FRENCH HOUSE GARDEN
I`M NOT A KEEN GARDENER BUT REALLY APPRECIATE THE WALLED GARDEN OF THE FRENCH HOUSE. THERE ARE FIVE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CHERRY TREES CHOSEN SO THAT THEY DO NOT ALL RIPEN AT THE SAME TIME. A WONDERFUL LAUREL TREE WHICH IS BIG ENOUGH TO SUPPLY THE WHOLE OF RUFFEC WITH BAY LEAVES.
FIVE DIFFERENT SPECIES OF APPLE TREES BOTH EATERS AND COOKERS. AN OLD QUINCE TREE THAT THE NEIGHBOURS ARE ALWAYS ANXIOUS TO HARVEST THE FRUIT FROM, PLUM, PEAR AND PEACH TREES.
FIVE DIFFERENT SPECIES OF APPLE TREES BOTH EATERS AND COOKERS. AN OLD QUINCE TREE THAT THE NEIGHBOURS ARE ALWAYS ANXIOUS TO HARVEST THE FRUIT FROM, PLUM, PEAR AND PEACH TREES.
IN THE ABOVE PHOTO YOU CAN SEE THE ALTHEA BUSHES COMING IN TO BLOSSOM.
THE PREVIOUS OWNERS HAD A LICENCE TO PRODUCE THEIR OWN ALCOHOL AND WHEN THE HUSBAND DIED THE WIFE TOOK OVER THIS LICENCE. THE ATELIER WAS STOCKED OUT WITH BARRELS OF FRUIT LIQUEUR WHEN I BOUGHT THE HOUSE, ALAS NONE WERE LEFT ON COMPLETION OF THE SALE, ALTHOUGH THE SELLER DID PRESENT ME WITH A BOTTLE OF HOME MADE PLUM BRANDY. IT WAS DELICIOUS!
THE GARDEN IS ALWAYS FULL OF SURPRISES, IN THE EARLY SPRING BULBS START TO FLOWER ALL OVER AND A MOLE FAMILY HAS MADE THEIR HOME HERE. I CAN`T BRING MYSELF TO HAVE THEM EUTHANISED SO THAT THEY CAN STAY FOR AS LONG AS THEY WANT, I JUST HOPE THAT I WON`T TRIP OVER THEIR MOUNDS TOO OFTEN.
THE END OF THE GARDEN BORDERS ON TO THE RIVER LIEN AND THE DUCKS! DURING THE MATING SEASON.
IT CAN BECOME A LITTLE NOISY AS THEY GO THROUGH THEIR RITUALS AND IN RECENT YEARS FROGS OR TOADS HAVE MADE AN APPEARANCE ON THE SCENE ADDING TO THE MUSICAL MEDLEY. I FORGOT THE SWANS, A PAIR HAS BEEN NESTING THERE FOR YEARS.
THERE WAS A FAMILY OF BROWN RATS THAT USED TO FORAGE ON THE FAR BANK OF THE RIVER SO THAT IT WAS A RE-CREATION OF "WIND IN THE WILLOWS" WITH MR.TOAD, RATTY AND MOLEY ALL CAVORTING IN THIS LOVELY ENVIRONMENT.
WHEN I TOOK OVER THE HOUSE I HAD TO CLEAR AN AREA FOR THE TERRACE AND ABRI.
THE PREVIOUS OWNERS HAD A LICENCE TO PRODUCE THEIR OWN ALCOHOL AND WHEN THE HUSBAND DIED THE WIFE TOOK OVER THIS LICENCE. THE ATELIER WAS STOCKED OUT WITH BARRELS OF FRUIT LIQUEUR WHEN I BOUGHT THE HOUSE, ALAS NONE WERE LEFT ON COMPLETION OF THE SALE, ALTHOUGH THE SELLER DID PRESENT ME WITH A BOTTLE OF HOME MADE PLUM BRANDY. IT WAS DELICIOUS!
THE GARDEN IS ALWAYS FULL OF SURPRISES, IN THE EARLY SPRING BULBS START TO FLOWER ALL OVER AND A MOLE FAMILY HAS MADE THEIR HOME HERE. I CAN`T BRING MYSELF TO HAVE THEM EUTHANISED SO THAT THEY CAN STAY FOR AS LONG AS THEY WANT, I JUST HOPE THAT I WON`T TRIP OVER THEIR MOUNDS TOO OFTEN.
