The magazine “Living in France” has chosen our garden for their new gardening page in the September issue of the magazine which has brought on a wave of nostalgia. It seems as if we have turned a full circle from reading the magazine to becoming a part of it.
I was happy to be part of this issue but it also felt a little strange as this magazine had been bought and pored over by my husband while we were living in Aberdeen. It had all started innocently enough with touring holidays in France but then the monthly purchase of the magazine warned me that ideas were brewing in his head.
In 2001 the deed was done and the house was bought.
The garden was uninspiring, as this view from the bottom of the gardening looking towards the workshop shows. On the right you can just pick out the ex-Christmas trees.
Things have changed since then. This is roughly the same spot now but there are more trees and flowers in the garden.
The front garden too has changed. But it is not just what we have put into the garden but it is also what has come out of it!
We have had a Hoopoe fall down the chimney and get trapped behind the glass door.
The little green frogs are a special part of the garden and this one made himself at home on the coffee table.
Even in winter we have visitors like this solitary lapwing that visited us day after day one winter.
Some visitors are furry like this cute Barbastelle bat that roosted behind our shutters.
We also have a menagerie of marbled newts, salamanders, frogs and toads that we discovered in our old well.
What we did not realise was that the more fruit trees and flowers that we added to the garden, the more wildlife would come and share it with us.
Butterflies…
moths…
and, of course, the bees. The bees have become special to me as you can see from the bee kiss.
So much has happened since my husband first plotted his garden in France. The garden did not turned out exactly as planned but perhaps all gardens take on a life of their own and give you back much more than you expected.
.
a french garden 
I was also contacted by Living in France, but didn’t get back to them. Our gardens a bit scruffy really!
LikeLike
I had noticed your blog and I passed on your link. I’m sure your story would be interesting. Amelia
LikeLike
Your last sentence is so very true! How nice to be featured in the magazine after having it inspire you many years before! 🙂
LikeLike
It was more my husband that it inspired but these funny coincidence that happen throughout your life make you pause and reflect. Amelia
LikeLike
Living the dream! Something I would recommend too! I hope the article is as you hope.
LikeLike
I think it is better to do than not to do and regret not doing 🙂 Amelia
LikeLike
Yes that is always true. I think we all regret things we haven’t done but have very few regrets for the things we do but don’t turn out as we think they will.
LikeLike
Full circle indeed. Will you give us a link when the article is published, if any of it can be seen online, that is?
LikeLike
The magazine is out in the UK now but it is not an online magazine. It is more or less like my “Home” page in the blog describing how we arrived here and that we enjoy our garden. 🙂 Amelia
LikeLike
Ah well, your post is all I need, then, and very lovely it is too.
LikeLike
In Australia we have the most amazing birdlife – parrots of every colour with very cool crests are the most notable but lots of little finches and the huge emus and… well we’ve got it all.
Except the Hoopoe.
I have Hoopoe envy. It takes a lot to make me jealous of a bird since we’re so well served here – you’ve done it!
And congrats about the magazine spread. You (and your shy hubby) are amazing gardeners and have built quite the nature haven. Well done!!!
LikeLike
Thank you. I remember being so impressed with the parrots in you garden (parrots, wow!) even if they did play havoc with your fruit harvest. Amelia
LikeLike
What a lovely story Amelia! Congratulations on your full circle adventure. I especially love seeing the wildlife in your garden (and house!). Dana
LikeLike
Thank you, they are even more fun than the flowers. Amelia
LikeLike
Congratulations on living your dream. It takes courage, because you have to make the leap. In this blog (and I imagine, in the article) you share that bravery.
LikeLike
Thank you, I’m not sure about bravery, other less flattering terms come to mind 🙂 Amelia
LikeLike
That’s a very interesting gradual development – from magazine-induced dreamers via hard work to featuring as an inspiration to others… Whatever that is precisely, I am sure there is a perfect portmanteau word in German to describe it! RH
LikeLike
Slight typo with that comment “magazine-induced dreamer” 🙂 Amelia
LikeLike
What an honor, and wonderful reward for your efforts. I have also noticed how much more wildlife there is in the backyard with more natural plantings available to them.
