Oh no!

    Not good. Ran out of english beer! How can I garden in this heat without the thought of a cool english bottle of IPA at the end of it! Oh well I guess I will have to manage till I go shopping again.

   Good morning (12th June 2021) from a sunny and very warm Watermeadows in Champeau de Bas, La Creuse! 

Mara de Bois strawberries

First dig of ANOE new potatoes

   I am feeling quite please with myself with the no dig bed constructed last autumn now producing delightful Mara de Bois strawberries. More than I thought there would being it is the first year.  The first dig of new potatoes has been done with 1.70kgs dug up with the help of my youngest grandson, Toby. Prehaps a little disappointing at the quanity but hey not bad! This was eighty two days from planting to the first dig which is at the top end of when they should be ready. 

   Ok that was the exciting bit. More weeding, more grass cutting. I have set up a framework for my cucumbers which are being very reluctant to grow to a point where I am happy to plant them out. If they do not buck up soon they will go out regardless! My Touchon carrots have done well this season and I have three rows germinated with another row sown this week. I have had to sow a couple of 5 Dessert melon seeds to replace a sickly  plant in the hope that they catch up. Nothing ventured nothing gained! Autumn cabbage plants bought from the local market, Chou Brady, planted out in the brassica bed. I have transplanted some Great Lakes lettuce in an outside bed but I am not hopefull. Too hot! I have dug up my Champeau Violet garlic (Champeau violet because the bulbs were from garlic grown at Watermeadows last year and not bought in ones) and it is drying in my porch. Oh my my the smell of garlic waffs into the house!

  Busy busy time with lots to do as always and never enought time or energy to do it all! Hey ho all work and no play.....

  On the chicken front Mama hen is sitting tight! I have had to despatch one sickly hen. She had suffered a top of the leg injury some time ago and looked like she was recovering but over the last week or so gave up on life. Otherwise all is ok with an improved average of eggs laid this week of 3.29 daily.