Gardening 2024

[Bayleaf]

After 6 weeks in an overheatede hospital room, I really shouldn't be shocked at the state of my garden. Jungle bells...

I thought you'd been quiet! Welcome back, I hope you're fully recovered - despite having a jungle to greet you. Mine is the same, and I don't have your excuse!

[Quiksilver]

Hello MAD! Glad they've released you for good behaviour Call it wildlife or no-dig gardening and you'll be bang up-to-the-minute fashionable

[Blaze]

After 6 weeks in an overheatede hospital room, I really shouldn't be shocked at the state of my garden. Jungle bells...

I've been wondering where you were Mad. It had all gone very quiet your end. I hope you're feeling better ....

[Chappers51]

So pleased to see you back Mad

[Doug]

Our very best wishes to you Mad, do hope all goes well in the future.

[Lori]

After 6 weeks in an overheatede hospital room, I really shouldn't be shocked at the state of my garden. Jungle bells...

My goodness that is a long time. I hope you are recovering well at home.

Leave the gardening to someone else.

[Bayleaf]

When nature knocks at your door. I can't bear to pull this self-seeded beauty up, so the cats will have to share the backdoor with the poppies, until they've gone over ...

poppy at door.jpg

[Blaze]

Regarding the Giant Hogweed that is growing near here, I've found two environmental places in Brittany to send a sighting report (which I've done, with photos). There are similar organisations all over France for reporting these plants :
L’Ambroisie à feuilles d’armoise (a type of Ragweed), la Berce du Caucase (giant hogweed), le Raisin d’Amérique (Phytolacca americana, also known as American pokeweed,) et le Datura stramoine (Datura)

I've never seen any of them apart from the hogweed but there have been some reports of Datura being seen in Brittany. A friend has just pointed out that a branch of Leclerc is selling the seeds : they are lethal if eaten by a child.

[exile]

L'ambroisie is one of the local nasties. It is rather unpleasant in that its pollen can causes extreme respiratory problems and even mild exposures can cause a long lasting cough - ask me how I found that out. Attempts to control it have largely failed since by the time it becomes obvious in places like roadside verges, it is in flower and all advice is to not approach and definitely not cut down - and so spread the pollen.

I found a few examples in our garden* which I did manage to get under control - all seemingly in a straight line. It was only a couple of years later when I bought some wild bird food that specifically stated that there were no ambroisie seeds in it, did the penny drop. The line of plants had been between our bird feeder and a nearby tree. B**st*rds.

Sadly I am now sensitised.

* It is a member of the artemisia family and is very like European Artemisia except that while the underside of the European plant leaves are a light greyish green, the underside of l'ambroisie is the same darkish green as the top side.

[Blaze]

some wild bird food that specifically stated that there were no ambroisie seeds

It's never occurred to me to look at what goes into the wild bird seed - thanks for the warning Exile.