This week saw our 46th wedding anniversary, and the first anniversary of the first French confinement. Now talk of a third wave, parts of France back in lockdown, although not us as yet, and a dizzying see-sawing on the “Oxford” vaccine, not for the over 65s, for everyone, for no-one, only for the over 55s, all within the space of a couple of weeks. Not that it makes much difference, reports are divided on how much vaccine France actually has, but there certainly seems to be a distribution problem, so no jabs soon. In the meantime the threat of lockdown, now effective, saw an exodus from Paris causing bouchons which would match the summer holidays, no surprise there either. This week we also agreed the sale of our UK home.

So, Spring in France, mostly sunny, surprisingly cold with a north wind, and frost this morning, good excuse for Gilles who really does NOT want to prune the Eucalyptus (again). I am reluctant to do it myself, having proposed several times that he do it, and anyway he is younger and taller than I, although I will probably end up improving on his efforts sine he does not believe in pollarding Eucalyptus, in contrast to his efforts with most other trees and shrubs!

At least Gilles is pleased with the new flowerbed that he and Dan, probably mostly Dan dug out on the “pond terrace” last autumn. They planted daffodils and various plants which do well in dry shade in Scotland, Brunnera, Pulmonaria, Epimedium and Aquilegia, and later in the year I added a selection of primulas. So far all but the Epimedium are doing well, although it remains to be seen what will survive the summer.

Lower down in the same partially cleared woodland I also planted some windflower bulbs, which this spring at least have survived, although the other bulbs in the banks there fell foul of the sanglier, who continue to make intermittent visits,

Cherries and Mimosa flowered earlier in the month, but are now past their best

The blossom has lasted longer on the Viburnum at the edge of the parking, the one that survived the last pruning relatively intact. Its neighbour is not dead but struggling, not helped by the deer who are enjoying the new leaves.

There are yellow daffodils everywhere, and white narcissi down by the gate, where the hellebores continue to flower, and the first Iris are nearly out, first butteries too.

Most surprising, on the steep slope beside the pond, where in the past it has been hard to establish anything, flowers on Delosperma Garnet, hopefully not a terminal event, as with other plants in the Scree Garden, they should do well if they can once get established.