On Jun 13, 6:15*pm, "Bob Hobden" wrote:
"Judith in France" *wrote



"Bob Hobden" wrote:
"Judith in France" wrote ...I had some runner beans which I brough from
England. Only 2 have
germinated, I dug down and the rest have all rotted away! I bought
some French runner beans here yesterday, put them on wet kitchen roll
and I will leave them like that until they germinate and then plant,
has anyone else had a failure this year?

Due to am impending trip to SW France we planted our beans in situ out on
the allotment. Have had problems with White Runners (White Lady, 2 from
12)
and Climbing French Beans (Cobra, again 2 from 12).
The Red Runners all came up and so did all but 3 of the Borlotti.
Planted again and am keeping them in the greenhouse so they stay warm and
damp, got 2 more White Lady so far.

The Red runners and Borlotti were fresh seed!

Where in SW France Bob? *I will take the good advice given here and
start them off in pots next time.

We stayed in a Farmhouse B & B just outside the town of Lafrancaise, nearest
larger town is Moissac. It was a friends 60th birthday so we went for her
party and a holiday.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
just W. of London

I know Moissac; it's about two and a half hours from us. Did you get
any prunes from Agen nearby?

Judith

On Jun 13, 7:43*pm, "Trevor" wrote:
"Judith in France" wrote in ...

I had some runner beans which I brough from England. *Only 2 have
germinated, I dug down and the rest have all rotted away! *I bought
some French runner beans here yesterday, put them on wet kitchen roll
and I will leave them like that until they germinate and then plant,
has anyone else had a failure this year?

Judith

Yes the rabbits grazed mine off!

I have that problem in the garden, the vegetable garden is supposed to
be rabbit proofed. Much as I dislike killing them; I have to shoot
them as they have burrowed under a shrub. I swear I kill 1 and 3 come
back to haunt me.

Judith

On Jun 13, 10:44*pm, "Kathy" wrote:
"Judith in France" wrote in ...I had some runner beans which I brough from England. *Only 2 have
germinated, I dug down and the rest have all rotted away! *I bought
some French runner beans here yesterday, put them on wet kitchen roll
and I will leave them like that until they germinate and then plant,
has anyone else had a failure this year?

None of the ones we planted on the allotment have germinated. *Other [more
experienced] plot holders are also reporting poor germination.

--
Kathy

It's pointless to try and discuss ethics with a spider.

It seems to be a mixed year for germination, with varying parts of the
Country having less or more success.

Judith

Judith in France wrote:

I have that problem in the garden, the vegetable garden is supposed to
be rabbit proofed. Much as I dislike killing them; I have to shoot
them as they have burrowed under a shrub. I swear I kill 1 and 3 come
back to haunt me.

Judith

Being forewarned by some English living nearby, the first thing I did
when creating a vegetable garden was to make it rabbit-proof /
resistant. I dug a trench 18 inches deep around the garden and buried
some fencing wire. The lower portion having an extra layer of fine
plastic coated chicken wire bent outwards from the garden into the
trench. I've seen lots of rabbits around since, but never one inside the
enclosed vegetable garden. Also all rocks I've dug up with the rotovator
have been dumped on the ground just on the other side of one garden
boundary making it more inhospitable to digging animals.

Thus far, fingers crossed, the only major animal related pest problems
are wood pigeons , slugs, snails and caterpillars. I buried a big
builders tub in the middle of the veg garden which has filled with rain
water and encourages frogs / toads to take up residence too.

The strangest animal I've seen in the garden was a black and yellow
salamander about 8 inches long a couple of years ago. Thankfully no
snakes. I understand adders are quite a problem in parts of Normandy.

--
David in Normandy.
To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
by a filter and not reach my inbox.

In article ,
David in Normandy wrote:

The strangest animal I've seen in the garden was a black and yellow
salamander about 8 inches long a couple of years ago. Thankfully no
snakes. I understand adders are quite a problem in parts of Normandy.

Hysterical and ignorant people may be, but why should adders be a
problem? They are VERY non-aggressive, and you are more likely to
die from a bee-sting (or misguided tratment after an adder bite)
than an adder bite.

All right, horses are very sensitive to them, and so the horsier
people do have reason to be concerned.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On Jun 14, 1:47*pm, wrote:
In article ,
David in Normandy wrote:



The strangest animal I've seen in the garden was a black and yellow
salamander about 8 inches long a couple of years ago. Thankfully no
snakes. I understand adders are quite a problem in parts of Normandy.

Hysterical and ignorant people may be, but why should adders be a
problem? *They are VERY non-aggressive, and you are more likely to
die from a bee-sting (or misguided tratment after an adder bite)
than an adder bite.

All right, horses are very sensitive to them, and so the horsier
people do have reason to be concerned.

Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

We have adders here and whilst I rarely see one, I wouldn't want a
bite from it. When riding through woods, I am careful when the horse
gets skittish just in case it can see something I can't.

Judith

On Jun 14, 11:59*am, David in Normandy
wrote:
Judith in France wrote:

I have that problem in the garden, the vegetable garden is supposed to
be rabbit proofed. *Much as I dislike killing them; I have to shoot
them as they have burrowed under a shrub. *I swear I kill 1 and 3 come
back to haunt me.

