June at Chenevaux

Having had a lot of rain at the end of May ( rather an understatement ! ) the garden is now trying to become a jungle.  Mark is constantly out on the tractor mower and the dead heading on the roses is endless.  However the good thing is that trees and shrubs that have struggled in previous years are flourishing.  Just looking back at photos taken about a month ago when we had lilac, clematis, irises and peonies in flower the gardens look totally different.

 

The montana clematis covers an arch in the back garden of the Farmhouse, it is scented and this year the flowers lasted for about a month.

Peonies are so beautiful, and sadly so short lived.  I planted a selection when we first moved here and they are now a good size with lots of blooms.

Once again the seallows tried to move into the house.  Flying in chattering to one another and sometimes perching on a beam before we shoo them out like naughty children!

The fields opposite the front of the house. The pretty blue haze is linseed, and this year there will be sunflowers in the area that is soil.  They are about 50cms high now.

This parasol pine is in the gite garden.  Just look at all of the new growth.

And look at the size of the figs!

Bullrushes on the edge of the pond.

The plants in the back garden looking happy and lush.  The canes are there to support tomatoes.

Happy gardening!

Just some pictures of lovely flowers and gardens in the May sun at Chenevaux!

 Its all happening ....

Fragrant wisteria along the front of the Farmhouse

Montana clematis at the end of the path in the back garden of the Farmhouse

The Gite garden, you can just see the pool

This is the Gite garden again, I was leaning out of the bedroom window which is why its wonky!

A clump of lovely iris

I think this one came from a lady in the village - its the first time it has flowered, beautiful.

and some bright pink blossom.

Duck!

In our quest to tidy up the area around the pond we have been continuing to clear away brambles and were hard at work the other day when a duck suddenly flew out from the side.  We have seen a pair several times this spring so didn't think anything of it.  Later in the day I was doing some more cutting back and the same duck flew right in front of me.  Just as I turned round I noticed a nest with at least 12 eggs in it, if not 14.

And here she is back on her nest.  We are going to wait a while now until continuing with our tidying up and maybe we will have some ducklings on the pond in due course!

April news from Chenevaux

This week-end Mark has his studio open to the public under the umbrella of the Journees des Metiers d'Art.  He has pots, paintings and sculptures on display and will be doing demonstrations of different ceramics techniques such as throwing, hand building and slip casting. Blue(ish!) skies and blossom on the plum trees add a spring touch to the outdoor display.

Getting the studio ready for visitors

Porcelain ball with candle inside

Everything in the greenhouse - or potting shed to be more accurate, is waking up, including some cuttings taken last autumn so lots of things to do in there and hopefully some planting soon when the soil dries out a bit.  A couple of days ago it rained all day, hard, so our clay soil is rather claggy at the moment.

Most of the geraniums survived the winter and some are flowering already!

This winter has been quite mild so we haven't had to cover anything in the potting shed, however a few things have suffered from the damp so a good sort out is in order.

Spring flowers and the camellia just starting to flower!

We were in the UK recently, just for a few days, and when we came back our bird tables were being ignored but this morning there's an army of birds on each of them so we're back in favour!

Latest from Mark's studio

Its always a nail biter when Mark does a glaze firing as so much can go wrong, even in the hands of an expert!  These pieces have been in various stages of production since the beginning of the year and many hours of work have gone into them so it was great to see them come out of the kiln successfully.  The two tall vases have been constructed using coils, the bowl shaped vessel has a thrown lower half and a coiled upper half, and the three others are slab built.  They are decorated with a mixture of glazes and oxides which have been dipped, dribbled and blown on!

The studio is going to be open for the week-end of 2nd and 3rd April so these pieces will be centre stage!

Meantime we have been clearing around the "pond", which had almost disappeared under a jungle of brambles and wild roses.  Horrible job, battling with thorny plants which fight back even after they have been cut down and working in squelchy mud at the bottom of the banks.  I think we've had three bonfires already and there's more to come.

We've just been to a plant sale and came home with rhubarb, wallflowers, day lilies and various other bits and bobs.  It will make a nice change to do some planting rather than cutting down!

Life in the country ..

Yesterday afternoon, out in the garden clipping some ivy when I hear clopping and a horse appears followed by a very smart carriage and our neighbours!  The horse is a Percheron.  Our neighbours have had the horse for a few months but only just bought the carriage and this was the first time they had taken it out on the road.  Jean-Yves was leading the horse as they are waiting for a new bridle to be made.

Stopping in front of the house

The apple disappeared very quickly!

Off home.

It'll soon be Spring ....

This morning we awoke to sleet, snow and rain and it has been dreary and cold all day.  But the days are already getting longer and the garden is showing signs of Spring approaching.  Snowdrops and narcissus are out and the daphne has been in flower for a couple of weeks already.

Narcissus and daphne by the front door of the Farmhouse

Last week we had some really cold nights, down to -5C or so, and as a result the plants around the golf course looked lovely, and we had beautiful blue skies.

Frosty plants

The birds are being fed twice a day. We have discovered that it is the magpies that are eating the fat balls so quickly.  They knock them onto the ground and then eat the whole lot!

Before the magpies got to the fat balls!

Time to start thinking about veg seeds and what we are going to try and grow this year.  It amazes me when I read or hear that there's nothing to do and nothing happening in the garden at this time of the year - its all going on!