End of May

Here we are on the last day of May.  Goodness its been a busy month and gone so fast. 

This week has been about sorting.  A long overdue job in some respects.  In others just a swap around of clothes to summer ones.  Its warming up and most days are featuring shorts now, must remember to keep creaming my dry legs......  All the drawers have been sorted and tidied.  Items that no longer fit or wanted have been finally turned out. A trip to the charity shop will be in order. 

Attention is now turning to the garage, shed and outside storage space.  There are still things from the move - 20 months ago - that need to have a place finally assigned.  We need to clear the shed as the floor has rotted through so it either needs to have the floor replaced or the whole thing taken down and the space properly utilised.  There are items that we no longer need but that's a job for Mr S ........

The garden is still happily blooming away.  We did get some rain so that has helped bed in the new plants, but with things warming up this weekend I think the hose will be out again.  I'm loving the foxgloves and lupins and the climbing rose is full of buds

The poppies are starting to burst, so many buds they should look a picture in a few days.  I shall however be glad when they are done, so much foliage, I can't tell you how many I have pulled up.  I'm guessing as the soil got really disturbed last year they've just decided to take over, though to the detriment to other plants.

My yarn purchase arrived this week....... colourful

So tomorrow we welcome in June, nearly half of the year gone.  I even had an email today from the local theatre advertising this year Pantomine......... I'll say no more

May - Back to the garden

Back home and the garden was looking pretty good.  A few weeds to pull, daffodils to tidy, grass to cut and small change to a border and new plants to put in

There are still gaps that need to be filled.  The plants stalls on the market on Monday were so busy we decided to leave it until the Friday market before buying any more.  Plus we were on our bikes, thus restricting our buying potential!  What we need now is some rain, its all so dry that we are having to water.  Not ideal but better than the new plants dying on us.

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.