Life in Rural France.

A little taste of country life.

The wild flowers are blooming everywhere, even though there's not much sun for June 

I love it now the commune 

isn't allowed to spray weed killer along the edge of the lanes. 

Even the lizards are hiding

and only come out when the sun appears for a few moments.

The first sighting of our green lizard.

The Jay came to visit but now its back up in the trees.

The Hoopoe bird is still about.

We hear them everyday,

but mostly see them from a distance.

The blue tits are not at the bird table as often now.

as they are busy finding bugs to feed their young.

and with all the rain there's lots of them about.

These blue tits made their nest in a hole in the wall.

Not sure if it was the same pair from last year, I'd like to think it was.

This was the last baby to leave the nest.

This year the finches are in abundance .

We think this male & female Chaffinch  were a couple, they were always together.

The Brambling  both males.

The green finch 

This male Haw-finch comes to the bird table

every evening to feed before going to roost.

He's a big bird, with a big beak.

We are pleased to see the gold finches back, we haven't seen them for a few years.

I love to see walls and gates in the country. 

I'll close the gate for now

and look forward to opening it again for you soon.

à bientôt

Barbara Lilian

Preparing my hanging baskets.

Due to the unseasonal weather conditions this year, I'm so far behind
preparing hanging baskets than previous years.

Although the nights are still cold, I need to get the baskets prepared.
With not much enthusiasm we went to a small family owned garden centre.

It's nothing like what you would visualise as the usual
'Garden Centre' no fancy glass greenhouses

with electrically controlled ventilation and watering system.

4 poly tunnels an array of country animals wandering freely

 and a friendly lady to greet me.

Sorry no photos I didn't have my camera
so close your eyes

 and imagine you're in the heart of rural France, and step back 30 years .

There are 4 poly tunnels with flaps at each end, the entrance and the other end for some ventilation. 2 of the poly tunnels are full of vegetables, as they do sell their vegetables at the markets. I think the flowers might have started as a side line,
probably just a few geraniums and petunias .
I usually have an idea what I'm looking for. I noticed this year there was more choice.
 I choose all my own plants, put them in a veg. box which are provided. I then go to a little table where there's a lady, who was dead heading all the plants,  she asks me

 how many I have, she writes it down on a piece of paper ripped out of what 

looks like child's exercise book. I have to go to the little shop to pay, where they sell

their vegetables . On leaving I was handed a plastic bag containing fertiliser grains. and told how to look after my plants to get the best results.
and left with their good wishes of...
'au revoir et bonne plantation'

 How charming is that, you certainly don't get this service in the towns.

I did notice a few elderly ladies in their wrap around house pinafore dresses, who had brought their own plant pots to have them planted up with a few geraniums, 

while they chose the vegetable plants to put in their potager.  

 We have bought some of our plants from here for the past 2 yrs
 and been really pleased with the quality and far better value 

than any of the large Jardi-land centres.

This is the selection I chose. They look really healthy.

Trailing Verbena.

White Alyssum

 dble. Sufinias

Brachyscome angustifolia

Begonia senegat.
we had these last year and they flowered from may to October. 

last years baskets.

Pink begonia senegat. 

Simple dark red leaved begonia.

Hopefully by the weekend we will have them planted and hanging.

How are you getting on planting up your summer flowers.

Do you use summer annuals for a splash of colour on your terrace.
I'd love to see what you choose and how you display them.

I hope the weather is warming up for everyone.
Happy planting / Bonne plantation

à bientôt

Barbara Lilian

Roses for you

Rain was forecast so I couldn't leave these beauties 

to get battered.

These have now dried nicely. 

Enjoy your weekend.

I'll be back soon to show you how autumn 

is progressing here in rural France.

à bientôt

Barbara Lilian

October

 I've been missing for awhile and already it's October.

Autumn can't quite make up it's mind whether to arrive or not.

It really doesn't feel like Autumn yet here in my part of France. 

As always the Virginia Creeper is the first to put on her red robe.

While the summer flowers hanging in their baskets
 are still showing off their brilliant blooms.
Thanks to Mr France and his continual
watering and feeding.

The Dahlias were a little disappointing.
maybe I'll give those a miss next year.

The late summer berries are still on the bushes,
I'm not a jam maker, so these will be left as food for the birds.

I have seen some signs of Autumn on my walks,
but these were too prickly to put in my pocket.

I took just a short walk this morning in between the showers.

Leaves & acorns are falling, 

But the glow of orange and red on the trees is not here yet.

Here we are on the lane back home and to

La Petite Maison  our guest house

Waiting for our visitors to spend a long weekend in la campagne / country.

Thank you to everyone who have sent me messages
wondering if all was well, as they had missed seeing my posts.
I never expected to be missed in the world of blogging.
Thank you so much,
it's your kind thoughts that make it all worth while.

à bientôt

Barbara Lilian

Summer is always a busy time.

As always Summertime keeps us busy.

The garden and our summer cottage keeps Mr France and I occupied.

After my surgery last year the garden suffered considerably.

A few weeks ago we had a visit from the person in charge of the committee

for 'Le Concours des Fleurs'/ The Floral competition.
 persuading us to enter le concour  again.

Apparently last year we had been greatly missed by the judges.
Although we always have an abundance of flowers
 in pots and hanging baskets, we agreed to enter the competition again.



I love this corner, as I can change the pots when they look a bit sad
or add some of my collected items found at the brocante  sale.
Which Mr France describes as junk !

So after returning from our short 5 day visit to the U.K.
visiting friends and family, we were frantically putting
together baskets and troughs, to adorn the terrace and windowsills,
which is the category we are entered in.

Here's a few we have done and now hanging from the terrace.

These geraniums I managed to over winter from last summer.
and just added a few other plants to fill in the gaps.

Window troughs or boxes as they are known as in England
are always a pretty way to brighten up the front of the cottage.

Our new roses planted in the Spring are flowering nicely.
If you'd like to wander around my garden with me,
come back soon and enjoy seeing what's growing
 where I live in rural France.

à bientôt

Barbara Lilian