Well, contrary to last week when I started Jardinage Jeudi, temperatures have dramatically declined and it has been tipping it down, so I’ve not been in the mood for gardening. I did mention in my last post that my lack of talent in the gardening department is probably due to the fact that I am a fair-weather gardener.
My Belle-Mere told me last weekend that its normal for cold spells to arrive in May, and that until the Saints de Glace (11th, 12th and 13th May) are finished we are still at risk of frost and traditionally you’re supposed to avoid planting anything sensitive until afterwards. Ah well, if I’d known that before…
Looking at Pissou’s blog, we’re getting off lightly in Lyon compared to other places. Check out the photos of the snow that she had on May 4th – unbelievable, somebody tell the weather we’re in May for goodness sakes!
So, not being very keen on the gardening this week I have turned my attention to improving my comfort in the garden and stuff that can be grown indoors.
On a previous visit to the Beaux-Parents (BP), Hubby and I spotted a lovely outdoor sofa suite, complete with cushions and all. The price was right (and so much cheaper than anything I had seen over the past two years) but the location was not. Not too worried about how we would get it from Provence to Lyon, we bought it and had it delivered to the BP’s house. We weren’t feeling quite so smart this weekend when we were confronted with an absolute mammoth box! How we were going to get that back to Lyon was another question entirely.
Hubby as always, was full of bright ideas and eventually we set off, in gale force winds, with a sofa and a table on the roof and the rest of the chairs in the car. Fearful of being stopped by the police on the motorway (and also for ours and other drivers’ safety) we set off on a long drive home, Nationale 7 all the way. Despite the bad weather, it made for a nice change and the scenery was lovely (I of course was not driving so could fully take in my surroundings). If it wasn’t for having a sofa on the roof and for fear of having it nicked if we stopped (yep, I am too used to living in a city now) I would have loved to have stopped at some of the vineyards and quaint little villages we crossed along our way.
The whole experience reminded me somewhat of the Maghrebin families that return to their home countries with plenty of goods for their families in the summer. You often see them on the motorways with loads as big as their cars tied to their roofs and I’ve often wondered how long it would take them to arrive at destination. They are certainly determined people and it must take a lot of courage and patience to go all that way with that much stuff on the roof.
Anyway, the outdoor suite is now back safely and installed in our garden. Unfortunately it hasn’t stopped raining for long enough for us to sit on and enjoy it, but it looks like it may stop in time for the weekend, so fingers crossed…
A big thank you to Gillpj and Rosabell who helped me in identifying my flowers last week. They are looking a bit worse for wear after all the bad weather but I am confident that now I know what they are I should be able to grow them successfully. I guess only time and TLC will tell! On Rosabell’s recommendation I have even purchased a new hanging basked (PIC) for my ‘special geraniums’ officially called Tirol Geranium. I will be waiting until the weather improves though before re-planting!
So, onto what’s been growing inside. A few weeks ago I planted some Basil seeds in yoghurt pots, in the hope that they would grow big enough for me to be able to plant them outside with the tomato plants. I did this last year and had three lovely Basil plants. This year is not proving to be as successful though, unfortunately my cats got at the seedlings last weekend and I only have two little spurts of a plant left! They obviously preferred the taste of Basil plants to their cat biscuits! I guess I’ll be planting some more soon.
Here’s hoping the sun comes back out in time for the weekend so I can get back in the garden.
This dip in temp is a nuisance – everything was coming on so well in the polytunnel – I had even moved things nearer the door to get them used to outdoor temps but now the door is firmly closed. Temps set to rise slowly so fingers crossed fro your remaining Basil seedlings.
Thanks Enid, I hope my seedlings will grow and everything in my garden will survive! I’ve just visited your blog and your garden is magnifique!
That’s my aim too: to have my own balcony garden until I can have a real garden-garden. I’ll focus on an herb garden and then move on to some real stuff in the not too distant future.
Love the thought of you moving a sofa and chairs. D and I once walked from Sylvestre (in Coustellet) to D’s parents house with a sheet of drywall. It was drizzling and somewhat windy but we got there nonetheless!
