My garden in France

hi mandy and welcome to gc, that is some garden truly wonderful, you have done a lovely job of it, thanks ever so much for sharing enjoy !!!

 

Firstly, Thanks for all your kind comments, what a nice bunch you are.


In response to PeterS, I thought I'd tell you about my experience of French garden centers and gardening here in general. I live slap, bang in the center of France, in a very rural area. So my experience is likely to be different from that found on the south coast, for example where I know there are lovely exotic gardens full of flowers.

On the whole, I find the French have less interest in â??flower gardensâ? here.
Their gardens usually consist of a grassed area with specimen trees, or fruit trees dotted in it.
Window boxes of geraniums, maybe the odd shrub and the most important â??potagerâ?.(vegetable plot) I must say their vegetable plots are usually immaculate. I swear they plant using a ruler.:hehe:
They're also good at planting flowers among their veg, for cutting and companion planting.
The French are extremely practical people, so I suppose veg comes before flowery beds.
They call my garden â??le jardin Anglaiseâ?, I don't think it's particularly English, but I guess it must be. I think the neighbours secretly think my husband is a bit mad, keeping his lawn perfect. After all you can't eat it! Then the fact that I keep sheep, goats, pigs and chickens yet don't eat any of them surely hints that I'm off my trolley.
I find it a bit amusing that grass seed here is often labeled for â??pelouse Anglaiseâ?, English lawn.


Garden centers and nurseries are more or less similar to the UK, in that prices are better from nurseries and Diy centers, and garden centers are â??posherâ? have more gift based items and perhaps more choice of specimens. I've been disappointed by the choice and style of statuary/ornaments. They consist mostly of donkeys and windmills!

What is nice though are the lovely metal gazebos/pergolas . Also the more â??well to doâ? have summer kitchens. Covered areas on the side of the house for out door entertaining, with BBQ's and sinks.


The most bizarre thing I've seen in the garden centres are small real shrubs with little, fake flowers glued on to them in bright colours! Second only to the heathers sprayed with brightly coloured dye........ The mind boggles.

I will keep you updated about my second garden shortly... I promise.

 

"I will keep you updated about my second garden shortly... I promise."

So, how's it going ?

 

Hi Freddy, see here
http://www.gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/my-second-garden-in-france-t24616.html