[vc_row][vc_column][postgallery_grid id=”grid_20170331″ data_source=”data-4″ null=”” slidesetid=”SS_G6_20170331_01″ content_type=”image” columns=”6″ height=”200px” align=”aligncenter” lightbox=”yes”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We fear we may be boring you as all is always lovely, wildlife abounds and the weather is generally splendid. Anyway thank you to those of you who have given us positive feedback and are reading the blog. Neither of us ever thought we would do such a thing but it is much more effective than trying to keep up with over three hundred people individually.

This week we have really started the potager, after all the planning and waiting for the ground to dry out a little it was very exciting when Remy – our neighbour with a tractor – came and rotavated part of the west field. It is a long time since it was cultivated and it would have taken ages to ‘double dig’ it in preparation for planting out so Remy’s help was a godsend. He is so generous and will not let us pay him for the time so we have home-make biscuits, pickles, lemon curd  and other goodies to pay him in kind. Next we needed some good compost, eventually we will have our own and intend to experiment with ‘hot composting’ but for now we had to find a good supplier of organic compost. Passedat is a local nursery, it is splendid with acres of large tunnels and trees of all kinds,  beside the river Lot at Camy near Luzech; they do good compost – not cheap so the sooner we get our own the better![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][postgallery_grid id=”grid_20170331_02″ data_source=”data-4″ null=”” slidesetid=”SS_G4_20170331_02″ content_type=”image” columns=”4″ height=”200px” align=”aligncenter” lightbox=”yes”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We have also finished clearing the south fields banks. This included trying to save a ‘noyer’ (walnut tree) which was smothered in ivy that had become arboreal – usually the death nell for a tree, which was probably failing anyway. The tree is valiantly throwing out new growth so we have severed the ivy and gently removed some of it, not too much as the bark has not been exposed to the elements recently. Because the ivy stretches almost to the top of the tree this involved Liz shinning up to cut down some of the higher ivy branches whilst hanging on precariously (her Chinese birth sign is the monkey!). Slowly we are removing the remaining ivy and hope the old tree will recover at least for a few years – they can reach 200 years old, although the locals here say they are done after 40, but that is a commercial judgement about nut production.

Our latest purchase is a ‘semi-professional’ petrol-driven lawn-mower – sister to the strimmer. As with the strimmer Margie has claimed the mower, although Liz was allowed a brief turn in the ‘back garden’. After testing it it Margie decided to tidy the top of the banks of the south field alongside the road, this now looks very smart and makes a good entrance to the village. Having started there is no stopping her, she proceeded to do the top of the banks of the west field, disappearing into the sunset towards the cemetery. She did eventually return.

The original clearing in the south field was so that our fence and reseeding can be done; however in the short term we decided to bring the horses back for a few weeks to rest the other fields that we are using. Our neighbours adjacent to the south border of the field have very kindly offered the use of some of their garden! This garden is in the form of a ‘parc’ which is a popular form here, it has large specimen trees under which Jean-Claude religiously mows the ‘grass’ every few days. This generous offer is very useful as it provides the boys with some decent shade. It is very nice to see them waiting for breakfast in front of the house every morning – they get a small feed each day to give them various supplements to discourage the flies and help control the worms – mostly garlic, tumeric and flax oil. Despite the pasture in the field being riddled with brambles and not very good it does have hundreds of dandelions which both Caudi and Sunny like; and, the field is big enough for them to find enough food for two or three weeks – in fact, the bank that was strimmed first has some good young grass on it that they are enjoying.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][postgallery_grid id=”grid_20170331_03″ data_source=”data-4″ null=”” slidesetid=”SS_G6_20170331_03″ content_type=”image” columns=”7″ height=”200px” align=”aligncenter” lightbox=”yes”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We are now off to dinner with some friends – they are all locals so the whole evening will be in French which will challenge our language skills. Bon appétit!

P.S. For those of you that asked about the photos – if you are using a computer to read this if you click on the photos they will display in a ‘slide show’ which you can click through.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator color=”custom” accent_color=”#deead0″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Perhaps you would like to know…
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