THE END OF THE GARDEN BORDERS ON TO THE RIVER LIEN AND THE DUCKS! DURING THE MATING SEASON.
IT CAN BECOME A LITTLE NOISY AS THEY GO THROUGH THEIR RITUALS AND IN RECENT YEARS FROGS OR TOADS HAVE MADE AN APPEARANCE ON THE SCENE ADDING TO THE MUSICAL MEDLEY. I FORGOT THE SWANS, A PAIR HAS BEEN NESTING THERE FOR YEARS.
THERE WAS A FAMILY OF BROWN RATS THAT USED TO FORAGE ON THE FAR BANK OF THE RIVER SO THAT IT WAS A RE-CREATION OF "WIND IN THE WILLOWS" WITH MR.TOAD, RATTY AND MOLEY ALL CAVORTING IN THIS LOVELY ENVIRONMENT.
WHEN I TOOK OVER THE HOUSE I HAD TO CLEAR AN AREA FOR THE TERRACE AND ABRI.
THIS PHOTO IS FROM THE REAR OF THE HOUSE TAKEN IN 2003, I HAD TO CLEAR A FOUR METRE SWATHE FROM THE WALL SO TRANSPLANTED ALL THAT I COULD INCLUDING THE DWARF HEDGE. HAPPILY MOST OF THE PLANTS AND ALTHEA BUSHES SURVIVED, I DID CUT DOWN A PLUM TREE AS IT WAS TERMINALLY ILL SO HAPPILY DID NOT HAVE THIS LINGERING ON MY CONSCIENCE.
THE ABOVE LEFT PHOTO SHOWS WHAT HAPPENS IN SPRING AND THE RIGHT HAND PHOTO SHOWS THE RIPE CHERRIES JUST READY FOR PICKING, ORGANIC AND SUPPOSEDLY GOOD FOR PREVENTING GOUT!
ABOVE LEFT A DRAMA IN THE MAKING, MICHEL MY NEIGHBOUR DISCOVERED A SWARM OF BEES NESTING IN ONE OF THE APPLE TREES. AS USUAL, WITH HIS LOCAL KNOWLEGE, HE WAS ABLE TO CONTACT A BEE KEEPER AND THE BEES WERE GIVEN A GOOD SMOKING AND TRANSFERRED TO A HIVE TO BE TAKEN AWAY.. FOR A FEW DAYS AFTER THIS THERE WERE A FEW STRAGGLERS LOOKING FOR THE NEST BUT AS THE BEE KEEPER HAD EXPLAINED, THESE LOST WORKER BEES WOULD GRADUALLY DIE OFF.
ABOVE LEFT A VIEW OVER THE RIVER LIEN TAKEN FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE GARDEN WITH ONLY A SOLITARY SWAN IN VIEW. ABOVE RIGHT IS A VIEW TAKEN FROM A DIFFERENT ANGLE
FRENCH HOUSE GARDEN UPDATE 2017
OVER THE YEARS THE GARDEN HAS GROWN ENORMOUSLY AND THE TREES NEED TO BE CUT DOWN TO A MANAGEABLE SIZE. SOME OF THE APPLE TREES HAVE DIED AND UNWELCOME QUICK GROWING "WEED" TREES HAVE INVADED THE GARDEN AND NEED TO BE ELIMINATED. THERE IS A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE THAT I CAN`T CARRY OUT MYSELF SO WILL HAVE TO HIRE IN PROFESSIONAL HELP TO HANDLE THE SITUATION.
ABOVE A VIEW OF THE REAR OF THE HOUSE
ABOVE, AS LAST YEAR, THE VINES THAT I`D TRAINED TO RUN ALONG THE TERRACE RAILING HAD RUN AMOK AND NEEDED PRUNING. THIS SHOULD NOT BE DONE WHEN THE SAP IS RISING BUT I PRUNED IT ANYWAY! i FORGOT TO TAKE AN "AFTER" PHOTO.
