France

[TonyF]

Weather here yesterday was a nightmare, so hot but also very humid, made doing anything outside impossible. Better today, still warm tho but managed a few hours at No 2 garden, started harvesting

Weather for next few days seems ok, we're on the edge of the weather fronts again so who really knows.

[Nicos]

Nicos, whats the weather been like at home for the last week? I get news but they're not gardeners so dont understand the importance of weather reports!!

Home being N France???.....was in UK last week!!!!

Neighbours said it hail stoned in Normandie..bashed down spuds and knocked cherries off trees!!!!!

My potager looks fine though...everything suddenly expanding...need to know what to do with 2 kilos of strawberries a day!!!!!...YUMMMMM!!!!!

Been really hot ( high 20's) until yesterday- now down to low 20' s and the odd shower.
still lovely!

[bobleponge]

Yup N France indeed. Thanks for the update. Rascally birds will have done all my cherries I reckon, very few left for me. Strawbs are currently being munched by the rats I think, although I do have friends that check on my place fairly often so they will do my peas etc.
Hope your crossing wasnt too bad???

[roitelet]

Huge thunderstorm last evening with nearly an inch of rain. This morning steamy and sunny. It's a toss up, do I go and yank out weeds, make jam or do the ironing? I do sometimes wonder if I ever had time to do paid work!!!!

[Nicos]

I'd do the weeding whilst the ground is damp- and it's not too hot !!!

Boy was that one thunderstorm. Straight overhead and rolling around the valley for 4 hrs. Hosepipe on windows strength of rainfall!!!!

Elec off until this morning- it'd even tripped the house trip switch.
The two freezer contents were fine...was starting to worry about all the contents
Water flooded in under one door- managed to mop up 1/2 bucket of water!!!
+ve side is that at least we know of a few problem places which need tweaking with sealant etc and that the plants had a thorough watering for the first time in ages.
Candlelit supper was lovely and I hugged my horrid calor gas cooker!!!!
Storm was fantastic- we felt like little kids again

[TonyF]

Still waiting for the rain here in 24 and the meteo for tomorrow has changed and it looks dry still for the weekend and into next week. Need the water on the garden and the recuperateur are running down fast.

Still, everything is coming on really well and all my several hundred graminee seedlings seem to be liking their environment, will have all that I need for next year at this rate

[roitelet]

Managed to do the lot, Made the jam which didn't set but then it was Strawberry! Made Mushroom pate and did the weeding!!!!!!! It was amazing how the ground had dried out, not at all sticky as I had expected, With luck will get the remainder of the straw mulch on today.

Meteo looks dry for the next few days.

[TonyF]

Meteo for next few days remains hot and there's a red warning for the heat tomorrow, have a feeling they'll declare a canicule soon and that will bugger up the watering.

Tomorrow previson is 35 in the afternoon so not going to get too much done outside. Think I'll do a bit of harvesting and maybe preserve some cherry plums in alcohol

[Jardiniere]

o its soooo hot here and no rain for almost a fortnight...
gardened last night from7:30 to 9 ish and this morning from 8 am to 10 - then too hot....going on a walk tomorrow so it will probably rain!
hope there is no watering ban -have just set up a system......will have to sort out the buckets from the river

[TonyF]

Was down on the lottie garden from 9-12 and then called it a day, far too hot. Goind to have a break this afternoon with some gardening books for ideas/inspiration and then wait until much later this evening to pick some of the cherry plums which seriously need to be preserved in alcohol

[Nicos]

Got up to 30C yesterday....thankfully cloudy today wit a very slight dampness in the air- a nice shower would be lovely!!!!

[Rodley]

Gawd, it's too hot to do anything! On the radio yesterday, they were talking about a canicule at the end of this week. The garden needs lots of water but we haven't had any rain here in 47 for a few weeks.

Guess what! Our builders decided we needed more excavations to help with drainage WHEN it rains heavily and they have also just put in a new fosse septique. Both required us to move roses and shrubs IN THIS WEATHER. The poor plants are struggling a bit (and that's an understatement!). Must go out a pick some more peas for the OH to shell - that'll keep her happy (not).

[scarey55]

Has been scorching hot for the past couple of days here in the middle. 'twas still too hot to sit on the terrace at 8 o'clock last night. Not complaining though.

*note to self - get up a bit earlier and garden before it gets too hot

[TonyF]

Same down in the SW, crazy hot but I need to go out and do some watering tho the old recuperateur are running really low. May fill up a couple of the strategic ones off the mains if they're going to declare a canicule.

So spent the day in the kitchen, fans on, making cherries in alcohol, cherry jelly and a couple of jars of blackcurrant jam - but now seriously knackered.

[roitelet]

Temperatures have been rising over the last few days and for the last two have hit 30C. Water situation not too bad and the straw mulch is working a treat and it is really wet underneath. Too hot for gardening but the house is getting a spring clean

Harvested nearly 7kg of blackcurrants the other day. First strawberries finished but lots of flowers on the remontants. Goseberries ripening nicely and it is getting difficult to keep up with the raspberries.