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blackduff wrote:Roger
A lot of the Swiss put their geraniums in their bomb shelter for the winter. They have to put a bit of water during the winter months but they survive. Some of the ladies would bring me down to visit the germaniums during the winter months. I tried this in Sweden and it didn't work.

Blackduff

Did this this winter - i.e. put them all in the garage, and just a bit of water - advice given by my Swedish sisters-in-law. 1/2 have survived. they certainly look good at the moment, and so far better than last year when boughtn - but, as I have noticed, so does the greenery around.... rain, rain this year

a gardening section would be quite welcome, it seems!

chantal

We have a hibiscus bush here in Chavland - well we used to!
It was beautiful with orangey red flowers.
It seems to be dying.
I put it down to Mr. Pol Remy being over zealous with the mosquito spray.

polremy wrote:We have a hibiscus bush here in Chavland.

Can anyone tell me the "correct" origin and meaning of Chav??
I don't think it's Council House And Vulgar as some sources claim?
Hasn't it an Indian or Pakistani or perhaps Roumanian root??

I was always told that it was a romany/gypsy word for child or perhaps boy - i seem to remember, in the 60's, the phrase "dickeye chavvy" meaning see you later.

cheers

pete

One suggested etymology for "chav" is that it derives from the Romani word chavo, meaning boy

www.boredandlazy.co.uk/quiz.php?q=chav - 13k - Cached - Similar pages -

I just took this chav quiz and it said i am 30% chav.
I noticed one of the questions asked if i had ever been to Majorca/Minorca - no suggestion of Tenerife at all.
I think i have been maligned all these weeks.

20% for me.

Shows what I know, I thought it was Ibiza, Benidorm and Ayai Napa that chavs went to!

BOUGIE UPDATE, Kathy

BOTH of mine survived - one (the normal mauvey colour) is doing better than the other but it now has about a foot of growth and is looking well!!!!!


On the subject of flowers, has anyone noticed how beautiful all of the flowers are in Le Boulou this year???

If they haven't entered the Ville Fleurie competition, I'm a dutchman's uncle!!!!!

That's good to hear and hopefully when we come out my boogie will have only been playing dead and will have sprouted.
I notice they are selling them in England now and wondered if they had produced a hardier variety for this country.

Doubt it

Just another example of commerce ripping off the consumer I should think. I bet when you get it the instructions say it can't be left outside under so many degrees and it should be overwintered indoors or in a greenhouse or some such nonsense.

fingers crossed for yours!!!

My bougie is full of leaves but not a flower in sight. Is this normal. I bought it last year. It is in a pot not the ground.

opas wrote:I know I will live to regret saying this.......but being a northerner will tell it how it is.

I cannot stand Geraniums ,In the Uk I always refered to them as `scruffs flowers` (probably because one of my neighbours had them in the window inside and they never had a decent flower on them! the smell knock me off.

Well, my grandad (from Wakefield) used to grow geraniums in his beloved greenhouse in Torquay all year round. One of his specialities (and we have it here on our terrace in a pot) was one with lemon-scented leaves - Pelargonium citriadora .
They're quite decorative in a clay pot or rock garden, etc. They can be bought in most local garden centres around the Languedoc.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2017/354 ... 1242679114
and there is a bonus!!

Plants: There are several plants you can place around your garden that discourage mosquitoes. Thai lemon grass, lemon thyme, lemon balm, citronella or lemon-scented geraniums work great. In fact, just about anything that smells like lemon sends mosquitoes running. Well, flying. You might also try rosemary, marigolds, eucalyptus, citronella, catnip, chamomile, chrysanthemums, or basil. Beautyberry bush also works and has the advantage of attracting birds – they love the seeds. Choose the scents you like best and plant them in your garden or in pots around the deck.

Double-Bonus - for you mozzie-plagued ones out there:

Vanilla extract: Mosquitoes hate the smell. If you like it, you’re in business. Just dab a little on pulse points – the inside of your wrist, elbow, knee or ankle, the base of your neck just above the collar bone (feel for the throb), or at the temple – and the mosquitoes will stay away. You might also try vanilla-scented candles. If possible, get some that are fragranced with real vanilla extract.

Notes of general interest:
On the island of Lanzarote (Canaries) there is a place they call (for tourists) the "Fire Mountain" where camel rides take you to the top of the old volcano which has hot patches where one can fry eggs on the rock. Where the camel ride starts, at the bottom, on the very hot slopes - there flourishes a very special variety of lemon scented pelargonium.

I smuggled (naughty!) a plant back to Switzerland in 1979 after visiting my sister and her husband who were renting a place for a month that November. I planted it in a pot and it flourished for many years in summer on the terrace and inside over winter as an exotic reminder of a great holiday! I gave it to a very good friend when we left in 1994.

All about scented geraniums (actually pelargoniums):
http://www.gardensablaze.com/HerbScentedGeranium.htm

Is it in full sun, Sue.

Lavender is a great mosquito repellant too!

Hi Thumberlina. Yes its in full sun from about midday onwards

Mine didn't flower one year (it's in a pot, too) because it didn't get enough sun, other than that, I wouldn't know I'm afraid.

(evidently mine aren't flowering this year because they're recovering - they nearly died this winter)

Lemon Geranium, I forgot about that one!
I nicked a cutting off one from the office I worked in when I first left school. My mum then got it established and took further cuttings off it........about 8 years later I had one in my bathroom when Mr O and I were married, I wonder where that one ended up?

You were married in your bathroom?

Serge wrote:You were married in your bathroom?

That's why she and Outie gel so well.