For all garden lovers who have UK TV - don’t forget that tonight at 8.30 (9.30 CET) on BBC2 the lovely Monty Don returns with the new series of Gardeners World. We can’t wait!
Thanks so much for your advice, the chicken poo is more straw so will put that at the bottom of the trench, going to put some of our compost on there as well, and keep my fingers crossed for this year!
Thanks again.
If you’re double digging any new areas then I’d add the chicken poo to the bottom of the trench as you go (and any other organic material you can find like old leaves) to provide sustenance for micro-organisms and encourage worms. It’ll soon rot down below ground.
Hi Jill, The chicken manure might be ok, depends how much straw there is. If it is less in straw content it will be too strong, your best bet is to put it in the compost. Horse manure is best added in the autumn so it has time to decompose. But if it is the litter from the stables you should be ok, I used the litter from stables last year but used it as mulch and planted through it, it worked well.
Good luck with the digging! Are you double digging or has tyhe plot been used before?
Hi Everyone, I’ve got a question please, we are now digging our potager, a bit late I know but been too busy before, third of it has been dug today.
My question is that we have a lot of chicken ‘shit’ and straw to put on the plot, would you think we would still need to add horsey poo?? and how long can we wait before we plant things there after adding the above?
Sorry but flowers are my forte not veggie so I really don’t know LOL
Looking forward to any replies.
Either can be used but they must be well composted, ie, at least a year old and well rotted. I hope this helps.
I have a question that has always puzzled me. In America, one finds bags of cow manure for gardening. Here in France, it’s only Horse manure. Is there any particular difference, better or worse, with either of them? Why do we find one type of each but not the other in each country?
We’re busy preparing a stretch of land for potatoes and still clearing up after the winter. More bonfires need I think! Carrots, onions and garlic are in and like you Jacqueline the others are in the polytunnel, doing very nicely I may add 
I’m busy splitting the chrysanthemums to plant the splits in a new garden I made. I’m potting some to give to neighbors since I’ll have too many for my own space. The Hortensia are budding so I’m spreading horse manure around them for a slow release fertilizer. Quick release fertilizers get a fast leave growth but not the flowers.
Welcome to all our new members who have popped in whilst I’ve been busy sowing seeds. What are you all doing in your plots at the moment? For us it is still a busy weeding time, but we have started the summer crop vegetable sowing - all indoors and undercover for now. I hope you are all enjoying some sun this week wherever you are.
I’ve sown a load more this year as I want them at the side of the house too and I use the petals but I’m expecting more to come up again where they were last year - I’ll be very surprised if they don’t but I’ve got my bases covered too just in case
Hi Jayne,
Yes I buy my seeds from Lidl’s as well but didn’t buy sunflowers as i wanted to use my own, so yes I do hope they come up, they were about 6-8’ which is about right.
I’m only wary as I don’t want to be without my lovely sunflowers this year!
@ Jill - give your seeds a go and see if I was correct in my advice to you. Is there a particular variety that you want? All of our original seeds were from Lidls but as we bought a selection of varieties they were different colour seeds and some were smaller than others too. We then used seeds from the sunflowers (the ones that the birds didn’t get!) Good luck.
Can anyone tell me about Sunflower Seeds I have put my question on here http://www.lamaisondesfleurs.com/
Thanks for any replies.
I see we have a new member - welcome to the Gardening club! I hope you enjoy and find it useful for you. Come and say hello!
Hello everyone, just wanted to tell you all about my new blog its mostly about gardening, chickies, and the gite. Have a look at La Maison des Fleurs
I have also started a discussion for other fellow gardenning bloggers to put their blog and a pic up, why not add yours it doesn't matter if you have some other content on there as long as it is mainly gardening !
Hello and welcome Christopher. It’s amazing how many good ideas come from sitting in the sun with a glass of wine (lets up sticks and move to France for a start!). Good luck with the planning, if you haven’t already pop over and join The Good Life for advice on veggie growing (one of my favourite things to do).
Shame you felled the lovely tree, only takes an arborist or some one game to go up there to nip them out before they hatch.
An update on the processional caterpillars! We seem to have been in time; although the little blighters had clearly been out at night eating the pine, they did not leave their nests whilst we took down the tree. I’m afraid that they have all been incinerated now and most of the tree too. rather sad, but very glad to have our dogs safe! If anyone else has a similar problem we’ll be glad to offer support. We’re on the Vendee/Deux Sevres border.
Hi to everbody we have just joined the gardening group, we have only been in France since sept 2010 and have been busy in the house but now thoughts turn to the garden,we have a blank canvas to start with as this was a holiday home just grass and trees,its a challenge where to start and what to put in to grow, we would like to grow some veg etc as well, need to sit outside with a nice glass of wine and i am sure a few ideas will come to mind.Does anybody else in the group live near Montaudin?.