Parc Floral de la Court d'Aron (1)

I promised you no more of our garden for a little while, but I didn't say about others! The last time we visited these gardens was with Tine's Mum and Grandmother, Matt in his push-chair, so perhaps it was about time we did a return visit.

First of all a selection of water-lilies, complete with flies enjoying their fragrance!

I don't think we'll manage bamboo like these in our garden: they were more like those we saw in Bali last year.

I just love the bank of poppies with their many shades.

This week's competition? Name this tree - c'mon, Kate won last time!

There was a room dedicated to bonsai trees, but I think the wooden statues made from drift wood intrigued us more.

And howzabout these for orchids, giant clematis and a Vendée Imperiale rose? Yes, that's Tine's hand making an appearance.

This is the lotus pond: sadly the wrong time of year for us!

Finally a couple of photos showing mud dams to contain the water-lily ponds, and an intriguing vegetation sculpture!

Caro & La Rochelle

Our lovely niece Caro came to stay with us for the second time this year as she went through to the interview round to get on a nursing course at La Rochelle. She's at the same stage for three other towns but I bet you can guess which we'd like...

I was really impressed that she joined us in our unheated pool as she is very much her mother's daughter. I think the water temperature was about 23°C but the day was beautifully hot. We've already had good use of the pool again so far this year (although I looked this morning and it was down to 17°C - brrrrrr - the same as the sea)!

Tonton (yes, that's me) took Caro to La Rochelle mid-week and whilst she suffered the interview process I enjoyed a wander around the port area of the town, complete with sandwich and camera. That's the magnificent aquarium back left in the first photo, a definite visitor destination.

We're still waiting to hear how Caro got on, fingers well crossed!

Not more garden photos!

I promise this is the last of OUR garden photos for the time being!

I used the zoom to photograph these baby grapes. Each one is about 2 mm across at the moment, but it looks like we're going to have a bumper crop this year.

I mentioned that Tine's classes at L'Aiguillon had clubbed together to treat her to some wonderful end-of-year gifts. Here is the olive tree 'in situ' - check the blog in a year to see how it has grown (or Tine shrunk)!

These lilies were a gift from our good friends Edith & John (regular bloggers) when they visited last year. They cheerily greet callers at the house at the moment. Come again soon, you two!

Oh dear, I've just Googled this beetle and it attacks fruit so we'd better be on the look-out! We just loved it's fluorescent green colour.

Tine is sitting in our 'new for 2011' breakfast corner at the front of the house, being watched by a magnificent yukka flower.

This week's 'Name that shrub' competition. Come on LCA, Kate or Claudia Shiffer. Who's going to win?!

And finally some very bright orange geraniums outside the East Wing's bathroom.

Garden produce

As you can see we've been busy once again, already enjoying the fruit (and veg) of our labours. We haven't had any 'proper' rain for quite a while now so I have the nightly chore of watering the garden, luckily there's plenty in the well as a hosepipe ban is in the offing.

Here Tine is looking after the tomato plants, now beginning to flower. Mmmmm, those first home-grown tommies will be amazing!

Can you spot tomatoes, lettuce, radish, French beans and strawberries in the distance? (Plus mint for Matt's mojito cocktails.)

Courgette plants with beetroot just behind.

Our first artichoke of the season. Let's hope they're more prolific than last year!

The French beans have suddenly started growing and we've put plenty in!

Advert for Asda: try their £1 for four packs of salad leaves. The rocket is particularly delicious and the leaves grow really quickly.

From garden to table to tummy: radishes, cherries and strawberries. Bon appetit!

Flowers in the garden

It's been a while since I brought you up to date with the garden so the next couple of posts should satisfy certain people's curiosity!

Firstly a totally stunning rose which just seems to keep on flowering (plus it is heavily scented too)!

Our good neighbours Giles & Marie-Jeanne gave us lots of iris last year which have taken very well. What we hadn't realised was that we would have an almost Bradford City variety too!

Here's the white lilac shrub that Tine has hankered after for some time now. It was part of a wonderful thank you gift from her students at l'Aiguillon.

This is 'blé bleu' (blue wheat) which the town has growing alongside many of its roads. I'm not sure if the bread would be blue too though.

And what do you think of my creation? No, not the scarecrow attempting to keep birds off the strawberries, but one of the new wooden tubs.

It's summer already

This selection of photos was taken on 20th April 2011, hard to believe the crowds on the beach and in the sea so early in the season.

And yes, here's intrepid Nad showing how it should be done, breaking a new family record for going in the sea so early in the year. I must admit I would have joined her had I had my swimming gear as it was a wonderfully hot day. I'm afraid my first swim day had to wait until May 5th with no camera to record the evidence!