January 2014 – Lots of rain but Warm!

January 2014 has been very wet so far after a beautiful December. However, it has been dry since Monday, today is Wednesday and quite warm, 9 – 10dc during the afternoon. This has been a good opportunity to clear up the mess after we had to have a third of a huge ash tree felled. The tree had formed 3 large major trunks, the lowest of which was reaching out over the prairie. This was fine for many years however this branch had become so long and so heavy that it had begun to crack off close to the main stem. Also we had become aware that it was started to lift the rootball which would have demolished our hay barn. Chris, our woodsman, did the felling and we are harvesting the wood for firewood for the stove next winter. Nothing, absolutely nothing, is wasted here if we can avoid it. Also pleased to say that according to the weather forecast, although the weather is likely to remain fairly variable over the next 10 days, no frost is forecast & it is getting slightly warmer.

View of the tree showing the remaining 2 trunks
View of the tree showing the remaining 2 trunks

Mike stacking cut & split logs
Mike stacking cut & split logs

Me dragging waste branches up to be cut & stored to light the fire.
Me dragging waste branches up to be cut & stored to light the fire.

The Garden 2013 & 2014

Winter is a time for looking back with at those things which gave us pleasure during the past and also looking forward to what we hope to do this next year. I was extremely pleased last summer by the displays of lupins & peonies. The long border was a treat most of the year and, due to the annuals, the circular border was also good most of the season. In particular the Everlasting flowers did very well. The difficult wet spring weather inevitably affected the annual plantings & the snapdragons did not come up to the 2012 results. However, I have decided to feature on the following to supplement the perennials, most of them my reliable favorites. Zinnia Geant de California; Aster Duchesse Mix; Capucine mix (Nasturtiums); Cosmos Dazzler; Girofler (Stocks) Beauty of Nice; Eschocholzia Mix (California Poppy); Muflier (Snapdragon) Tom Thumb; Pavot (Poppy) Fleur de Pivoine Dble Mix; Tagetes (Oeillet d’Inde) F1 Zenilo Gold; Phlox de Drummond; and Sauge Coccinneo (Perennial Red Sage). As usual I will propogate these in my own little greenhouse & the weather permitting we will all have the pleasure of them during the summer months.

Lupins, Red Hot Poker & shrubs form the basis of this border with added annuals.
Lupins, Red Hot Poker & shrubs form the basis of this border with added annuals.
The circular border encloses a semi private lawn where it is wonderful to sunbathe.
The circular border encloses a semi private lawn where it is wonderful to sunbathe.

Tour de France 2014

Living close to the Pyrenneas is a huge asset to those of us who enjoy cycling, sometimes the route of the Tour de France comes very close to us and we have had the start of a stage here in Limoux twice in the last 5 years. However, this historic year in the wake of the Wiggins and Froome years, the Tour starts in my home town of Leeds, Yorkshire on the 5th July. Unfortunately I dont think we will be able to go over to watch but we will look forward to seeing all the wonderful footage on the annual DVD of the entire event.
This year the Tour will pass quite close to us on Stage 16 which is July 22nd as they start the stage in Carcassonne & ride the D119 through Fanjeaux & Mirepoix on their way to a punishing day in the mountains finishing at Bagnieres de Luchon. We will obviously go to watch them, probably at Mirepoix, which is probably our favorite french market town, and is only 20 mins by car from our door or even a bike ride away (we often ride out to Mirepoix and back).

Route Stage 16 -22nd July 2014
Route Stage 16 -22nd July 2014

Sunshine and water quality

The winter season brings up some slightly different themes – the water company Veolia sent us a very reassuring report on the quality of our water here at Gary. In brief it all translates to the fact that our water supply here is of excellent quality, if somewhat hard, with little or no nitrates and definately no pesticide residues at all! That is very good because our guests have no necessity to buy bottled water at all. In fact our drinking water is probably of better quality than bottled bearing in mind the length of time it may have spent inside a plastic bottle sitting in the sun!!

Good quality water - no need to buy bottled!
Good quality water – no need to buy bottled!