One extreme to another

    What can I say? The weather, always a big factor in the garden, has gone from heat and drought to cold, heavy rain, hail, thunder and well, just very wet! The rain is welcome and will help to rescue my winter veg I am sure, particularly the swede which was really looking like it was on its last legs. The poly tunnel has been a disappointmen this year I can only think that it really needs a good clear out, clean and as it were resetting. Oh well another job to do before next spring. I have decided to return to planting strawberries. To that end I am experimenting with "no dig". This a bed made on top off soil that has not been dug in any way. The photo shows the start of my no dig bed. Layer of cardboard, layer of nettles, layer of horse manure topped off with old potting compost. Into this I will plant Mara des Bois strawberries. I am sure I grew these a few years ago and I remember as being a very nice strawberry. 

First no dig bed 

  
  Looking back at the log this week there does not seem to have been much done! I have picked mixed tomatoes and the tomato crop is proving to be reasonable although not the best I have ever had. I gathered moss curled parsley and coriander seed from the poly tunnel and I am now well set up for those varities. The squash crop has been harvested again reasonable but not massive. I am sure they will do us just fine. The Giant Pacific pumpkin is still out there and will remain so until the plant dies completely. It is destined for the grand children to carve for holloween.

New kids on the block

  On the chicken front it looks like egg production is picking up! The photo shows the three new hens that have joined Mr. Chicks flock. They are now over sixteen weeks old and should start laying soon. No more losses to Mr. Fox thank goodness. There are four more chicks to reach maturity, one is a cockerel and will more than likely head for the freezer The other hens will join the current flocks.

Return to warmth and drought!

    I have returned from just over two weeks in the UK. The weather here in my patch of France has been very different to what I have experienced in the north of England (wind, clould, cool, rain)! The weather here in la Creuse has remained very much hot and sunny and the garden continues to suffer. I fear for my winter vegetables (sprouts, early purple sprouting, leeks) that had had a respite just before I left of a bit of rain. They now look very sad indeed. Coming bck to publish this blog I have to report that it has rained! Not a lot but some and it has gone cooler. 

    On a brighter front my Black Mountain water melons have again provided a number of good sized fruit and they are delicious! I am now waiting for the squash plants to finally die off before harvesting a reasonable crop. The tomatoes are still giving a reasonable number of ripe fruit and some are only starting to look like they are suffering from lack of water. Finally gave up on the summer cabbage patch. I cut those that might be edible and pulled the rest and put them on the compost heap. At the end of the day I managed to get something out of them despite the weather. 

  Chickens are being chickens and a good number are in moult and egg production is well down.

Black Mountain Water Melon