I try to eat my lettuces before they reach such heights but I don’t have as many. Now that we go slug hunting twice a day, the population has diminished considerably and even my dahlias, which I dug up and repotted after they were totally stripped of their leaves, are reviving. J’essaie de manger mes …
Category Archives: Flowers and gardens
Water lilies – Nénuphars
We cycled to Château de Chaumont this morning and I took this photo of my favourite pond. By the time we left at midday, the crowds had started to arrive. The gardens at Chaumont are one of my main sources of inspiration but they don’t seem to have slugs. Our main after-dinner activity at the …
End of the Roses – La fin des roses
It’s not really the end of their roses – just the end of their peak. Nearly all our roses (and these are just four of them) are repeat-blooming and last until the beginning of winter. From left to right: pink cloud, unknown, orchid smile and the peace rose (Madame A. Meilland). Ce n’est pas vraiment …
Postcard from Monpazier
Monpazier is considered to be the best example of a bastide in Dordogne. A bastide is a fortified town built on a grid. In normal times it would be swarming with overseas visitors. I loved the different doors and windows. Monpazier est le meilleur exemple de bastide en Dordogne. Une bastide est une ville fortifiée …
Postcard from Eyrignac Manor Gardens
We saved the sunniest day to visit these family-owned gardens for 22 generations with their topiary inspired by 18th century designs. The only variation on green is white. The general impression is one of great calm, incredible vistas and lushness. We also had them mostly to ourselves. Nous avons gardé le jour le plus ensoleillé …
Postcard from Lalinde
What a wonderful spot to start our first holiday since September. The house we are renting is wonderful too! Lalinde is a small town on the Dordogne River 100 k east of Bordeaux and about 20 k from Bergerac. And we are right on the cycle path. Quel merveilleux endroit pour démarrer nos premières vacances …
Valerian – Valériane
Not everyone likes valerian but I think its effect in spring is wonderful, especially when there are different shades. Tout le monde n’aime pas la valériane mais je trouve qu’elle a très belle au printemps surtout lorsqu’il y a plusieurs teintes.
The Bower Bird – L’oiseau jardinier
You may remember a blue garden exhibit at Château de Chaumont inspired by the bower bird’s nest that I posted a few days ago. Chad Addison, an amateur photographer living in Canberra just happens to have a bower bird in his garden. Since retiring he has conducted various workshops as part of a U3A photography …
An Outdoor Treat – Une gourmandise en terrasse
Today we planned to return to the Garden Festival at Château de Chaumont but when we saw the number of cars in the parking lot we decided to go for a walk in the village of Thenay instead. After our walk, We had our first outdoor table experience since October – house-made ice-cream and cider …
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Mimetic Mosaic – Mosaïque mimétique
I really like this garden at the Château de Chaumont Garden Festival but I find the explanation somewhat pretentious. “This garden celebrates the extraordinary artistic perfection of plant fractals.” For those who are not familiar with the term fractal, it means any of various extremely irregular curves or shapes for which any suitably chosen part …