It's all about the garden

The Potager

A wet and not very hot start to the year has been frustrating for gardeners. Luckily our greenhouse was ready for the start of the season this year so we were able to start things off early.

Last year's stars of the show were:

Tomatoes - many jars bottled and soups and sauces made and we are still eating them.
Beetroot - I discovered that it freezes well and when defrosted is just as good as when it went ohn the freezer.
Parsnips -  delicious roasted and in soups
Chard - we have been eating it all year and just taken the last plants out recently. Another good freezer.

Failures:

Butternut squash - I made the mistake of planting into the only bed we hadn't added manure to!

We are experimenting with bag grown potatoes this year but other wise the same crops as last year. I am posting my first ever film here - not very professional and it certainly seemed to amuse my family, but you'll see what we have been up to.

The Source

We have three natural springs on our land and you may remember that there was an enormous bamboo swamp at the top of our land where the sources of the springs are. That was all dug up at the end of the year and now Michel and his digger have been back to finish the job. All the water sources are now entering into pipes that go to the lily pond and then to the main lake. The pond around the springs has been dug out and has filled up again with clear water.

The silted up pond 

The digger gets to work

All clear and filled up by the three natural springs

The ground all levelled and flat enough for mowing

 The lily pond

After being emptied, washed and cleared of all the water lilies it is now looking great. It filled up again quickly and we put back three water lilies, this time safely contained in baskets. Two of them are already in flower and the lotus has sent out a beautiful leaf so all's well in lily land.

More garden views

Potager, plants and ponds

Spring is here and the garden has been the focus of most of our activity.

A peek in the greenhouse: 

Early tomatoes, potatoes in a grow bag experiments and the seedling centre. Oh and check out my new path.

The rest of the plot:

• We have added muck and compost to the raised beds and already planted out onions and some more garlic to add to the autumn sown. 
• The leeks are coming to the end now but after a dodgy start have been great. Winter veg did well despite having a caterpillar attack when we were in New Zealand.

• I made a mistake with the butternut squash as I planted them in one of the beds without muck! Luckily our neighbour had a bumper crop and has kept us supplied and we have lots of soup in the freezer. 

• Autumn sown broad beans were a bit put out by the unusually mild autumn and then a severe storm but they have rallied and it looks like we should have a good crop. 
• The spring sown broad beans are coming up well.
• The chard has been the star of the show and I still have a few plants giving us a crop.
• The potato in a bag experiment continues outside and we have also planted potatoes in two beds - we'll let you know the results.
• Seed sowing is in full swing in the greenhouse and the newly positioned cold frame.

 The lily pond

We have cleaned out the pond - a major task as it had been neglected for so many years. There was a lot of mud to pump out and then we had to deal with the forest of water lilies.

 We gave a lot away but ave put three back and also added a new lotus lily that the children gave me for my birthday.

An in addition

We made an ornamental grass garden at the end of the lily pond and have plans for a rockery at the other end with some kind of water feature. Sadly we said goodbye to the Massey Ferguson 165.

The flower beds that we created last year are coming into their own and we have made a new one along the north wall of the barn.

 

So busy, busy, busy. It's lovely being back outside again and seeing the gardens looking cared for and not a building site!

We had our first apero on the terrace - a sign of happy days to come. Perhaps you'll drop round for one this summer!

A bientôt.

February fun with family

Chilling chez my daughter followed by half term fun chez my son another happy family visit.

Family Sunday fun and games - Charlie directed a star wars play, B was the photographer and Ellie and I had cuddles.

A day out in London started with a visit to the Cutty sark and afterwards Charlie and Bethany made their own sailing boats.

Enjoying the street artists and posing in front of the 02

The lovely new kitchen and family room - the first time I'd seen the finished new extension.

Mexican delights for lunch and then we went on a Bear Hunt - a celebration of the work of Michael Rosen

On and over the Thames - first by boat and then by cable car.

A crafty day in with Granny

Last day and we are all just chilling

Adieu

It's a very, very cold morning here but that didn't stop a huge crowd turning out in the village to say goodbye to Robert Bordes who died recently aged 87. His wife, Alice, died 5 years ago and he never really recovered from her loss. Alice and Robert were our neighbours when we lived at the top of the village and were the very first people to welcome us into their home. They were the kindest, gentlest, people and we were lucky to have had them as our friends and neighbours.

For the last couple of weeks I have been busy laying out the January edition of the Mayor's bulletin and on Monday I went to print the 120 copies we need. Of course, the copier was doing something strange and I had to call the engineer. A wasted  morning and a boring afternoon waiting for his visit. Yesterday I manage to get them printed and this afternoon Kevin and I will deliver them. It is one of the ways that we can support the village and contribute to the strong sense of community that exists here. As well as being involved with the bi-annual bulletin municipal, we have been part of the fête committee for years, I am on the church flower rota and am on my second round as councillor.

