What??? 
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Good stuff for the garden, but not to be kept next to the house. God does if whiff!
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I made some a couple of years ago, wasn’t sure what to use it for and then binned it (metaphorically speaking !)
I’m absolutely devastated. My sweet potatoes vines were so healthy and lovely and something has been in the night and eaten almost every leaf off the vine 
. They have sldo had a go at the strawberries, peppers and my jalapeño 
gutted. Any idea what it is? Rabbit? Any idea what to do to stop any more damage? And indeed what to do with the sweet potatoes underground???
Slugs, bloody things. Found one inside a strawberry this morning. They devastated my carrot tops as well and have started on the few beetroot I’ve left in. I hunt them twice a day but still miss some.
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If slugs come by land is a line of sawdust around the crops, soaked in petrol a deterrent?
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Are there any deer around?
Or maybe moths
I’ve no idea
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Not slugs, I know them very well. They’ve cleanly sheared each stem and I think it must be rabbits. Apparently they do clean cuts whereas deer rip off due to their jaws / teeth. So sad 
Could be rabbits, but we are well into the season so all should be ok underground. Your sweet potatoes will still be getting fed from the roots, and in a week you may see new leaves too.
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Normally September is gorgeous here, mid 20s, fairly dry. It’s cold and we’ve now had quite a lot of rain. 28mm yesterday and another 7mm today. I’ve just checked the weather and its saying late next week we’ll have nights down to 5c 
. Very unusual. My question is, how will this effect my plants? I know chilli’s aren’t happy under 10c. Anything I should cover or pull up?
Anything in the pepper family, egg plants too.
And while you’re at it check brassicas for eggs and catapillers
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I am NOT a gardener of any capability whatsoever 
BUT I do appreciate colour and fresh produce!
Currently colour is my issue, namely plants around my house that give some welcome to visitors. I am south of Carcassonne where the Notth African climate is pretty well upon us. 30 degrees is now common with 40 expected at the peak.
Ten years ago, the trusty geranium saw us well - lots of colour and life with moderate attention attention. No longer. Alas the new climate frazzles them.
So I look for alternatives and wonder what anyone here might think. This year, I have tried a few varieties of rudbeckia with great success. Particularly the ‘Irish eyes’ variety. Strong, abundant colour in bright yellow, minimal work but lots of water, and above all, flowered in late June and still going strong! As yellow is my favourite colour, ideal! Just a pity there are not one or two other colours as well 
Yarrow is good. And several colours.
You need Aussie plants! Mimosa, there is one that flowers all year, bottle brush. I’ve got red hot pokers too that love the heat. Panicular hydrangea, been flowering since about May and still going strong in full sun. Sunflowers, cosmos and zinnias for annuals that seem to cope well with high heat and not too much water.
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Thanks for the suggestions. One or two I like the look of and shall make a point of trying them out next year.
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I thought about putting this in the Good News Tread, but thought better when I got to the end.
Earlier this week I was offered another garden, and today I accepted. It comes with well water with an electric pump & I can use all the tools left behind by the previous gardener & the owners if need be. 2 rotavators (hadn’t been used for the last 3 years and had to be pulled out of a hedge) spent the afternoon servicing them and now working, lawnmowers strimmers of all sizes even a plough.
After deciding whether to take on a new garden so early (I had planned to do so just before I retired) I looked for associations that would be willing to take spare produce, I opted for Le Secours populaire, had a meeting with the president & they are more than willing to come & pick up any. I asked if I had 15kg of courgettes, 5 boxes of chard 25 pumpkins etc would they be able to distribute that amount, the reply was in a day we have more people coming to us for help & times are getting difficult, demand outstrips the supply.
I’ll take a few photos & post the progression, new challenges and futur upsets.
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Wow how exciting!! Although not the Rotavator bit, since going no dig I’ve banned the man shape from using ours ever!!!
It’ll be no dig in the future, well bit by bit of it. As and when I can get / make enough compost or find places to put composters & get people to put their veggie waste in. This is very much work in progress.
It’s a large plot of land & no time to get ready for planting up with a few over-wintering crops
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First day on the new plot.
Worked some of the ground.
I had +/- 35 chard seedlings left over so Mrs W & I planted them
Sowed 6 rows of spinach
Next job, sowing Winter salads for planting out later, working more ground for the broad beans, Winter salads & garlic.
This is the rest of the plot
Costings for seeds so far
Winter lettuce, Val d’Orge 1 pkt 2.95€. @toryroo I’m going to sow some Baz to see if I can over Winter them, so far haven’t had a problem up to Christmas.
Broad Beans Fève d’Aguadulce 2 pkt @ 6.20€ the pkt = 12.40€ on the pkt enough for 40m². Space is not a problem…
Spinach, Geant d’Hiver 1 pkt 2.95€ (Still have a lot left maybe sow later)?
All the plants are heritage, so I can let some grow to maturity & save the seeds for next year & cut down costs.
What are you sowing, or planting at this time of year?
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