Gardening

We had a late spring, but things are really growing now. Walt and I need to do a lot of work in the garden — it's nearly time to sow seeds or set out seedlings in the vegetable garden. Starting that process, I ran the rototiller through two of our four garden plots a few weeks ago. Today, Walt started digging in one of our two compost piles and spread a few wheelbarrow loads of good rich compost over the tilled up plots. Now it's time to run the tiller again.

On my other blog I posted on picture of the tamarisk tree that is in flower in our in our back yard. Here are a couple more.

Quite a mass of tamarisk flowers

The tamarisk tree with the vineyard in the background

We've had so much company for the past two months — not to mention our trips to Paris and the Dordogne/Lot region — that we are probably a little behind in our chores. But I think we'll get it all under control soon. And we'll be picking tomatoes, squash, and eggplant before we know it. The weather has been downright summery for the past couple of weeks. Pourvu que ça dure...

These are lilies of the valley — muguet in French — that a friend in Normandy
gave me as cuttings two years ago. They flowered in late April.

I ought to know what these flowers are but I don't.
The blooms are big white balls on a bush that stands 8 feet high.

These white flowers are on a plant that was growing in the garden when we
got here three years ago. Does anybody know what they are? I don't.

These are peonies -- pivoines in French -- that are budding...

... and slowly opening up...

... and even flowering already.