reasons to be cheerful...........on rainy days

Our terrain was flower free 3 years' ago as the previous owner had donkeys which ate everything.  Now we have a few blooms including a magnificent cherry tree; hope we get to pick the cherries before the jays this year, and a rhododendron called "Red Jack" which was a birthday present from Simmo.  

Les plantes vivaces seem to be difficult to buy around here........our neighbours have muguet and the odd sbrub, but, that's about it; anybody know a good nursery who sells perennials please?

I quite often buy perennials at the Vide Greniers for next to nothing.

There is a good nursery in Riviere, between St Martin la Meanne and St. Bazile.

Not heard of those places Myriam, I'm near Limoges airport.

Sorry, Myriam, I should probably have replied earlier; I know those places and we'll check out the nursery and fit in a lunch at le Doustre.........no luck at Vide Greniers I'm afraid Inkflo, but, I'll keep a look out next year.
Thanks a lot.

Hi Inkflow,

No you wouldn't have heard of those little villages in the south of the Corrèze where I live, but to Blakevine they're quite local.

Some vide greniers are really good for plants, aren't they. Sometimes I buy plants there I do not know and they can be nice surprises. And sometimes, qfter planting them, my husband pulls them out thinking they are "mauvais herbs" ! Still, keep on trying to make something of the garden...

Oh Myriam I have the same problem. My hubby does the same and this year he killied my two best flowering bushes by feeding them but with 100 times the amount of feed to water! It only needed a pinch, but they were dead next day.  

Yes, I could draw up a long list of plants slaughtered by the debroussailleuse, like two rhododendrons, an azalea, two laurel bushes and a baby fig tree, starting to grow next to the mother plant. The big fig tree is mutilated on purpose because "the branches are in the way" and the worst was that he asked the cantonniers when they mowed excess brances along the roadside with a trimmer thing on a tractor to come and "trim" our glycine whilst it was flowering abundantly. That just made me physically sick (I was not there at the time to stop them) and I can still get agry about that after two years. The plant survived, but the scars are still visible.

Should I go on, no, let's leave it there, life's too short ! Still, it makes you wonder what or if they're thinking sometimes.

Well, I'm pleased to say that after a workers's lunch at le Doustre we sort out the nursery and what a find! The nice young man gave us a guided tour and we bought lots of pensées and a couple of vivace ground covering plants -lots more vivace to buy when we go back. We've now got his portable and e-mail and look forward to the next trip! Thanks so much, Myriam, what a gem!

My pleasure . As you can imagine, I go there every year...

His plants for the veggie plot are the best as well, We usually buy them at the start of May.

He used to have two couleuvres in one of the greenhouses and his children played with them.

OMG I'm glad you didn't mention the couleuvres before as I'm still struggling with knowing that they are part of everyday life and are in my garden.......especially as one has made it's winter home in our kindling pile! Every time I grab a handful of kindling I talk to it and tell it that if it's still there then rest quietly whilst I go about my business! With the sunny days he's probably been out to feed and you never know he might have decided to de-camp somewhere else!

He did mention his veg and said May was the best time. We'll see how we go as I told him we were at 540mts and he didn't seem to see a problem; presumably la Rivière is a bit lower altitude is it?

We are at just below 500m. It's true that you will probably get a little more frost and snow your way, but after the ice saints (11 -13th May), the chance of frost will be minimal. You could always start things off in a greenhouse at the start of May, or indoors. Tomatoes don't do well at temperatures below 14°C, so you could protect them by planting them next to a south facing wall, if that's possible.

Although quite large, couleuvres are harmless I'm told and they are no longer there at the nursery. Aren't they supposed to bring luck? He or she will appreciate being talked to, I'm sure .