Plums and roses

The gite patio area and plum tree

Again this week we have had heavy rain - thunderstorms in the morning and soaring temperatures in the afternoon - and as you can see our visitors won't have to move far to pick the plums for desert.

Maybe I should trim the branch back just a little?

The grass in front of the gite is sprouting, but sadly so are the weeds and the rest of the vegetation. There has to be a reason why the stuff you don't want always takes off better and quicker than whatever you have planted. Maybe that's why gardeners like a challenge. Will have to try and tiptoe around the grasslings to strim the weeds before the poor little seeds get overpowered. A variation on "Tiptoe through the tulips", maybe?

Don't think the idea of planting in the greenhouse was a good idea. The only things left in there are the tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes and aubergine. Have had to move everything else as the heat in there was unbelievable. Sadly the melon turned its toes up in the border so has been replaced by two new plants (so we can have lots and lots of charentaise melons - delicious!) but the spring onions are looking good. Really strange that the locally sold spring onion varieties are the size of golf balls and do not have that lovely bite that we so enjoy. So, as needs must, if you can't find the right variety in seed locally, buy online from the UK.

The Thunbergia regrettably is no longer with us, but I have left it in its pot until I decide if anything else will take this late in the season, or until I see a plant I just can't resist!

However, lots of flowers on the really hot chilli plants which is great. Monitoring their progress with the hope of having some to put in a welcome curry when our friends arrive in July.

The rose garden

When I went to see the rose garden last week to offer some advice/ideas to the new owners as to how they could realise their thoughts, the majority of the roses had finished flowering, so to show the scale of the planting, at its best, I have reproduced a photograph, taken by Philippe Perdereau and copied from the Francoise Dubarry and Catherine Marset book Jardins Secrets de Gascogne. The garden relies heavily on the "room" theme and is really a showcase for the huge number of rose varieties planted there, although there are some herbaceous perennials and shrubs. Unfortunately the garden layout makes one of the new owners feel very claustrophobic and given the wonderful potential for a wildflower meadow on the rest of the land and possibly a maze, there needs to be some visual continuity, a metaphorical and literal window through which not only the meadow but the wonderful scenery beyond can be viewed. Having made some suggestions it will be interesting to see how this garden develops in the hands of its two new owners, as it should, both of whom have different needs and opinions.

Well, back to the drawing board as they say. Summer stepping up its pace and lots of bees and other not so welcomed winged things increasing. Watch out for any bites and apply your usual remedy - in our house vinegar (wine, of course) is a quick, easy and cheap solution.

Discovered we have a fruiting apricot tree to the north side of the house. Will need to wear wellies and protective clothing to try and rescue some of the fruit from the rampant weed and nettle which stands more than 2 metres high. This tree is at the bottom of a very steep slope and has not been taken in hand this year due to other more pressing work. Can see them from the sitting room window and they definitely have my name on them.

Anybody need any courgettes?