Life in rural France

Not to be missed

If you are a gardener in Gironde, Lot et Garonne, the Dordogne or Landes then this is for you - the first Fête des Plantes Insolites ...

Mistletoe - this has to be plant of the month

Mysterious mistletoe is prolific in South West France, where I live, and is strongly associated with Christmas. But why? The history of...

Wear your bleuet with pride

Plant of the month for November 2021 is the bleuet - or cornflower. It is not in bloom now, but is the flower the French associate with...

Seven steps to Paradise.

Last weekend was Rendezvous aux Jardins in France - an event organised by the Ministére de la culture which is designed to encourage...

Oh Deer

This week a vital project has been to tackle the growing problem of deer damage. We have always had a problem with deer because they roam...

A BLEAK DAY IN APRIL

It is hard to believe it was mid April. 13 degrees centigrade and a piercing northerly wind, We went to the plant fair at Neuvic sur...

All the fun of the foire

April 2016 It is that time of year again in France; many small towns hold their ‘foire aux fleures’ or ‘foire aux plantes’ – in other...

Back to basics

The first thing to understand when taking on a new garden is the soil. Soil character and health are going to determine a big chunk of...

HAPPY NEW YEAR....AND THE GARDEN HAS MOVED

January 2015 We have moved. We have sold our beloved Blanchet and bought a smaller house (4 400m2 garden) which will be better suited to...