"La Puce" wrote in message
oups.com...
On 1 Jul, 21:29, "David \(Normandy\)"
wrote:
beaurocrats.

I just love the way you've written bureaucrats. I've read that as
'Beau Ocrats' ;o)

5. Giving plants away may be considered to be starting a business or
trying
to take trade away from registered garden centre businesses. There are
very
strict protectionist laws regarding doing anything like that here.

I've rang my friend Viv in Tours because I remembered that she's been
swapping plants at her local school and been doing it for years, and
also use the market in Valencais to give away seedlings. She said
there's never been any questions asked?!? I've checked with my uncle
who sells mushrooms from his door step in Bergerac (and at the end of
the day give them away) and an aunt in Montmaurin gives surplus away
on her door steps too. Nobody has never had any problems. I think we
could also find similar laws in the english law books - it's only a
matter of looking. Though it's not really an interest of mine. There
could be a misunderstanding with needing a permit to obstruct public
place, like a pavement etc. In this case it's the world over. I myself
need a 'permission' in England to do anything in the streets -
recently we did a 5 days workshop in the middle of bradford and laid
turf and deckchairs there - the Highway dept. gave us a written
permission. That's all. We gave away plants too. It was lovely )

I would therefore really not worry, but perhaps ask the neighbours if
they'd mind you setting a table outside your gates/door. Also, a sign
from your gate saying plants to give away would be perfectly fine,
directing people into your drive (attach the dog nearby if you're
worried ;o). That's how I feed my tribe on our way home every year. We
follow signs along the roads offering us eggs and tomatoes and
strawberries etc. all the way to Bordeaux!

In the meantime there's hundreds of forum swapping seeds, seedlings,
plants etc. in France. Here are a few below.

Are you rural, urban, suburban?!

http://www.graines-et-plantes.com/
http://groups.google.fr/group/echange-graines-plantes
http://www.aujardin.info/services/bo...se_plantes.php


Hi La Puce,
I can never remember how to spell beaurocracy - it comes out different every
time and my spellchecker usually doesn't know what I'm trying to spell
either.

We are in very rural France in a small hamlet of half a dozen properties
scattered over a square mile in the middle of nowhere.

I've made a note of your links, thank you. I'm surprised the authorities
aren't hot on this - they seem to cover most angles where they can either
get any tax out of people or otherwise impose lots of 'nanny state'
restrictions - they are far worse than the UK in this respect.

Not complaining though. Life here is much better than it was in the UK
living in a jam jar with a postage stamp sized garden costing a fortune in
mortgage and driving (shuffling) along traffic jammed streets with impatient
and aggressive motorists, looking for none existent car parking spaces at
the crowded supermarkets with barely room to push a trolley down the aisles.
Life here is much more laid back. More space less people. Room to stretch
out and breath! Aaaaah! (Blissful sigh).

David.