Saturday, 5 September 2009

A final farewell to my summer garden.


The weather this week has been so changeable, with gales, rain (Note to self: thanks heavens for new roof) and amazingly plenty of sunshine.



So, as summer leaves Normandy and Autumn arrives in a blaze of glory here are some garden memories to tide us over until next year.


The wonderful blue hibiscus tree which we uncovered whilst clearing out the overgrown flower beds when we moved here in 1996.

It's been a wonderful summer for roses, must be all that rain!


The lavender was glorious this year, I planted it about 6 years ago after my first visit to Monet's garden at Giverney.

Giverny is also famous for the grand allee of nasturtiums and that was something else that I added to my garden beneath the espaliered apple and pear trees.

They don't have a black and white cocker spaniel hiding in the nasturtiums in Giverny though!




The leaves are beginning to turn.......................




Against the old stone wall an obsolete and rusted iron water pump covered in ivy and an old, shabby folding garden chair with pink geranium, a Kodak moment waiting to happen.






à bien tôt
Maggie

9 comments:

  1. Good girl - you did it and I am going to put your button on my blog! I need to get the word "center" off of mine but I need absolute silence and I have company. Have great weekend!
    Carol

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  2. Nice farewell with superb pictures!

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  3. You have a beautiful yard of flowers!! I hope to someday have the same. I have never visited Monet's garden but do know that it has to be absolutely gorgeous! I hope to get over to Biltmore Estates in Asheville, NC to get a little inspiration from them, since the climate would be more like ours.

    I have a hydragea that has never bloomed since we have been here--2 yrs! We planted Wisteria to cover an arch that hasn't bloomed since we planted it--2 yrs! I don't know if the farm just doesn't like me or if it knows that I am a novice at gardening!!

    Your roses are beautiful also. I do have a couple of them that are blooming but they are so spindly, I think they need nutrients. I promise, I do intend on getting around to them but other duties are more pressing. I think that is because I am more of a RE-modeler than a gardener. Oh well..too much rambling...

    Have a great week. I did enjoy seeing all your pics.

    BTW, what is a Presbytere?

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  4. Very pretty, I'm just about to go and renovate a flower bed, perhaps I should do a before and after ?

    Lovely Lavender, one of my favorite plants

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  5. Maggie,

    Fall has surely arrived for you as I can see by the yellow leaves on your tree!! Not so here in Chicago!! Everything is still green although the days are shorter...

    It must be sad for you to say goodbye to such a lovely garden!! Those roses are just gorgeous and I love the lavender. When I see lavender plants at my nursery, they are just small sprigs. Once I planted one of these 'dwarfs', and it died a few weeks later. Any tips???

    What a sweet little pup peeking through the foliage!!

    xoxo
    Jane

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  6. Maggie, like the new photo mosaic. Great job!
    Love the garden visit! Hugs ~ Sarah

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  7. Gorgeous Maggie, I had overlooked this post somehow. You know I love fleurs. Now we need to see the new roof.

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  8. Gorgeous Maggie, I had overlooked this post somehow. You know I love fleurs. Now we need to see the new roof.

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Thanks for stopping by, your visit just made my day!