Another day of rain but I sowed my eggplant and capsicum seeds indoors and we went to my favourite store – the plant nursery Truffaut – to order more Japanese stepping stones so that we can continue to feed the birds in the back garden without slipping in the slushy clay that was once grass. …
Category Archives: Flowers and gardens
Snowdrops but no snow – Perce-neige sans neige
When the ground is covered in snowdrops, you know that spring is a possibility! I’m getting ready to sow my first seeds of the year particularly since another lockdown is perhaps on the cards. Lorsque le sol est couvert de perce-neige, vous savez que le printemps est possible! Je prépare à semer mes premières graines …
Continue reading “Snowdrops but no snow – Perce-neige sans neige”
Wisteria in Winter – Glycine en hiver
January is when we prune our wisteria and grape vine so we made the most of the higher temperatures this week to do so. I also cut back the raspberry canes. They are my favourite European fruit. If you’d like to see the wisteria in full bloom, click here. C’est au mois de janvier que …
A Bit of Paradise – Un bout du paradis
“This is paradise” is what the sign in the middle says. The sign on the left is the name of the place: Tranquillity. The sign on the right sets out the Garden Rules. 1. Relax in a peaceful environment 2. Welcome the bees and butterflies 3. Sow seeds of madness 4. There are no weeds, …
Christmas Roses – Roses de Noël
These are not roses of course, but hellebores, or Lenten roses, and bloom in winter. Last year the deer ate them so I’ve put them out of reach on my kitchen windowsill. When the temperature is below freezing point the flowers keel over but they perk up when they thaw. Ce ne sont pas des …
CDP Theme Day: Best Photo of the Year
At the suggestion of one of my readers who has sustained several losses this year, I am choosing this photo as a symbol of hope for 2021. For other takes on the City Daily Theme Day from across the globe, click here. Sous la suggestion d’une lectrice qui a subi plusieurs pertes cette année, je …
Lockdown #2 Phase 2 – Day 17 – Reconfinement Phase 2 – Jour 17
I mentioned a while ago that we had put up a new fence at the bottom of the garden to keep the deer out of my Christmas roses and tender plant shoots so we were somewhat dismayed to see these two yesterday morning near the medlars. We watched them disappear so we know where they …
Continue reading “Lockdown #2 Phase 2 – Day 17 – Reconfinement Phase 2 – Jour 17”
Lockdown #2 Phase 2 – Day 2 – Reconfinement Phase 2 – Jour 2
As we drove past the entrance to Château de Chaumont today, we saw these wonderful flowers that Jean Michel was convinced were a floral arrangement but I was not so sure so we stopped on the way back to get a closer look. The second photo shows the secret. What a clever idea! En passant …
Continue reading “Lockdown #2 Phase 2 – Day 2 – Reconfinement Phase 2 – Jour 2”
Lockdown #2 Day 24 – Reconfinement Jour 24
Only the stumps of our bay leaf tree are left but we have a lot of mulch and some firewood. Our Covid figures are improving despite the fact that France now has 49,232 deaths against 40,987 on 11th November, an alarming increase. Loir-et-Cher, the area in which we live, has 4 people in intensive care, …
Continue reading “Lockdown #2 Day 24 – Reconfinement Jour 24”
Lockdown #2 Day 19 – Reconfinement Jour 19
This is my other garden – a shared garden that belongs to the apartment building in which I have a holiday rental studio, Châtel Rose, which sadly has not had many guests this year. During the spring lockdown I couldn’t do my share of the gardening but this time I can. I’m rather pleased with …
Continue reading “Lockdown #2 Day 19 – Reconfinement Jour 19”