Judith

Being forewarned by some English living nearby, the first thing I did
when creating a vegetable garden was to make it rabbit-proof /
resistant. I dug a trench 18 inches deep around the garden and buried
some fencing wire. The lower portion having an extra layer of fine
plastic coated chicken wire bent outwards from the garden into the
trench. I've seen lots of rabbits around since, but never one inside the
enclosed vegetable garden. Also all rocks I've dug up with the rotovator
* have been dumped on the ground just on the other side of one garden
boundary making it more inhospitable to digging animals.

Thus far, fingers crossed, the only major animal related pest problems
are wood pigeons , slugs, snails and caterpillars. I buried a big
builders tub in the middle of the veg garden which has filled with rain
water and encourages frogs / toads to take up residence too.

The strangest animal I've seen in the garden was a black and yellow
salamander about 8 inches long a couple of years ago. Thankfully no
snakes. I understand adders are quite a problem in parts of Normandy.

--
David in Normandy. *
* *To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
* *subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
* *by a filter and not reach my inbox.

The veggie garden has been treated as you describe but not the flower
garden. I can see many lizards climbing on the walls but as soon as I
approach, they are off in a flash. We once saw a thing like a coypu
here, no idea what it really was.

Judith

In article ,
Judith in France wrote:

We have adders here and whilst I rarely see one, I wouldn't want a
bite from it. When riding through woods, I am careful when the horse
gets skittish just in case it can see something I can't.

Well, obviously you don't want to get bitten by one, but you don't
want to get stung by a bee, either! That doesn't make them a problem.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On Jun 14, 2:32*pm, wrote:
In article ,
Judith in France wrote:



We have adders here and whilst I rarely see one, I wouldn't want a
bite from it. *When riding through woods, I am careful when the horse
gets skittish just in case it can see something I can't.

Well, obviously you don't want to get bitten by one, but you don't
want to get stung by a bee, either! *That doesn't make them a problem.

Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Bees, wasps, hornets certainly are a problem Nic, remember years ago
when I was stung and the wasps all followed me into the house; I had
poured down Jeyes fluid into their nest in a bank? I could not have
counted the number of stings and through my clothes. I jumped into the
shower fully clothed and I stidd shudder looking at all the wasps
coming off me ugh... So anything with a sting is a problem to me now.

Judith

Judith in France wrote:
I can see many lizards climbing on the walls but as soon as I
approach, they are off in a flash.

We've got lots of those little lizards. They like to bask in the sun on
the stones and stone walls. I've seen what look like the same species in
the Whitsand bay area of England. Though they are probably quite common
elsewhere in the warmer parts of South of England.

--
David in Normandy.
To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
by a filter and not reach my inbox.

wrote:

Hysterical and ignorant people may be, but why should adders be a
problem? They are VERY non-aggressive, and you are more likely to
die from a bee-sting (or misguided tratment after an adder bite)
than an adder bite.


To be honest I've never encountered a poisonous snake and have no desire
to meet one, especially in a confrontational manner. We were warned to
take care when moving things off the ground such as tin sheets etc and
to give them a kick first and take care lifting them so as not to
startle an adder with probing fingers!

I was severely stung by wasps as a child, countless stings, so I'm wary
of such things. I suspect I may also have a bad reaction to wasp stings
now anyway. As for adders - they get my respect - at a distance.

--
David in Normandy.
To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
by a filter and not reach my inbox.

"Judith in France" wrote ...
after"Bob Hobden" wrote:
"Judith in France" wrote
"Bob Hobden" wrote:
"Judith in France" wrote ...I had some runner beans which I brough from
England. Only 2 have
germinated, I dug down and the rest have all rotted away! I bought
some French runner beans here yesterday, put them on wet kitchen roll
and I will leave them like that until they germinate and then plant,
has anyone else had a failure this year?

Due to am impending trip to SW France we planted our beans in situ out
on
the allotment. Have had problems with White Runners (White Lady, 2 from
12)
and Climbing French Beans (Cobra, again 2 from 12).
The Red Runners all came up and so did all but 3 of the Borlotti.
Planted again and am keeping them in the greenhouse so they stay warm
and
damp, got 2 more White Lady so far.

The Red runners and Borlotti were fresh seed!

Where in SW France Bob? I will take the good advice given here and
start them off in pots next time.

We stayed in a Farmhouse B & B just outside the town of Lafrancaise,
nearest
larger town is Moissac. It was a friends 60th birthday so we went for her
party and a holiday.

I know Moissac; it's about two and a half hours from us. Did you get
any prunes from Agen nearby?

We got a 4Kg from the prune man our friend knows at Moissac market. Used
some, frozen the rest in portions. They are to die for, better than any
sweets and for breakfast on a bowl of bran flakes, yummy. Trouble is, once
you have tasted Agen prunes (the partially dried ones) any other prunes are
tasteless.

So are you N, S, E, or W of Moissac?

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
just W. of London




--
Regards
Bob Hobden
just W. of London

In article ,
David in Normandy wrote:

To be honest I've never encountered a poisonous snake and have no desire
to meet one, especially in a confrontational manner. We were warned to
take care when moving things off the ground such as tin sheets etc and
to give them a kick first and take care lifting them so as not to
startle an adder with probing fingers!

Well, yes. With reasonable care - and it doesn't take much effort - you
stand a negligible chance of being bitten. Adders are SHY.

You are far more likely to be bitten by a rabid dog, so spend your
time worrying about that one instead :-)


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.