Third Time Lucky

With dogged determination we today planted a tree on the mound in the back field. You may recall that we have done this before and today was our third try. We actually had to plant trees in the front garden three times before we were successful.

We chose this Acer Autumn Blaze for its autumn colour, always optimistic that it makes it as far as next Autumn.

We seem to be way behind with the autumn jobs in the garden this year and I fear that we will not finish before winter really takes hold.

A farmer has installed his sheep in the adjacent field and I have to admit they fascinate me. French sheep are different from British sheep; they graze very fast and move en mass across the field. Suddenly they all sit down. I have never been "up close and personal" with a flock of gallic sheep before!

Indian Summer

We have had about 10 days of glorious weather with afternoon temperatures in the high twenties. The mornings have been very damp but pleasant. John has spent days cutting one of the "prairie" beds, he has still got the other one to do. Who said wild flower meadows are easy to maintain?

I have at last made some useable garden compost and have been spreading it on the long bed before planting many new plants donated by a friend and clearing the bed of old overgrown ones of my own. All this has involved humping endless barrows up and down the hill with a cosequent gentle reminder that the 70 years does slow you down a bit.

The effort took its toll this morning and I didn't wake up until 8.30 having fallen asleep by 10 the night before.  However as I staggered out I was inspired by the view of Autumn from our windows and took these photos.

As I continued my labours later in the morning John snapped his own take on this lovely time of year

 

.... and he was also inspired to write this poem. I stumbled across it accidently on the computer, he would never tell me that he had writen it. Misplaced modesty in my opinion!!

                                                                      
 in the morning still

 a murmuring
a rustling
and drops of gold
 fall in the sunlight
with such gentleness

in slow motion
building up

a rusty mosaic

on the receiving green

ps meanwhile, the hacking, chopping and lifting continues apace.

Eyrignac - Autumn approaching

We went to Eyrignac yesterday for a further instalment of this garden through the seasons.  Last week we had 2 mornings hovering on the edge of frosts, but obviously the flowers at the Manoir have escaped so far.

The hornbeam hedging which was so drastically pruned in February has grown well, but is already shedding leaves.  Elsewhere autumn fruiting was evident.

There is a cutting bed, obviously for flowers in the house and restaurant, and it is still a riot of colour, particularly at the moment from the dahlias ...

... and the white garden is still white from the masses of New Guinea Impatiens ...

... soon to succumb to Winter.

Frost Alert

Yesterday we had to hurriedly change our plans as the weather forecast was for 2 degC for this morning.  Operation 'Save the Geraniums'* swung into action and all of the Geraniums were lifted and potted up.

They will spend the winter in the Porcherie, hopefully protected against the frosts and cold.

The New Guinea Impatiens were also transferred to their winter quarters.

Sue also rushed around picking most of the Dahlia blooms as they would be ruined by this morning and distributed then to friends.

As it happens we just escaped a frost this morning ... only 2 degC, but 2 degC is forecast again tomorrow!

*Strictly speaking the plants are Pelargoniums but colloquially referred to as Geraniums.

Autumn Clear-out

Now that all of that celebratory stuff is out of the way, we have resumed normal duties.  And it is the time for trying to 'mend' the lawn again!

I haven't done the bottom courtyard lawn as we are considering more drastic action for that.

The gardener is showing no mercy and is starting to lift the fading summer flowers.

Autumn is well and truly here.