Gardengirl

Mint said: ‘’Ugghhh.....I am beginning to sound like some pathetic hypochrondriac .......’’ Or just French? ?

I almost scrape into her date then, mine is due on November 1st - but maybe the UK works on different flu dates...............

I hope that all everything is OK after the storms for posters here. Following last night’s thunderstorms and heavy rain, light rain continued, but now we have lovely sunshine earlier than forecast. ? However, it seems that thunderstorms continue further east.

Yes, it’s looking a bit miserable, our yellow warning has turned orange for rain and storms overnight. Useful post you’ve put up, it’s easy to forget to do necessary some tasks.

Tesler seem to have got their charging points sorted out. Our SIL took delivery of a Tesler a couple of months ago and enjoyed driving from the south coast to Northumbria, pottered around there for 10 days or so, back to the south coast then visited us in Berkshire the following week with no problems, but I think the range after a charge is pretty good. He had no problems finding charging points and I’m told that it’s a similar story in France. In our small town there are 4 charging points and each village nearby has 2, apart from on market days, when stalls are in those spaces, just as they always have been, but I have no idea which system is used in them.

Hoddy, I’m another who would be happy to see those spats stop; if I see a certain name against a thread I no longer click on them. It’s very off-putting.

All EU countries will change as normal this year, as it will happen the weekend before B-spit. No idea what will happen about changes from then on, but I hope it will continue to change in the future as it has for the last ??????? years. But maybe that’s a sensible thought, and, as we know, B-spit has nothing to do with anything sensible.

I find those maps fascinating too. We’ve had some wonderful stargazing these last few nights/early mornings in the Gard, almost as though we could touch them from the balcony or our bedroom window. There are very few lights nearby, and the streetlights aren’t at all powerful and point downwards so very little light pollution. At home in Berkshire streetlights near us have been changed for less powerful ones, and point downwards, far less light pollution there now so stargazing is far better than it was.

Thanks for the link, Mint, it was just so beautiful.

I didn’t hear about her death until this morning, was very sad to hear the news. I’ve had a CD playing of her singing Carmen, the only one I have of her here.

I noticed that Richard’s post kept being updated as ‘today’ day after day, so assumed that a gremlin was in the works. Pleased that it has been sorted, back to normal. ALBF, I have no interest whatsoever in what colour undies you’re wearing (if any), and I’m sure that you have no interest in the colour of mine (if any)! No need for such a thread, methinks.

Yes, that’s so. British friends here in France didn’t believe that they couldn’t drive their French-registered cars legally in the UK. A reply to an email to the DVLA on that subject made clear that it is so.

It made me think how wonderful this old body of truly mine is, and made me smile. Good old BB! And thank you for the link, Mint.

I no longer grow garlic, but usually planted it out in November. For use now, pull it up as you want/need it, but mostly I let the tops die off and lift them when totally dry. Some types don’t keep well, but I was mostly lucky, storing them in light, airy conditions but out of the sun. At the moment most of France and, I think, the UK, is having glorious weather, so the tops should die back nicely. But when there’s nasty, wet weather with claggy soil, it can be better to lift them and store as above, trying to keep the heads separate in case of rot. No problems with keeping vampires away from you then, wooly. ?

All the time, Hoddy, moreso as the years pass!

Gardian, an excellent price. Cendrillon, it can be a very useful site but I find it needs double-checking.

‘On Your Farm’ on R4 this morning was at Wyke Farm, interesting programme. I haven’t found a Cheddar for eating rather than cooking here in France, so that Cheddar fermier sounds good.

Good luck!

Wooly, we’ve been out all day from early morning, so didn’t know what had happened about the referendum. It’s just so shocking; it obviously wasn’t going to turn out well, but 465 people injured in attacks by the police is beyond belief. We spent last evening with friends, who spoke to us about the history of Catalonia and Spain and dreadful events in the past. It seems impossible that people in Catalonia could just pick up their lives and carry on as before. How will the EU react, they surely can’t ignore it, it happened, with cameras recording it all.

Mint, I did wash my hair using just water, but it just didn't work - I know I probably didn't give it long enough for a fair trial. I definitely didn't like the itchiness or the darker hair. Do you think it works for somebody with greasy hair who is fair/blonde? Or maybe only those who have ungreasy dark locks? Cajal - 'Oh, you are awful - but I like you!' - Dick Emery.

Oh dear, that big laugh symbol was meant to be where I said about compensation for products we have to buy! Sorry, I can't seem to change it.......

We have hard water here in the Gard as well as as in the south of England. I always use too much soap, shampoo etc when in soft water areas and end up covered in lather and bubbles, which happened during a recent visit to Scotland. It's said that hard water is better for health, although I don't know if there's proof of that; there ought to be some compensation for the extra outgoings for all the various products we need to buy. I know some on here will say we don't need to buy shampoo, but I couldn't stand more than 3 or 4 days without washing my hair when I tried that method; my scalp itched dreadfully and my hair looked several shades darker than its usual fair/blonde colour.

I don't know if they are locals or visitors, but there has been some almost heart-stopping driving on narrow single track roads with passing places since we arrived on the west coast of Scotland on Wednesday. We are perfectly used to driving on such roads, have done it for years with and without a caravan - although we no longer have one. Most people arrange things so that they can get into a passing place or both arrive at them at the same time - to me there's something quite satisfying in the latter. These people hurtle up to and past passing places, then expect the other car/s to reverse so they can continue to hurtle on - and most people seem to reverse, causing the car/s behind to reverse, including my helpful husband. I refuse to budge for such people, or those who hurtle past signs showing that cars in the opposite direction have priority. This latter happens fairly regularly on a route I take regularly inEngland. I'm happy to sit with my engine turned off for as long as it takes, which generally isn't long. I usually have my ipad with hundreds of books on it or a newspaper or I'll happily listen to the radio and ignore hooting. I'm happy to reverse if it's my fault, but reckon I'm giving dangerous drivers a helpful lesson. My only concern is if having to give in and reverse makes them even more dangerous. They are generally male drivers, who are mostly extremely annoyed at being kept waiting - although, of course, they have brought it upon themselves. Idun, I too enjoy driving fast but within the speed limit; I've no points on my licence and wish to keep it that way.

While out trying to get some overdue gardening done, I saw all the carpet on open soil down the far end and remembered that I also used to put woolen carpet down on areas I was clearing, left for 2 years it clears all manner of nasty weeds. It's something I have used for quite a few years as I wanted to be (more) organic. It needs to be used in areas where it can be left undisturbed, so a biggish garden is needed, although soil can be put on top if it can be seen from the house/sitting areas. Several of my gardens have had fitted carpets! Best not to use rubber-backed carpet, as that disintegrates and you are left with nasty rubber sitting there, almost impossible to clear as it crumbles into the soil. My carpet has always been cream colours, so not too many worries there about all the dyes going into the soil, although there are chemicals in carpet too. Who ever would have thought that the past 3 weeks or so in England would bring a heatwave that stops me gardening - the last few years have been pretty much the opposite, with one year recently when I couldn't even step onto the soil as it was so drenched for the whole summer. I garden on heavy clay, which is wonderful for plants given decent conditions, but can go from flood to baked earth within a very short amount of time.

I also used to use glycophosphate when I had a bindweed problem - and I was an organic gardener, but clearing bindweed is a huge problem. If digging it out, even the tiniest bit of that white root starts to grow again. I used to use an old, small paintbrush to put it on the leaves as early in the season as I could spot it. It's important to remember to keep it safely hidden away and to wear rubber gloves - I used those thin ones and put them straight out in the dustbin when I'd finished, then wash my hands extremely well.