June at Chenevaux

The first meeting of the horseracing society at La Roche Posay took place a couple of week-ends ago and we went along with some friends who had come over for our annual golf day.  Its a small hippodrome with one stand, but the meetings are very well attended.  Minimum bet is 2 euros and that's about all we put on!  This time all of the races were trotting - some with traps and some without.  Its rather strange to look at at first and there are lots of disqualifications for breaking into a canter or gallop.  Great fun for an afternoon.

As a result of the slightly different weather conditions earlier in the year we have had some lovely combinations of flowers recently - for example in the photo below.  Normally these irises are long gone before the buddleia flowers but the colour combination is lovely. These are my least favourite irises but they have been greatly improved!

Buddleia alternifolia and irises

The roses are really going for it and look so healthy.  We have another rose growing structure in mind for later this year!

The rose pergola that Mark made in spring 2012 

A Shropshire Lad

Only a couple of days away from the longest day already.  At this time of the year we always have a couple of nights where we are in bed before it is completely dark!  Mind you, yesterday morning we were woken at dawn (very early) by a blackbird singing very loudly.  The blue tits have already raised one clutch of chicks and are now on their second.  Mark is sure that they are putting the first chicks to work feeding the new ones, sounds like good delegation to me.  There are two favourite nesting places near the house and the gite.  One is in the nesting box over the top of the bird table and the second is in a niche in the gite wall that used to be a fuse box, and it's still covered by a metal door. At the moment it sounds very full!

We have one swallows nest in the cafe and although they are very messy I guess we will leave it now until they have raised their chicks.  And the hoopoes are back again! ( see blog 9th June 2011 )

In late autumn we come across piles of leaves and vegetation bundled up against the walls and these are where the hedgehogs hibernate.  I normally spot them whilst doing a pre-winter tidy up when I nearly step on them!  We don't often actually see any hedgehogs but after a downpour recently this little family were spotted by some guests.

I mentioned the golf day earlier - this was our 7th!  The first ones were held on Boxing Day, well why not?  However one year the weather was so cold we decided to move it to the summer. This means that non-golfers can have a go at the croquet (Chenevaux rules) too.  Everybody brings a dish of salad, or a desert etc which is great, and a friend very kindly did the barbeque this year.  We had 30 people here and ate in the barbeque palace.  It was a thoroughly enjoyable day.

On the green

Discussing the Chenevaux croquet rules?

Mark's waving down at the end!

Towards the end of last year there was a series on the TV with Monty Don visiting French gardens.  A couple really interested us and a few days ago we visited one called Prieure d'Orsan. www.prieuredorsan.com  It's at a place called Maisonais, about 80 miles from here so a fair trek, but en-route you pass through Argenton sur Creuse, which is also well worth a visit.  There is a very attractive chateau at Sarzay just before you get there and restaurants here and near the gardens where a good lunch can be had, so all in all a full day out.
As the name suggests, Orsan used to be a priory, originally founded in 1107.  After falling into disrepair in the middle of the 20th century the remaining buildings and land were renovated in the 1990's and now the main building is a hotel and the gardens are open to the public.  The total area is quite small but as it is divided into enclosed areas and incorporates lots of wooden structures you feel that it is a lot larger.  It took us getting on for two hours to have a good look round.  We came home with lots of ideas of ways to use some of the old oak beams we have stored under our open barn!  The buildings are very attractive too with bits of quirky decoration.

Clipped hedges, vines and Villa Ursinus in the background

Wow - that's an idea!

There are lots of wooden support structures and seats

Summer holidays aren't far off and guests are already here and using the pool which is lovely.  All that's needed now is a nice cold drink!