Pumpkin arrangement

Here's a nice arrangement outside Truffaut.  I liked the pots and the height of the arrangement in the pot behind.

Summer 2012

Two restful pictures from a pretty great summer.  A nod to the Olympic Games in London from the gardeners in Parc du Bercy and my very favourite place to take a break in the Parc, looking very restful in the summer haze.

Below some photos from our visit to the old Menier Chocolate Factory in Noisiel.  The building is now headquarters of Nestlé.  Like the model villages attached to chocolate factories in England, a while village grew up around the Menuier factory.  The buildings are magnificent and beautifully preserved.  The area on the Marne is quiet, tranquil and very pretty after a walk through the park 'à l'anglaise' in Noisiel, not far from the RER.  Well worth a visit.

Terrace de rêve? Dream terraces?

http://www.cotemaison.fr/jardin-terrasse/diaporama/photo-terrasse-25-terrasses-qui-sont-des-petits-coins-de-paradis_13092.html?p=25#diaporama

Want to dream about green havens, sunny days, lazy afternoons and summer in the city?

Have a look at these photos from cotemaison and dream on!  And maybe think of improving yours for summer?

Pretty tree!

Can't go wrong with your Autumn pics.  Simple tree in my little town, really pretty.  So many of them around.  Take the time to appreciate them before we descend into winter and the bare branches.  I can't help stopping to look.  On Saturday, in the twilight the leaves hummed with colour, it towered quietly over the green space and I felt the true majestic quality of this tree.

I'm pretty sure the Druids thought that trees were sacred.  In that moment, I felt it too.

String Gardens

http://www.stringgardens.com/

These are so cool and sculptural and kinda weird.  Take a look, they will do your head in!  I just wanted to keep saying 'how do you water them though, how do you water them?  Doesn't the water drip down everywhere and the plant dry out???  And what happens when there's a gust of wind or the string breaks?'  Tell me, please!  From me, Ms Practical!

Pretty Paris

What I love about walking around Paris is seeing the unexpected and a glimpse of the private spaces that are never quite what you imagine.  Passing through garment district yesterday on rue Réamur, I spied this sumptous green courtyard peeking out.  It would normally be hidden behind an impressive set of wooden doors but just for a moment, passers by had a glimpse of this lovely space.

And yet another living wall (mur vegetal)

Spotted these very nice living walls in the Steiner Shop in Domus at Rosny sous Bois.  Almost as nice as the furniture.....

Hanami, Sunday 10th April

"Street is just a street but beautiful"

Just received these beautiful, uplifting photos from a colleague in Tokyo.  Hanami took place on Sunday 10th April which was the best day for the cherry blossom trees.  She says that the Mayor of Tokyo prohibited Hanami this year, but everyone just did it anyway.  I'd like to share her words with you.

"We drunk Sake from Miyagi where is one of the Prefecture on disasters area"

and "one of the best things we can do, we do normal life.  We must moving forward with first step for future".

how do you know spring has arrived?

Two pics that sum up the arrival of Spring for me:- a gorgeous beaming forsythia in its golden prime.  I walk past this every day on the way to school and it cheers me up so much.  This garden doesn't get much direct sunlight but this plant gives a real ray of sunshine.

And just the previous week we had had hail and really cold temperatures but here's the Jardins du Luxembourg hoaching with people catching some sun at lunchtime.  Today I even had to queue to get into the gate I use normally.  It was lovely sitting on a Luxembourg Chair (see Fermob website) and overhearing passionate debates amongst students from the Sorbonne and Ecole des Mines whilst eating my sandwiches.

And the last clue is the smell, the smell of the ground warming up, the leaves opening, the fresh air and a certain change in the atmosphere.  Spring is sprung!

Ps Reason # 4 - the first blossom has arrived on our cherry tree, hurray!

Arley Hall, Cheshire, UK

Someone very special to me has just got a job here.  I know that they are really going to love working in such an amazing place, being surrounded by all this green beauty and history.  I wanted to show you the glorious gardens, just some lovely pictures....go on, have a look at the website!  A real slice of England.  Visit if you can of course. 

 http://www.arleyhallandgardens.com/gardens.html

Le Magicien de l'éphémere

Which, roughly translated means 'the Wizard of ephemeral'.  I noticed this this stunning little shop front in Rue Royale.  Lachavme, master florist since 1845, whose motto is 'excellence'.   I was stopped in my tracks by the smell of the jasmine in this display around the entrance - I literally walked past and back tracked when I smelled it, only to be met with these sumptous blooms in the colourful shop window.  If only my blog could do smell-o-vision!

I imagined sophisticated gentlemen ordering extravagant bouquets for their amour, beautifully decorated banqueting tables or society weddings overflowing with creamy roses......such decadance!

Have a look at the website and get yourself a floral screensaver from the 'goodies'.

http://lachaume-fleurs.com/home_en.html

.

Sick!

Sitting at home feeling miserable with a gastro, it was hard not to be slightly uplifted by the sight of these trees bursting with blossom next door.

A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss or Art for Gardens

I passed by this artwork on the Parvis at La Défense (the Parisien version of Wall Street or the City of London).  I found the juxtaposition between the green and the glittering lights of the high rise blocks.  The artwork was part of a series in 4 major cities in France - Paris, Lille, Marseille and Lyon, organised to celebrate the International year of Chemistry.

http://www.uic.fr/Annee-internationale-chimie-2011.asp

The artwork is called  Le recyclage : « Rosae Plasticae » de Marie-Hélène Richard

This is her website; http://www.mhr-artinsitu.com/jardin.html and interestingly she creates art for gardens, there are some very interesting pieces on her website, it's well worth a look.

Her work was a breath of fresh air and an interesting addition to the city landscape.

Madelene

Picking my passport up at the British consulate, I passed by the Church in Madelene and I was surprised at their display: thousands of red and white flowers in hundreds of windowboxes covered the steps making a really amazing display. There were a lot of people taking photos. It's worth passing by this huge Church because they usually have a nice display of some sort.

 
Here's my neigbour's almond tree. It will be sooo pretty in my neigbourhood soon. Click on the pic to see the full beauty! My cherry has still not bloomed and it's usually all over by the end of March. Spring really is late this year. Hope this means we'll have a great summer!

Effortlessly stylish.....

Pam sent me this stylish table setting from the Ile de Re last summer. Effortless and casual but chic, no? Inspiration for your balcony or a quiet corner of the garden....