Lockdown #2 Day 13 – Reconfinement Jour 13

There was no ceremony for Remembrance Day this year due to Covid19 but someone came and hoisted the flags. The chrysanthemums are traditional French graveyard flowers as they always bloom for All Saints Day. Il n’y avait pas de cérémonie pour l’Armistice cette année à cause du Covid19 mais quelqu’un est passé hisser les drapeaux. …

Lockdown #2 Day 12 – Reconfinement Jour 12

The last time we went to Chateau de Chaumont gardens just before lockdown we bought two Salvia Amistads that I had seen on previous occasions. It’s the plant with the dark purple flowers at the top of the slope. The smaller plant with purple flowers in the foreground is shrubby Veronica or hebe but it …

Lockdown #2 Day 11 – Reconfinement Jour 11

We did another of our Covid walks from the spring today. I was interested to see what had become of this garden bed. The hot lips sage with its pretty little pink and white flowers is still going strong in November. The total number of Covid deaths in France is now 40,987 including 551 hospital …

Lockdown #2 Day 10 – Reconfinement Jour 10

This photo was actually taken yesterday – today was somewhat overcast but surprisingly warm for November at 16 degrees. We spent nearly all day getting the garden ready for winter. It’s a great comfort to us during these Covid times. J’ai pris cette photo hier ; aujourd’hui il ne faisait pas très beau même si …

Lockdown #2 Day 7 – Reconfinement Jour 7

The Covid19 figures are not looking good today – 58,000 new cases and 367 deaths in the last 24 hours. Food and drink outlets in Greater Paris will now be closed at 10 pm to stop people milling around. Secondary school teachers and older students are worried about the impossibility of respecting protocols to stop …

Lockdown #2 Day 6 – Reconfinement Jour 6

We have clay soil which makes this slope a challenge. We are in that period when there are still flowering perennials such as Japanese anemones that lose their leaves in winter while those that flower in winter such as Christmas roses (hellebore) are just starting to bloom. Last year the deer ate them all but …

Lockdown #2 Day 3 – Reconfinement Jour 3

Today was so dismal we decided to treat it like a workday and take tomorrow off to garden instead. It rained non-stop all day. This is another photo from our last walk at Chaumont. Aujourd’hui était tellement maussade que nous avons décidé de le traiter comme un jour ouvré et travailler dans le jardin demain …

Lockdown #2 Day 1 – Reconfinement Jour 1

These are the cosmos flowers I waited for all summer. They are in a part of the garden we don’t see much now that summer is over. Today was our first day of lockdown #2 and I had to go out three times! Everyone is complaining about the new restrictions. I think we need some …

Last Long Walk – Dernière longue promenade

Today was our last chance to take a long walk at Château de Chaumont before lockdown tonight at midnight (and to buy some Anistead sage plants before the garden festival section closes until next April). The Prime Minister announced the details of the lockdown this evening. As far as we are concerned it’s better than …