So why talk about our village activities today? Not to show off but because listening to the eulogies to Robert I kept hearing the word respect  - a value he prized highly. One of the reasons we decided to buy another house and stay in this village was because of the people like Robert and Alice who welcomed us so warmly to the village and made us feel part of a caring community. The phrase 'giving back' has become a bit clichéd but it really is how we feel about this small, rural village and we get so much support, friendship and love that we are willing to give up a little of our time to contribute - even if waiting for the photocopier repair man was very frustrating and boring! - and in these small ways we try to show our respect for our adopted country and the village we are proud to call home.

Adieu Robert - we were blessed to have known you.

Five Firsts and a Fête

An extra trip to the Uk this September to visit family started in Birmingham where I spent the last day of the summer holidays taking our grandson Sam out and about. The city was featuring an event called the Big Hoot where over 80 large owl forms had been sponsored by local businesses and decorated by local artists to reflect Birmingham past and present. We found around 35 and had great fun spotting them. I learned a lot about Birmingham and had a fun time with Sam.

First first

A lovely weekend with Sophie and Sam and then first day of the new school year had arrived. Sam was so excited because it was his first day in the Junior department of his school - a new building, a new playground and new responsibilities. He was up at the crack of dawn with his bag ready by the front door. I was delighted to be able to be there for this first in his life and to pick him up at the end of the day to hear how it had all gone.

Second first

After a couple of days R and R with my daughter and her wife I arrived in Beckenham where my grandson Charlie was looking so grown up in his uniform after having his first morning at school. He had made a new friend but didn't know his name yet and had braved the big playground to meet up with his sister at break time. He looked worn out and that night slept really well.

Third first

My granddaughter Ellie is now five and a half months old and on the move for the first time. She rolls over onto her tummy and then starts her yoga exercises with the downward dog position. Flopping down from that she pushes herself backward and makes her way round the room slowly but surely. What a delight to watch her concentrated efforts.

Fourth first

Ellie again this time starting to eat solid food. She took to finger foods straight away and attacked carrot,banana, avocado, cucumber, strawberries and sweetcorn with gusto. The other two found the mess she made very amusing and Bethany loved helping her little sister keep the goodies on her feeding tray.

Fifth first

I went to a festival. So I didn't sleep in a tent or walk through thick mud but it was a festival with real bands and entertainment. Charlie had his face painted and B had her nails painted. It was noisy and busy but great fun.

A fête

Another birthday for me. I have a new camera from Kevin and the children bought me a new ipod - most welcome as my old one is held together with tape and I listen every day to Radio 4 podcasts as I do my chores. Lunch on the river at Bordeaux had been planned but the party organiser was ill and so
we had a quiet day at home and I played with my new camera. Friends popping in and calls from the family made me feel special and the visit to Bordeaux will happen later in the year.

Now I am giving the garden it's end of summer tidy up, finishing the last of the harvesting and preserving and getting ready for our next adventure in mid October - a month in New Zealand - we are getting very excited about that. September still has some sunny days in store for us and we are looking forward to spending some of them with our lovely Australian friends who are staying nearby for two weeks.

Thanks for popping by.

A bientôt

A cat,a cruise,a clutch and a chorus of children

A cat

We have a new addition to the family - Sukey who arrived in June and immediately made herself at home. She wasn't phased by Sam the grumpy dog and it was love at first sight between her and Schula the lab/ retriever cross. She has decided to be an outdoor cat at night and is usually to be seen exploring the wood pile and is proving to be a good mouser. She loves to spend the day with us though and is always looking for a lap to curl up on. She's captured all our hearts.

A clutch

We have been enthralled by the swallows this year. For the first time they reared two clutches, five in the first and three in the second. Their antics have kept us amused for weeks and despite the obvious annoying evidence of their stay they are welcome summer guests. One morning I was having breakfast on the terrace with my six year old granddaughter as the parents and several other swallows swooped and swirled trying to encourage the youngsters to fly the nest - what a show they gave us. We have swallows in the barn too and aperitif time on the terrace has been their chance to out on an evening spectacle for us - pure delight. We hope they'll be back next year.

A Cruise

My daughter turned 40 in July and I joined her, her wife and her mother-in-law on a cruise through the Norwegian fjords. I was entranced by Norway and adored the outings into the countryside and towns. Cruising up the fiords was a highlight for me and I enjoyed the evenings with the girls. Alison and Karen are becoming seasoned cruisers but although I had a lovely holiday I am still not a convert.

A Chorus of Children

We had the great joy of welcoming three of our grandchildren for a two and a half week visit. The first week their cousins stayed in a local rental property so we had six children around for one of the weeks. We also met up with our lovely Australian/French family and their now four children after a gap of a year whilst they were moving house.The weather was glorious and the pool was the star of the show. We enjoyed the night markets, local village events, dining at our favourite restaurant and a visit to a fun chateau. The children helped with the hens and the vegetable garden and we loved having them. It will probably take us all of September to recover but they were very special days.

Now we are harvesting the summer garden produce and preserving it for the winter and starting to plan for our next adventure when we go to New Zealand for three weeks. We hope you have all had your own lovely summer with family and friends.

A bientôt