ABOVE, A VIEW OF THE WEST SIDE OF THE GARDEN. THE LARGE CHERRY TREE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE PHOTO HAD BEEN RADICALLY REDUCED LAST YEAR, TOO MUCH I HAD THOUGHT BUT THERE WAS NEW GROWTH AND CHERRIES TO PICK THIS YEAR. THE LAUREL TREE BESIDE IT, AGAIN MASSIVELY CUT DOWN A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, HAS ALMOST GROWN BACK TO IT`S ORIGINAL SIZE AND PROVIDES A WELCOME SUPPLY OF BAY LEAVES FOR THE KITCHEN.
ABOVE, TOO MUCH FRUIT HAD BROKEN THE BRANCHES ON THE PLUM TREE. FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS, LATE FROSTS HAD DECIMATED THE FRUIT BUDS ON ALL THE FRUIT TREES SO THAT THE YIELDS HAD BEEN MINIMAL, BUT THIS YEAR THERE IS TOO MUCH FRUIT!
ABOVE LEFT, A RECENT EXCAVATION BY MY RESIDENT MOLES. ABOVE RIGHT, THE ALTHEA TREES ARE GROWING EVERYWHERE NOW IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT COLOURS, THIS ONE WITH WHITE FLOWERS IS REALLY BEAUTIFUL, JUST LOOK AT A CLOSE UP OF THE FLOWER BELOW!
THE GORGEOUS WHITE FLOWER OF THE ALTHEA TREE.
FRENCH HOUSE GARDEN 2021
FRANKLY, OWNING A HOUSE WITH A LARGE GARDEN CAN BE A PROBLEM BUT MY NEIGHBOUR MICHEL TOOK CARE OF CUTTING THE GRASS WHILE I WAS AWAY BUT IN 2020 HE SADLY BECAME UNABLE TO CONTINUE DUE TO ILL HEALTH AND I WAS UNABLE TO FIND ANYONE ELSE TO TAKE OVER THIS TASK.
I APPROACHED A BRITISH EXPAT THAT HAD A GARDENING BUSINESS IN THE RUFFEC AREA, TO BRING THE GARDEN BACK INTO ORDER. HE DID SOME WORK BUT HAD NO TIME TO TRIM THE TREES, THAT HAD GROWN CONSIDERABLY SINCE I BOUGHT THE PROPERTY IN 2002, TO A MANAGEABLE SIZE.
THEN THE CORONA PANDEMIC STARTED SO THAT I WAS UNABLE TO TRAVEL TO FRANCE TO TRY AND GET THE GARDEN SORTED OUT. THE EXPAT HAD NOT ANSWERED MY ENQUIRY ABOUT A MONTHLY MAINTENANCE PROGRAMME FOR THE GARDEN BUT IN JANUARY HE CONTACTED ME ASKING IF I WANTED HIM TO DO WORK IN THE GARDEN AND WE AGREED ON A RADICAL SCOPE OF WORK TO BE CARRIED OUT.
I APPROACHED A BRITISH EXPAT THAT HAD A GARDENING BUSINESS IN THE RUFFEC AREA, TO BRING THE GARDEN BACK INTO ORDER. HE DID SOME WORK BUT HAD NO TIME TO TRIM THE TREES, THAT HAD GROWN CONSIDERABLY SINCE I BOUGHT THE PROPERTY IN 2002, TO A MANAGEABLE SIZE.
THEN THE CORONA PANDEMIC STARTED SO THAT I WAS UNABLE TO TRAVEL TO FRANCE TO TRY AND GET THE GARDEN SORTED OUT. THE EXPAT HAD NOT ANSWERED MY ENQUIRY ABOUT A MONTHLY MAINTENANCE PROGRAMME FOR THE GARDEN BUT IN JANUARY HE CONTACTED ME ASKING IF I WANTED HIM TO DO WORK IN THE GARDEN AND WE AGREED ON A RADICAL SCOPE OF WORK TO BE CARRIED OUT.
SHOWN ABOVE ARE THE BEFORE IMAGES TAKEN IN JANUARY 2021, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE GARDEN WAS IN A TERRIBLE STATE!
ABOVE THE RESULT OF THE WORK CARRIED OUT IN FEBRUARY 2021. SADLY I LOST A CHERRY TREE AND THERE ARE ONLY THREE APPLE TREES LEFT. ALSO THE RED GRAPE VINES SEEM TO HAVE BEEN REMOVED AS THEY WERE SO OVERGROWN WITH WEEDS. THE TREES WILL GROW AGAIN AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE GARDEN SOON?
IN PROGRESS