May - France

Our twelve days in France were filled with gardening, tissues, headaches, coughs and snot!!!  We both went down with a really bad cold on the Monday after arriving on the Saturday (and to date we are still trying to get rid of it).  Of course, rather than give in and rest, we worked through it.  Lets face it, us older people aren't prepared to give in, trying to set an example to the younger generation that you just have to get on with it - stupid I know. Luckily no one else to date has caught it from us.

What did we do? Helped to clear the base of the Lime trees in both avenues, collected fallen wood for kindling, cleared and cut the banks around the lake

Helped shovel tonnes of gravel along the 1km drive to the Chateau - no photos, but we were filmed by Channel 4, for the next series of ETTCDIY

Weeded and prepared the fruit and veg beds for planting up - irrigation and membrane fixed

Cut down and cleared a large conifer hedge - this took us all day to cut down and numerous trailer loads of branches.  The following day we had a brilliant bonfire - no photos - and a final tidy round.  Its made such a difference to the light at the end of the drive.

All these stumps have been removed

What else?  Planted hundreds of daffodils which we dug up from the edge of the fruit bed.  These will now grace either side of the gate way to the Chateau and be a wonderful spring time welcome.

Wandered the meadows

Chatted to guests, of which there were many.  They even had there first afternoon tea party.  Of course there were lots of leftovers which we got to enjoy in the garden whilst working on the conifers.

Took a day off and went on a visit to some local sites - even though we didn't feel up to it.

Fresnay sur Sarthe

Sees

Beaumont sur Sarthe

Then finally a day at the Lake with the boys

A busy 12 days, but even though we felt rubbish it was good to feel we made a bit of difference.