RURAL RIDDLES
HOME AND DRY Q
Is there a simple formula for keeping
house plants alive?! I’m not blessed with green fingers but I do try … alas, try as I might, I either lose giſted plants through drying out or, more commonly I think, overwatering. Lisa Cornish
A
A cheap and simple soil hydrometer, the tip of
which you push into the soil to test its moisture is always handy – but perhaps not if one forgets to periodically check to do so! There’s definitely an art to
watering plants correctly. Most pot plants die of overwatering – if only there was that simple formula you mention. Sadly, there isn’t as there are so many factors involved. These vary
Water, water everywhere
from the type of plant, its growth rate, room temperature, the time of year and even the type of pot it is in (as a general rule, plastic pots will need watering less often than terracotta pots). In your situation – and
depending on the type of plant – it might be worth
standing them on a dish or tray of pebbles or gravel under which you put water as a sort of reservoir. From this, liquid can be taken up via the soil and root system. It is, however, essential to remember that the roots of a plant need to ‘breathe’ which they cannot do if waterlogged – so don’t overdo it!
LADYBIRD, LADYBIRD, FLY AWAY HOME!
In mid-October, Graeme Newton got in touch about the extraordinary numbers of ladybirds he had been seeing on both bed linen out in the garden to dry, and also on the interior walls of the bedroom all around the open windows. There were many reports
of ladybirds – most commonly identified as the ‘Harlequin’ type (Harmonia axyridis) – in both France and the UK around the time he mentioned last year. Interestingly, it seems that a
pale (white or similar) colour, either on bed linen or walls warmed by afternoon sun, attracts gatherings of ladybirds the most. Such gatherings are not uncommon during the months of September or October but their numbers last year may have been due in part to an abundance of aphids on which they predate. Sometimes ladybirds – not
necessarily just the Harlequin variety, which is generally accepted to be an invasive
Wild boar like to munch on wild garlic leaves and bulbs
A
I suspect the ‘foraging’ you describe could well
have been done by local wild boar which will eat both leaves and bulbs – possibly knowing by instinct (as do many wild animals) that certain herbs can be beneficial to their wellbeing. I would think that, if you visit
the area again this spring, you will find that the garlic growing there has recovered. Generally though, if taking garlic for use in the kitchen, do so sparingly as it’s an important plant to a great many pollinating insects. On the subject of children
Flying tonight! Female ladybird about to liſt off
species originating from Asia – enter old French houses with small gaps in the plaster around
window or door apertures or wooden window frames in order to hibernate.
and wild garlic, someone I know was once presented a bunch of ‘wild garlic’ by a grandchild – the ‘garlic’ turned out to be lilies-of-the-valley which, unlike true wild garlic is poisonous. Wild garlic can, of course, be best recognised by its distinct fragrance which, in the spring, can be smelt from quite a distance away!
GET IN TOUCH! If you have any ‘rural riddles’ for Jeremy, contact him by email at
jcjeremyhobson@gmail.com Jeremy Hobson is a France-based writer who specialises in all country matters
j-c-jeremy-hobson.co.uk
FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: March/April 2024 105
GARLIC GOURMAND
Q
Last spring we showed our seven-year-old
grandson (who was visiting us here in France with his parents) patches of wild garlic – and told him it could be used for cooking. The next time we passed that way, someone had dug up great clumps of it – not a very responsible way of foraging and we’d always thought that the rural French were respectful of nature. Paul and Julie Wade
©CLINTON & CHARLES ROBERTSON VIA CREATIVE COMMONS – CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148
