Pigmy Date Palms

We bought 3 of these large pots to outline the patio. They were only $36 at Costco and are authentic Vietnamese pots. I really love them. They are a dark green and perfectly match our new patio set. I put Phoenix roebelenii (Pigmy Date Palms) with Calibrachoa hybrid accents.

I've learned that you don't have to break the bank to make an impact in the garden!

Speaking of the garden, I better go assist JL. He's preparing the dirt in one of the veggie beds.

Have a blesed Sunday!!

-N

La Fraise

During the 13th century, France cultivated strawberries for its medicinal purpose. The roots, fruits and leaves were made into medicines that were used to cure digestive problems and skin diseases. Its leaves and roots were used for gout and the berries were used for treating skin rashes, sun burn, discoloration of teeth and digestive disorders. In provincial France, strawberries were regarded as an aphrodisiac of the highest quality. Newlyweds were served a soup of thinned sour cream, strawberries, borage (a European herb that tastes a little like cucumber) and powdered sugar.

During the medieval period, strawberries were considered a symbol of prosperity and richness, peace and perfection in society.

La Croix

The crosses in France are art to me. I love visiting old churches and cemeteries. I learned on this last trip to slow down and enjoy the moment. I had such a peaceful time simply walking and observing. Of course, it helps if you ADORE who you are travelling with!

This first picture was taken outside an old church in one of our favorite villages, Eygalières. It happened to be on Good Friday. I have some amazing shots of inside the church as well. I will post all about Eygalières another day.

Roses

Iceberg roses next to the new fountain. Iceberg roses are the easiest for me to grow. This particular rose bush was my Mom's.

"If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere."

----Vincent Van Gogh

Have a blessed week.

Compost Happens!

I worked the compost today; adding it to my new vegetable bed. Did you know that 3/4 of a household's waste is compostable? Composting benefits the environment, your pocketbook and is a must if you want to garden organically. Compost also improves the soil and protects plants from certain diseases.

Everyone should compost. Don't be afraid to give it a try - it's not rocket science.



Some of God's garden helpers - worms!! Working in the backyard today made me think of my Mother. I taught her how to compost and she took it very seriously. I was so proud of her. We could not believe how many worms she had in her compost bin. Come to find out, worms LOVE coffee grounds. They sure must have had a caffeine buzz from Mom's compost pile as she certainly loved her coffee!

Gilberte's Garden

These are just a few of the photos I took in Provence of my Belle Mere's (Mother in Law's) garden. She is an amazing gardener and it was such fun having her give me a tour of it and listening to all of the names in french. She is very happy that she can grow cactus in Provence which is something you don't usually see. I think the cactus shot is my favorite. Which one is yours?

My father in law puts these walnuts out for the birds to eat...how sweet is that?

Moulin de Olive

This is where we stayed the past few trips to Provence. The owners have a beautiful home and have opened it up to tourists.

Meet Gin (named after Beefeater). Gin is a pet goose but thinks she's a chicken. Her owner bought a goose egg at the local market and put it in the hen house. When Gin hatched, she thought the hen was her Mother. She is so sweet.

Pétanque

Pétanque (pronounced [pe.tɑ̃k] in French) is a form of boules where the goal is, while standing with the feet together in a small circle, to throw metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball called a cochonnet (jack). The game is normally played on hard dirt or gravel, but can also be played on grass or other surfaces. Sandy beaches are not suitable. Similar games are bocce and bowls.

The current form of the game originated in 1907 in La Ciotat, in Provence, in southern France. The name comes from Les Ped Tanco in the Provençal dialect of the Occitan language, meaning "feet together."


We had such a wonderful afternoon playing pétanque with Maman and Papa. We want to create an area in the garden to bring some of Provence home. I know it's a surprise but the Americans beat the Frenchies!!

Vernègues

My inspiration for this blog was from a recent trip to Provence. It was here that I played with my new camera and thought it would fun to share our trip with you. Enjoy!



I love crosses - you will always see some from my travels. The one to the left is from Vernègues. Vernègues is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities/cities in the US.




The remains of an old olive tree. The sky is an amazing shade of blue.


14th century Provençal Romanesque St. Jacques church. On June 11, 1909 an earthquake destroyed the castle and most houses in Vernègues