavy clayey soil there are few wild flowers. I can also recall the most wonderful wood in Yorkshire which changed from multiflowered to being overrun with dog mercury in the space of two years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odile Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 our meadow is full of white and blue wild crocus, snowdrops, niveoles and blue scilla (maybe same as your blue flowers dog). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dog Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 I found a young mole cricket yesterday. It was the smallest I have ever found only 25mm long body the others I have found were all over 100mm. It had quite undeveloped forearms.Now we have had some rain verdancy is returning rapidly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
water rat Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 We are over-run with mole crickets and lost most of our potatoes to them in our first year. Instead of trying to kill them we moved our spud crop elsewhere and put veg in that they don't damage.They are such amazing creatures ,almost science fiction.By the way;they do pinch if you pick them up!!We live in L'Indre where it's very humid and marshy and have lots of flowers inc cowslips ,marsh marigold,lungwort,bluebells,cowslip and ragged robin. The Mairie delays the cutting of the verges until later so they look like colourful tapestries with carpets of spotted orchids.The main farming is pasture for the charolais, so there isn't much spraying. The only practice I hate is flaying the hedges until they are just sticks. I really miss the layered ancient hedges of the UK and we are doing our best in our little corner to restore them.I heard a nightingale this morning at 4 am!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dog Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 I didn't realise Mole Crickets caused problem with potatoes - my 87 year old neighbour said they used to eat the roots of his tobbaco crop.I found a Colarado Beetle last year - having grown up in Lincolnshire I was chuffed to find one, we were offered rewards if we found them as they were so feared.We have Vine Weevils by the score but the neighbours don't seem bothered by them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
water rat Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 Yes, the mole crickets make tunnels through the spuds. I've never seen a creature so aptly named.It definitely "says what it does on the tin" a mole at the front end and a cricket at the back!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dog Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 Mole crickets are a fantastic insect and very rare in UK. My favourite insects are the micro-moths I spend ages watching and photographing them - they are hilarious with 10mm long bodies and the males have antennae 45 mm long so flying is quite amusing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 We have lots of these[IMG]http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f180/Jonzjob/Johns/Spring20093.jpg[/IMG]Thousands of these[IMG]http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f180/Jonzjob/Johns/Spring20091.jpg[/IMG]And soon thousands of orchids. What a lovely sight thses tiny flowers make! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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