Jardin update

Upon return from the UK, we were terribly anxious to see the jardin. Happily, most of the plants sprouted and were thriving (w/ some help from our irrigation system). After much weeding, and intensive watering it's looking lovely. Of course there were some losses: most of our tender salads went to catepillars, and the carrots and peppers were fussy no shows. We've replanted what we lost and all should thrive in our longer growing season here. A selection of some of the niceties thus far

After just 1 month. (click here) to compare

Beets (Boltardy)

Tomatoes (Brandywine, Tigerella, & Alicante)

Pumpkin (Rouge Vif d'Etamps) & Squash (Butternut)

Onions (Sturon Globe)

Potatoes (Charlotte)

The grapevine

Pears

Some very sizable radishes (French Breakfast)

However, Lucius prefers rabbit

And the rewards of a cold cider, sitting in the warm evening sun, looking over the veg patch towards the mountains

Cornwall

We 3 headed down to Cornwall for a few days of exploration and inspiration. We found great weather, good food, wonderful pubs (with Betty Stoggs ale), and fantastic chat from everyone we met

We stayed in Penzance at a sweet, sweet hotel called The Abbey; it's one of the oldest buildings in town and a rare survivor of the Spanish Armada's invasion of 1588. (It also turned out to be owned by Jean Shrimpton)

After the 4 hour drive from Dorset, we were welcomed into the garden with proper English tea, the paper and peaceful, warm sunshine. A most relaxing start

The adventure pup settles in

Our lovely room overlooked the harbor and St Michael's Mount

Barbara Hepworth's inspirational garden and studio in St Ives. The colors and textures in the studio are fantastic. Lucius's first museum visit, followed by the Tate St. Ives in the afternoon.

The garden is filled with her sculptures complemented by the composition and the surrounding planting

The gorgeous, blue, blue water of St. Ives bay

Locals stroll past the Gurnards Head pub on its lone, blowsy spot outside town

Schnickelfritz

The next day we ventured to
The Lost Gardens of Heligan . Amazing. In its heyday, it was a premier Victorian manor garden complete with all the trappings: specialized greenhouses for every fruit, gorgeous veg gardens, an Italian summerhouse garden, an exotic jungle garden, and rare, original seeds from the day's most daring plant explorations. But it became utterly forgotten in ruins, and decades of neglect -beginning with the devastation of the gardening team in WW1. It was rediscovered in the 1990's and fantastically restored.

A fine vegetable plot- this is only shows a fraction of it- all housed within a walled garden ingeniously plotted to maximize the growing seasons. Many of the original, heirloom varieties are still grown today

Nuff said

Broad beans forever

The Pickle was dressed in local, piratey fashion

The Melon Yard and cold frames. Where England's first pineapple was grown in a specially designed low greenhouse heated by 50 tonnes of horse manure

The fully working potting shed of organization supreme

Color abundance

Mother and daughter having a horticultural discussion and looking lovely
(thank you Papa)

Bee friendly.

The residential area around Heligan Manor

No strollers in the Jungle wetlands

Countless tree ferns, gunneras, irises, lilies, etc... flourish in this man-made valley

These gunnera leaves were over 7 feet wide. We bought a plant from the nursery, though it's a little bit smaller at the moment

Rich colored and textured fernery (we also bought one of these later at Spinners- a nursery in the New Forest)

Back in Penzance, the tide was high and the Landy wanted a dip. So Neil treated her to a good old corrosive swim in the sea. Probably not advised; seaweed was hanging off the axels

We stopped off in Mousehole (pronounced Maaaazzel) before heading back to Dorset. It's a lovely fishing village and a fine last port of call

Brakes

With much help from Keith, Landy got new brakes. I love how solid all the parts look

Toile on Toile

Dorset

We spent some time in Dorset, Neil's home county

Nanna's 90th (Great-Nanna to Lucius) celebration!

Smile please Mademoiselle Lucius...

Ava presented her gift to Lucius, her newest cousin: an amazing hand knit blanket of colour

Aunty Melanie gave out hugs

Wrapped up for beach walks
(in another lovely handknit sweater from Nanna Baker)

Great Nanna's birthday lunch at the Red Lion in the New Forest after a visit to Spinners Nursery and purchasing of ferns for all

And then Lymington harbor in the afternoon (but no ice cream available after 4. Ridiculous)

More summer pub lunching, at the World's End, after some reclamation hunting in Bere Regis for the maison

Birthday lunch for Mum Baker outside at the beautiful Bankes Arms, with a stroll afters to Old Harry Rocks and the sea. With sun milk

And a lovely stroll back through the woods

We're back.

We've been on our jollies, starting with a couple of lovely days in Bordeaux before driving north for a ferry across the channel to merry old England. Here's the Bordeaux part

Our fine chariot seen through the gates of our hotel, La Maison Bord'eaux, courtyard

A stroll(er) through the Jardin Public, and a lovely lunch of grandness on the patio behind

Dinner at Moshi Moshi, one of the best Japanese restaurants either of us have ever had the pleasure of. Including those in Japan

The lightest tempura batter ever

Old town backstreets

Afternoon drinks on a plaza

Historic churches

And this grand dame hostess who offered to hold Lil' L for us whilst we ate in her restaurant. Service indeed