25 January 2015

Grow Your Blog

Hello to my regular followers
and
If this is the first time you have visited my blog
Welcome.

Open the gate and step inside.




It's that time of the year again when Vicki who hosts  Grow Your Blog
does such a wonderful job doing exactly what it says.
If you are here to grow your blog  I hope you'll enjoy what you see.
and have fun checking out many of the other blogs taking part..
This is my second time of joining.Grow your blog.
If you would like to find out more about me take a look here
from when I joined the 2014 Grow your Blog Party.


I live in rural France so I show a lot of photos I take of interesting buildings
and also the beautiful countryside near where I live.

We often walk along this pathway, it used to be the old railway line.
There are lots of walking groups I could join, but I prefer to walk with my husband,
who I affectionately refer to as Mr France, he appears from time to time in my posts.
I spend lots of time watching the birds that come to feed
from the many bird feeders in our garden.


My favourite walk, winter or summer is only 15 mins..from my home.
Maybe you are like me and dabble in watercolour painting.
I try to remember ( I must admit I often forget ) to take my pocket camera
with me on my walks. Then later I can paint  the wild flowers I see.

I'm not an artist but I do enjoy watercolour sketching.




One of my early sketches in a journal with brown paper,
 it's easier for sketching than to paint on,

I share lots of pictures of my garden throughout the different seasons.
I love my garden, but don't make myself a slave to it.
It's certainly not a sculptured garden all neat and tidy
.I leave a lot of the wild flowers to grow, like these wild Foxgloves 
which adds colour and fills in a bare space.






During the summer months I like to have plenty of hanging baskets around our home
 and the holiday cottage. Mainly I use the simple Pelargonium which grow well here in France.
They don't need to be watered everyday and withstands the heat. 

As I live in France it wouldn't seem right if I didn't show the vines,
which are not too far from my home.
We plan to take more short trips away this year. now that I am back in good health.
We are planning be visit Denmark again
and if we can fit it in, a trip back to England to catch up with family and old friends.
so there will be lots of photos taken for you to see.


I took this photo last October on one of our short trips away.

During the summer months we have fields and fields of sunflowers around where we live,
so I couldn't resist showing this lonely sunflower growing on the edge of the road.




There will be a Give Away gift as a thank you
The give away will be open to everyone who leaves a comment on this post. 
The winner will be announced on the 15th February.
So look out for your name it might be you.

I'm looking forward to seeing lots of new blogs.

I hope you've enjoyed seeing my Grow your blog post.
Thank you Vicki and all those who volunteered  to help.

à bientôt

Barbara Lilian

53 comments:

  1. I really enjoyed my visit to your blog today. The photography is lovely. And your gardens!!!! I have joined your blog and WILL BE BACK!

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  2. Hello Barbara Lilian! Nice to meet you through the 'Grow Your Blog' party! I love your photographs! You certainly live in a beautiful place! :) x

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  3. Lovely to meet you and have a chance to see your beautiful countryside. I love your watercolor flowers they are just beautiful. I would love a chance to win a giveaway as well. I am visiting from the blog party and I am in section 19 if you would like to visit my blog.

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  4. Back for a second visit to your picturesque corner of France, Our blogs are very similar - both celebrating the French countryside and the gentler pace of life over here.
    Enjoy the party.
    Maggie

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  5. This seems such a bright and cheerful blog. I love all of the sunny photos of old french architecture. I spied in your side bar a photo of a baby dear sitting on the doorstep. How adorable!

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  6. Hello Barbara, another lovely set of photos. I've joined the party this year and have already got a few new followers but I can't seem to find the party blog with the list of all the other participants. Has it got to you yet?

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  7. My garden is so pitiful compared to yours! Your watercolors are lovely, such a wonderful talent. It has been wonderful to meet you! :)

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  8. Thank you for sharing the beauty of rural France, Barbara! How lovely to be surrounded by wildflowers, vineyards, and peaceful water. I have always enjoyed visiting France. Your blog is a wonderful celebration of nature! ♡

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  9. Beautiful pictures, and a lovely blog. Visiting from Grow Your Blog hop.

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  10. Hello, I just arrived from the Grow your blog party, it's nice to meet you. You certainly live in a beautiful place and your watercolours are lovely

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  11. Good Morning, Barbara.
    Nice to meet you! I am on the blog hop. And in section 1.
    Your watercolours, pictures and drawings are so wonderful.
    Thanks for sharing....
    Enjoy the day!