LikeLike
I think gardens can become little oasis even if the shelter/food is used in passing. Amelia
LikeLike
That sounds like quite an honor but I’m not surprised because you have beautiful gardens there. Congratulations!
LikeLike
Thank you. I think gardening is a very popular hobby for the British no matter what size of garden they have (and some beautiful ones might be quite small) is very much part of their home. Amelia
LikeLike
How exciting! I will look out for the magazine. Your garden always seems so idyllic to me, I am not surprised a magazine would want to feature it.
LikeLike
I’m pretty sure W.H.Smith keep it but there is nothing more in the article than you will have seen on my blog. 🙂 Amelia
LikeLike
I didn’t know there were hoopoes in France! I love your posts about the wildlife in your garden.
Congratulations on the magazine article!
LikeLike
Thank you. We love hoopoes, strangely there are four in the garden at the moment! That has never happened before but there was heavy rain last night and they seem to be digging juicy things out of the front lawn. I hope they stay around. Amelia
LikeLike
Well done, and I look forward to reading the article in due course, if it gets posted on line. A lovely mix of photos as always of wildlife in the house and garden, BW
Julian
LikeLike
Thanks. Living in France isn’t an online magazine but there is nothing in the article that you will not have seen from the blog 🙂 Amelia
LikeLike
Congratulations . . . Well deserved as far as I can see.
LikeLike
Thanks, I do enjoy talking about my garden. Amelia
LikeLike
What a lovely garden you have.
LikeLike
Thank you – lots of work but lots of pleasure too. Amelia
LikeLike
Congratulations with the magazine, and everything achieved. And know I know were our lapwings stay in winter, beeing visiting you. 🙂
LikeLike
What a lovely thought! I’ll think of you the next time I see lapwings. Amelia
LikeLike
How wonderful! I very much enjoy reading your musings and am always delighted by your pictures. Many congratulations on your magazine feature.
On a recent visit to France I heard the most beautiful bird song early one morning – the same phrase repeated several times, almost sounding ethereal. I thought it might be a nightingale (never having heard one) but some research courtesy of Youtube reveals that it could have been a Golden Oriole. We were in the Haute Vienne: I don’t know if you have this species where you are?
LikeLike
I listened on YouTube but sadly I have never heard that song, it certainly is distinctive. However, I am not a very “birdy” person and unless one came onto the patio looking for food I probably wouldn’t notice it! I do love to hear them sing but a lot of the little ones tend to hide themselves away so like the sparrows and blue tits and redstarts that are a lot friendlier. Amelia
LikeLike
The Golden Oriole has a very distinctive fluting call. We have heard one in the forest around us this year. They are easy to hear very tricky to spot! (Auvergne, France)
LikeLike
Unfortunately, I did not see the bird with the wonderful voice. It could have been easier to identify if I had. It is a bird song I will never forget – and hope to hear again!
LikeLike
Congratulations on being featured by the magazine. I have never seen a Hoopoe, somehow they seem almost too exotic.
LikeLike
Thank you. We see hoopoes here frequently during the summer but it is always a treat to see them. Amelia
LikeLike
Wow, congratulations Amelia!! What beautiful changes you’ve brought to that plain green rectangle in the first picture, and I love that you’ve been rewarded by all your exotic (to me, anyway!) visitors.
LikeLike
Very nice!! You’ve also got a nice menagerie of animals in your yard. 🙂
LikeLike
Thank you, I never feel alone, there is always something around! Amelia
LikeLike
It was inspiring to read your tail of French gardening and I must get the magazine. We have a little house in the Lot et Garonne and the garden was a vineyard so it has been a case of starting from scratch and we are not there full time so it is always exciting to see how things have changed when we come back. As you say the garden takes on a life of its own. And quite right too.
LikeLike
We have just had a few days away staying not far from Agen. It is a beautiful region, perhaps usually a bit warmer than ours in the summer time. We enjoyed visiting some of the little bastides and the Lastournelle cave. Amelia
LikeLiked by 1 person