Thursday 30 October 2014

A Mild Autumn in Normandy

Posted by Rosie

Previously, whilst living in Normandy, France we have had frosts as early as the end of September but this year it has been the most amazingly mild Autumn.  It means everything is still growing and the vegetable garden at Eco-Gites of Lenault looks a complete mess ... because everything includes weeds and grass.  I have not had time to do any weeding and it is too damp to mow the grass.

The grass is still growing

I also noticed slugs out in force around my newly planted out Spring cabbages, so although I am enjoying this T-shirt weather, a sharp frost or two would not go amiss. Not before I have harvested the rest of my veggies though!  The late beans, carrots and beetroot I sowed have done fantastically:

Late Carrots

Late Yellow French Beans


Late Beetroot

And with the continued mild weather we have things flowering that you would never normally expect 2 days short of November:

Late Flowering Nasturtiums (with honey bee)

Late Flowering Ferverfew

Late Flowering Passion Flower
 
Oh and I have found out that if you pick a red cabbage but don't get round to eating it and you leave it upside down it will sprout new red cabbage "flowers" from the base.  A cut cabbage or lettuce stalk will often put up baby plants if left but I would never have believed they would grown from an upside down cut plant!

Red Cabbage "Flowers"


Have you had a mild Autumn ... or perhaps you are on the other side of the world and heading to Spring ... or somewhere hot where winter in your main veggie growing time.  Do let us know how your garden is doing right now.

Linking up with Annie's HDYGG linky.  
This week I should manage to visit and comment on a few more other blogs.

Manneskjur

16 comments :

  1. wow! you have a passion flower! i thought they only did well in tropical places. how wonderful that your garden is still giving

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    1. There are passion flowers able to survive in cooler climates but the fruits are not edible.

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  2. I think it's been a mild Autumn so far, we've only really had a couple of 'jumper days'. Our Nasturtiums had a second flowering period which I was glad about because the flowers are so bright. Those beetroot look tasty!

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    1. Now it has turned chilly so any further beetroots will no doubt be turned into soup.

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  3. I can't wait for a cold snap - my favourite days are cold, crisp sunny Autumn ones! I love the cabbage flowers, actually quite beautiful :)

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  4. It felt so mild today, me and little man went out with no coats on. Nice leaf kicking weather. That is so interesting with the cabbage, I must have a go of that! Love that Feverfew, so pretty.

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    1. Thank you - the cabbage was an accident although it did mean the cabbage itself was beyond eating.

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  5. Your vegetable garden is just amazing - and love how the cabbage is sprouting 'flowers.'

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  6. I've been down on the beach at Folkestone today and it has been so warm and sunny. You've got some great late crops. My lawn is looking like a jungle now as we never got a chance to give it a last cut!

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    1. I just managed to get mine done but it is till growing.

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  7. I am so surprised too to see some flowers still! And my potted eggplant is still giving me vegs!!! #hdygg

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  8. How pretty is that upside down red cabbage? Almost too pretty not to eat... Almost!

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    1. Actually too horrible to eat now - it had gone all black. But the flowers make up for this!

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