It will be lovely to meet you if you get here @sam bevington. @Busy-Lizzie lives fairly near and we have met several times. The Dordogne is very big though and actually my tearoom is just on the edge of the Haute Vienne before you get into the Dordogne. (www.chateau-de-gateaux.fr)
More progress being made, I can see it better now than I could on the plans. This is a shot taken from the upper Tearoom window. The big church you can see is what caused all the delay with planning permission. The ugly modern building in the foregeound is a music school and I hate it. The other side of it (facing the church) is nicely cladded, I just get to see the concrete. The marquee thing is actually the waiting area for the blood test laboratory to allow for social distancing. I hope it dooesn't become a permanent fixture. Anyway, ever onwards.
“Coffee. Garden. Coffee. Does a good morning need anything else?” —Betsy Cañas Garmon
I hope, when we eventually get back to France that we will be able to come and see it all. Shame you aren't a little nearer. @sam bevington we are north of Périgueux.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
Hi both, we have friends in Issigiac and were hoping to go there in July to have a look around, suss out the area; cost of living, jobs etc. During lockdown I have been re learning French - did get a 'B' in my O level back in 1981 - don't know how as I was preoccupied by George Michael!! @Busy-Lizzie, which website is your French house advertised on,I've seen pics of your garden and it looks like heaven x
Hello, It's been a busy couple of weeks but we are definitely seeing some progress now. I do feel like I have been wheelbarrowing soil around in circles though and have dragged 3 trailer loads of ivy from one end of the garden to the other!
At the end of my 'long bed' in the bottom garden was a huge compost heap that was until this project started in the main hidden and unseen. With the new terrace above it became obvious that everyone on the terrace would be looking down on it so it had to go. Luckily most of it was well rotted down but it was still huge so with that and the soil from the 15 x 50 x 50 x 50 footing holes I made two new flowerbeds and topped up a sloping flowerbed and 'top dressed' my mixed hedge border. So, a lot of wheelbarrowing heavy soil around, and negotiating great long piles of wood (which have also killed my grass
Once the compost was cleared I had a lovely space that will now join my long bed and my back border which is mostly shrubs. I have a plan, I have a list of plants I want in there (made by my very best gardening friend) but first I had to tackle the ivy - which had well and truly got away from me - 3 trailer loads so far and I haven't quite got it all yet. I now need to try and powerwash off the remains, not easy it is a very tricky corner to get to - hence the reason the compost heap ended up there in the first place. I would love to paint it too, but with less than a week to go before we open I might have to come back to that later. Shame because this really is the best opportunity, but there is so much else to do - like paint the new deck - which is like painting the Forth Road bridge, as fast as I paint the carpenter adds more - which is a good thing, obviously, but it definitely seems never-ending.
Anyway, must get on: here's my plan for the compost heap area and a link to all the latest pics, which I hope illustrates my explanation better.
3 days before opening, here's the latest pictures, all very stressful and not managed to plant up the compost heap yet, still seem to be painting.....it looks like the carpenter has used up all the wood now so hopefully the end is in sight.
“Coffee. Garden. Coffee. Does a good morning need anything else?” —Betsy Cañas Garmon
That's fabulous! Hopefully visiting in August. Glad I'm not the only saddo to keep notes, I have a book detailing all the seeds/plants I have grown for the six years we have been here. It's frightening - average 1200 a year!!
Posts
More progress being made, I can see it better now than I could on the plans. This is a shot taken from the upper Tearoom window. The big church you can see is what caused all the delay with planning permission. The ugly modern building in the foregeound is a music school and I hate it. The other side of it (facing the church) is nicely cladded, I just get to see the concrete. The marquee thing is actually the waiting area for the blood test laboratory to allow for social distancing. I hope it dooesn't become a permanent fixture. Anyway, ever onwards.
At the end of my 'long bed' in the bottom garden was a huge compost heap that was until this project started in the main hidden and unseen. With the new terrace above it became obvious that everyone on the terrace would be looking down on it so it had to go. Luckily most of it was well rotted down but it was still huge so with that and the soil from the 15 x 50 x 50 x 50 footing holes I made two new flowerbeds and topped up a sloping flowerbed and 'top dressed' my mixed hedge border. So, a lot of wheelbarrowing heavy soil around, and negotiating great long piles of wood (which have also killed my grass
Once the compost was cleared I had a lovely space that will now join my long bed and my back border which is mostly shrubs. I have a plan, I have a list of plants I want in there (made by my very best gardening friend) but first I had to tackle the ivy - which had well and truly got away from me - 3 trailer loads so far and I haven't quite got it all yet. I now need to try and powerwash off the remains, not easy it is a very tricky corner to get to - hence the reason the compost heap ended up there in the first place. I would love to paint it too, but with less than a week to go before we open I might have to come back to that later. Shame because this really is the best opportunity, but there is so much else to do - like paint the new deck - which is like painting the Forth Road bridge, as fast as I paint the carpenter adds more - which is a good thing, obviously, but it definitely seems never-ending.
Anyway, must get on: here's my plan for the compost heap area and a link to all the latest pics, which I hope illustrates my explanation better.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/gxJLkvx9tneAmRYn9