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  12. Hello! I am another living-in-France blogger but we're the other side of the Massif Centrale. You have some beautiful photographs of the area where you live, and I look forward to reading more about your life in France. I love your paintings - you are very talented, I think!

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  13. Visiting from Grow Your Blog party, section 1 It was a pleasant surprise to see you are from France. While stationed in Germany I was able to visit France. Adore the country side.

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  14. I know how much I enjoy your posts, whether at your lovely home, on one of your walks or trips, so I know that new visitors surely will as well.

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  15. Hello Barbara! I just love stopping by because you never disappoint with all your beautiful photos. I live in Michigan, the mitten state in the USA. So, as you probably know, we have lots of snow and freezing temps! Looking at the beautiful sunshine, happy faces on the flowers, certainly gives a huge lift to my days! I really look forward to your blogs and enjoying my time with you! Thanks so much, I've enjoyed this visit!

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  16. Hello from another blogger in France hopping around Vicki's party! Being a huge Francophile I'm always happy to read about other people's experiences in France and oggle over their photos. Yours are lovely as are your water colours.

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  17. What an amazing area you live in, perfect for photos or walking. Your sketches are great!

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  18. So beautiful. I also like to go on hikes and see what nature I can see.
    Thank you for the chance!

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  19. Hi Barbara Lillian, I'm visiting from Grow Your Blog and I love your blog! I would love to learn about France and I would love looking at the flowers and countryside. I am your new follower by google friend connect. I do hope that you will visit my blog too at Julie's Lifestyle and enter my giveaway too. Thanks I look forward to becoming blog friends with GYB!
    Julie at Julie's Lifestyle

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  20. Oh Barbara, what beautiful flowers!!!!!!!!!! I'd love to pop outside and see these sights every day.

    Thank you for having me at your party. Isn't it FUN!?! I've become a Follower and would appreciate it if you did the same when you visit my blog at SuZeQ Creations.

    Thanks!
    SuZeQ

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  21. Hi, I'm one of Vicki's helpers just checking all the links in the Grow Your Blog hop. Great site, I hope you have a wonderful day.

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  22. Hello dear Barbara
    You've created a gorgeous post for the Grow Your Blog party - who couldn't resist becoming a follower here!
    We met at last year's party and I've enjoyed getting to know you in the past year!
    YOU are an artist Barbara and I've got your beautiful sunflower cards which I love - thank you.
    I love your sketches in this post - especially the little birdie!
    You have been busy creating a lovely new header and your first photo of the gate is so welcoming - I just want to open the gate and call out YOUHOO Barbara – I’m here!

    Enjoy the party and have fun making lots of new friends!
    Hugs
    Shane
    PS Did you get my email?


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  23. Hi Barbara, I am blog hopping this evening from across the ocean. I am loving reading your blog and seeing your countryside. I live in the city, but I would love to live in the country after growing up on the farm. My traveling is done by visiting blogs such as yours and I will look forward to when you take your trip to Denmark. I don't paint, but I love to look at others. My passion lies in hand embroidery. I have loved to learn about France and I will become one of your new followers. Have fun blog hopping. Shirley@shirleystitches

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  24. Barbara, how you you not be inspired by the beautiful area you live in? What a wonderful place!

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  25. Enjoyed your beautiful pictures! I am following and will return.

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  26. Your garden is beautiful. Would love to visit.

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  27. Your photos are beautiful. Thanks for a brief tour of the countryside. Visiting from St. John's, NL, Canada via Grow Your Blog.

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  28. Oh, how beautiful this is! We need a breath of fresh air here while the snow buries us today. Mind if I follow you?

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  29. Wonderful sketches and garden and such a beautiful place that you live. My family is originally from Mildenhall England a place I hope to visit someday... and then pop over to France.

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  30. Your blog is beautiful ♥ I love to walk in nature and take photo and am also an avid gardener who loves to photograph my flowers and veggies. I'd love it if you stopped by and checked my blog out as our interest are very close.

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  31. oh you have some beautiful walks around your area, I look forward to seeing more of your countryside. wow! what an exposion of colour your hanging baskets provide - beautiful! One of these days we will take a trip to Europe :) my bucket list overflows..

