This week, Amelia has returned to England and has left me to look after her “French garden”. I’m the husband that makes the bee hotels and now has been entrusted to keep her posted with the happenings in the garden while she is in the U.K.
There is a lot to do this time of the year in our garden: there are weeds to pull out after the rainy start to the year; there are new vegetables to be transplanted into their allotted rows in the vegetable garden; and she is hopeful of reports on bee activity and the flowers that she will miss seeing.
But today I have given myself a day off and visited the Fête du Printemps – the Spring fête at the beautiful little town of Saint-André-de-Lidon.
One views the old mill across the fields of rape as one approaches the town. Getting closer, I noticed that the mill and the parcel of land are for sale. There are a lot of windmills dotted around the area, some in ruin and some lovingly renovated.
The fete was held in a private garden which was worth a visit on its own merit. It is a beautifully designed garden with a winding stream running through it. This is unusual in our local area. The private gardens here are very different from the UK. The are usually much larger in the countryside but more attention seems to be paid to the vegetable garden than to ornamental flowers and plants.
The stalls offering all kinds of flowers, and vegetables were spread artistically across the garden.
Our friend Michel and his wife Josianne were proudly displaying their honey and other products from the hives, including soap and candles.
They even had a section of a working hive on display. 
The busy bees were really attracting the attention of the visitors, particularly the curious youngsters.
But I was fascinated by the use of old farming equipment that were used in the garden as decoration.
Even an old bedpost had been put to good use.
I found a living flower stand made from growing willow branches quite appropriate in that garden.
But I could not leave that beautiful garden without paying a special attention to the bumble bees.
Come back soon, Amelia, your bumble bees and I miss you!
a french garden 
Good jog, husband of Amelia.
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Thank you. I am so glad that liked it. – K [Amelia’s husband]
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Absolutely delightful! I enjoyed this very much!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com
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Thank you, Linda. I missed Amelia and wanted really to share my day with her. But I am so glad that I could also share it with you. It makes the memory of the day so much more enjoyable. – K [Amelia’s husband]
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What a nice husband your are!
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And what a nice blogger you must be. I do appreciate your kind comments – K
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Well done; thoughtful and enjoyable.
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I am so glad that you liked the piece – K
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Well done! It seems that you share Amelia’s eye for detail.
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Thank you. We do look at the same things frequently, but sometimes from a different angle. – K
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A beautiful setting for the local fête – and I love that willow branch stand!
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Thank you, Cathy. You would have also liked seeing the way they had stuck willow branches around their vegetable garden, and then as the little trees had come to life, they had twisted them into little arches all around the garden. It was so practical and yet looked kind of cute.
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Lucky Amelia to have a kind husband to write her blog for her, lovely to hear about French life too and not just the bees. Gardens are as you describe here in Italy too. Christina
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Thanks, Christina. I often read over Amelia’s shoulders about your adventures and your garden in Italy. Yours sounds magical, as gardens often are. I am grateful for the comments – K [Amelia’s husband]
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Looks beautiful, wish I could have visited the Fête du Printemps too!
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Thank you, Emily. Just to add another excitement to the day, our friend, Michel had to rush back home because his son phoned there was a swarm of bees at the foot of one their trees. This is the second swarm in the last couple of days. – K [Amelia’s husband]
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Hi Amelia’s husband I think you are doing a great job with her blog, the fete must have been very interesting to visit and the place magic. I would have spend hours watching that hive… It’s surely better than the Big Brother! 😉
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Thanks, Alberto. I do appreciate your comment. I took a short video clip which looked really nice, but couldn’t upload it. It was a far too big a file. – K
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Hello K, Husband of Amelia, How very sweet you are to take over her blog while she is away. I enjoyed visiting the fete du Printemps with you.
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Dear Karen,
That is so kind of you. I have always enjoyed my walks around the countryside, and in our own garden, but especially if I could share my enjoyment with others. In Amelia’s absence it was such a pleasure to share my day at the fete du Printemps with you – K [Amelia’s husband]
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