When we first started the garden each new plant that managed to flower was greeted with amazement and it received daily pilgrimages so that we could wonder and admire it.
I must admit the Robinia (False Accasia) manages to still attract our attention with its perfume.
As does the Choisya in the different places in the garden.
The groups of Arum are in shadier spots, and with the rain this spring, have done remarkably well but I have just noticed the abundance of their flowers this year.
The cherries…
The plums and…
The raspberries are powering on, thanks to this warm, wet, thundery weather we are experiencing.
Of course, many thanks to the bumble bees for the sterling pollination service for our raspberries. The little Bombus pratorum are great pollinators in the spring. This one is a male so that means their season will be finishing soon.
It’s not always good news in the garden. The flowers and leaves of a rose (‘Madame Alfred Carrière’) were badly eaten.
I decided to look for the culprit. Here it is on the stalks of the leaves it has eaten.
This angle gives you a better view and the little feet at the bottom LHS of the photo are a giveaway. It was such a good camouflage I could not squash it. I think it was just about ready to pupate anyway.
The broad beans have succumbed to ants and blackfly that stopped them reaching their full potential. I still got a decent crop and I have finished the grueling podding and preparing and have frozen my booty.
We have decided we like the white Camassia we have in the pot, even though it was supposed to be dark blue. I think they should really be planted out for next year in the garden but I will keep them in a pot for one more year and hope they will still flower.
The swallows have returned and sit on the telegraph wire.
They look fairly innocent and casual whereas, in fact, they are casing the joint.
Leave the French windows open and in she comes!
We will have to stay vigilant until she chooses somewhere else.
We share the garden with nature but we draw the line at swallows nesting in the living room.
a french garden 