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  32. I cannot seem to get your follow me button to work, could you look into that? I also tried to leave a comment and it dissapeared so hope the problem is not on my side. I love the photos of the lovely walks in your area.

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  33. Beautiful gardens. And your sketching is great too. I will enjoy reading your posts.

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  34. I hope it's okay that I respectfully disagree with you over you being an artist! Your paintings are wonderful. Thank you for having us over for a visit. Enjoy the tour!

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  35. Hi Barbara! My name is Kelly and it's so nice to meet you! I'm so glad I found your wonderful blog. Your gardens, photography and artwork are beautiful! I know I'm going to love coming over to your blog to read about your fabulous French life!
    Kelly

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  36. You live in such a beautiful corner of the world and your artwork is just wonderful I'm looking forward to following your blog, stopping by as part of the GYB blog hop
    Clare

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  37. What beautiful photos and what a lovely part of the world you live in! I came by via GYB and I am your newest follower! I'm in Australia where it is very hot and humid at the moment! Hope to catch up some more soon. cheers Wendy

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  38. Hello Barbara. Your photos are gorgeous and I can't wait to see more of your drawings and watercolors. I wish we had wild foxglove here and a field of sunflowers would be spectacular. So glad you're sharing what you see!

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  39. Hi Barbara,
    I'm popping over from GYB hop. Your little piece of France looks lovely, I have enjoyed visiting your blog and I especially love your photos, they make me feel a bit warmer today in the UK we are having snow.
    Jill

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  40. Dear Barbara - just beautiful pictures - loved the chickadee at the feeder. We have these little fellas here too. I always enjoy my visit to your blog...such a lovely place to visit. Hope you have a great week. Hugs - P.S. thank you too for your sweet visit and kind words. Take care!

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  41. Barbara, you say you are not an artist, but your watercolor sketches are absolutely lovely! sarah@forrussia.org

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  42. Hello Barbara
    I am so pleased that I found your lovely blog through the GYB party. I shall follow now and keep up to date with your gorgeous photo's

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  43. Hello Barbara, I am so delighted to meet you and visit you and your beautiful blog - yes we do have a lot in common with our love for gardening, painting and photography. Your water colors are lovely and so charming and your garden is gorgeous. I had the pleasure of traveling through France from Normandy to Nice and fell in love with your country and am so looking forward to following you on your blog.

    Have a lovely day,
    Erin

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  44. Your photos are lovely and your artwork is just fabulous!

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  45. Lovely to meet you - I'm visiting from England!
    Your work is exquisite, you are definitely a talented artist

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  46. Happy to meet you Barbara! You ARE an artist! love your photography and watercolors! Lovely Blog! I am at: http://deborahstanleyinspirations.blogspot.com/ Have fun with the Blog Party! I'm your new follower too. deborah

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  47. Boun Jour - Beautiful Blog! I love the birdlife! visting via GYB
    I do textile art which involves a bit of painting... I can but try :-).
    www.addicted2fabric.wordpress.com

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  48. You take such beautiful photos of your lovely place in the world!

    alexis @ cobcottagecraft.com

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  49. What a breath of fresh, sunny, colorful, WARM air! Your lush photographs are very welcome on this grey and still-snowing winter evening. Thank you for leaving such a nice comment on Comptonia - I am slow to respond, only because I've had so little time to be online in the past week, and have just tonight begun to catch up. And I'm so glad I started here! :)
    Vraiment, à bientôt, Barbara Lilian!

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  50. Thanks for your message! I had to come back to say I am neither fit nor young...that's why everything takes me so long! But I think slow is better than not at all, so on I go :)

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  51. Hello from New York City! I'm so glad to have come across your blog via Vicki's blog hop. Your blog is great. I'd love to visit France one day and to see little hamlets such as yours. Thanks for all the great photos and charming reads!
    - afistfuloflemons @ gmail.

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  52. Visiting from the GYB party, and it's nice to meet you, Barbara . . . beautiful photography and I love your sketches! Ahh, someday I hope to visit France; your photos make it look so inviting.
    -maggie
    www.themagrag.com
    maggieraguse@comcast.net

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  53. visiting via Vicki's GYBP, your photography is beautiful!

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I really love it when you leave a note in my comment box, then I know you have popped by. Thank you