I’m waiting for the real garden garden, but our courtyard is nice. It provides just the right level of amusement for me at this stage in my life and allows me to practise for later!
You must have been a proper sight with drywall over your heads! Did you have far to walk? I bet you made a few people chuckle along the way.
No doubt you’ll be having plenty more adventures soon once you find a place 🙂
Every time we see/talk about drywall we crack up. No, we didn’t have far to walk but it was far enough. We had to pass a school and I was worried that we would be the topic for the afternoon. Thankfully, the kids weren’t on recess/break so we slipped by without notice.
And yes, there will certainly be more adventures in our future!
If you garden by the moon, then today is a day of rest. Enjoy!
Gardening by the moon? That sounds far too advanced for me! I will take your advice however and rest today, its a good job really as it is so miserable out there I really wouldn’t have wanted to do anything!
The horrible cats-and-dogs rainy-storm arrived this morning in Romania and I had to deal with it ….while driving from Bucharest back home … everytime I saw an old, tiny,rusty car with huge loads of things placed on top of it I thought about your post , about the maghreb families and about the new garden sofa 🙂 Thx for mentioning me in the post. I hope that wonderful geranium is doing well and I can’t wait to see it in, let’s say, about 3 months. Maybe I will explain my husband geraniums are indeed great ( he has something against them although I couldn’t point exactly what and why ) and maybe I should grow some of my own… Hm! Interesting ideea !
Oh no! The horrible weather! It has died down here somewhat although the temperatures are still well below what we’ve been enjoying last week. I hope it clears up in time for the weekend for you 🙂
I need to repot the geranium this weekend but I have a huge window hanger for it to go in and only two tiny geranium plants. Do you think they will grow that much, or do you think I should maybe put something else in with them?
I think you should tell your husband that geraniums are good for keeping mosquitoes away and then just plant them!
Hello
Saintes de Glace! That is a new one for me – I love this – “L’Église catholique romaine a décidé, alors, de « remplacer » les saints associés aux inquiétudes agricoles (réminiscence de paganisme au regard du Vatican) par d’autres saints et saintes qui n’auraient aucun lien avec ces croyances populaires.”
I shall ask my old dears at work about it…I’m sure they will have an opinion!
Snow! I know! I felt completely robbed, disorientated – voir deprimé – as I watched the snow falling all day yesterday. Come back the sunshine I implore you!
Perhaps basil is attractive to cats like catnip is? I don’t know but good luck with the remainder of the seedlings anyway!
All the best
Lydia
Hi Lydia, thank you for coming by. I see you have posted some more on soap nuts so I’ll be coming by later to have a look. Am keen to try them!
It seems as if they had reason though, the weather at the moment is proof enough. I’ll be interested to hear what your work colleagues have to say – my Belle-Mere didn’t have much more to say than about not planting before.
We didn’t get snow here, just rain which IMO is worse 😦 I feel cheated as well, all that lovely sunshine to end up like THIS!!! Hopefully the rain will stay away for the weekend 😉
Naughty kitties!!
Now you have me excited about starting seeds in yoghurt pots, though! Keep us posted.
Oh those poor, poor people getting so much snow. Wow. What weather!
And I am LMBO thinking of you two driving the car with the furniture up top. Hahaha! That’s too funny. I am really glad you and the furnishings made it home safely, though. 🙂
Take care, Piglet! Bon weekend to you.
Yep, seeds and yoghurt pots work well I reckon, although thanks to the cats its not going too well! I’m going to plant some more tomorrow… you can try as well maybe?
Bon weekend a toi aussi! (j’ai vu sur le blog a Sion que t’ as besoin de pratiquer ton francais un peu plus?) My written French is far from perfect but it’s a start (I’ve never bothered to learn all the grammar and get by well without going into detail).
Put them there and let them stay there – better not to move a plant to much ( although geraniums are pretty hardy ). I will definitelt get one for myself . And I don’t think I will mention it to anyone 🙂
okay, I’ll keep the secret 😉
As for my plants, do you mean I am okay to move them into the other container now and then leave them there, or that I should leave them where they are now? I’m scared to do the wrong thing and completely mess them up! (BTW, they don’t have any flowers on them now with all the rain 😦 )