Garden Visit

One of my favorite views of our village. So little has changed in 300 years.

 

 

 

Hello friends. Musetta is planning something new and fun for you...a puzzle, an enigma. Look for it in a few days, but in the meantime I thought I'd post some photos of a garden visit we took last weekend with some neighbors. Monique, Monique and Marie Claude are all English language pupils of our pal Jonathan. They are also garden enthusiasts and when we voiced some interest in their occasional local tours, we were invited to join them on last week's foray. We were thinking we could practice our French conversational skills at the same time that they tried out some of their English on us... but we never got a single English word out of them! 

 

It is always wonderful to find a new corner of your world. There are so many places we have yet to discover. On this day, a very hot one, we went to the village of Mazangé not far from the river Loir. (Don't forget that north of the more famous La Loire River, you have Le Loir, pronounced just the same!) 

 

I loved this old building from the last century in the little town, with it's labels painted right on the front. An epicerie is a little grocery store.

 

The garden we visited was named Le Jardin du Moulin d'Echoiseau. An old mill house, on a fast moving stream, with a little water fall is surrounded by this rather simple garden. We entered through a charming rose arbor.

Many mature trees provided welcome shade as we strolled around this pretty place. The woman who owns the house does most of the gardening herself. Quite impressive as she was une vieille dame, I would guess to be in her 70s.

The babbling brook made a cheerful gurgling and splashing.

There was also a tranquil pond in the middle of the property, full of large koi and encircled by trees of many colors and shapes. I became a little mesmerized by the reflections in the water. A little shady island was available by a wooden bridge. One could sit under the weeping willows and watch the birds playing in the undergrowth.

The color of the water was an exceptionally deep turquoise.

The garden itself was park-like, with large areas of perfectly manicured lawn, surrounded by flowering borders.

I am not really much of a gardener. It is one of those skills that I wish I had the talent and time for but really don't. I have no idea, frankly, how these beautiful lush borders could be so lovingly and patiently constructed, with all the right plants, in varying sizes, shapes and colors. I really admire gardeners who can put a proper border together with style. Is this an English innovation? The owner, who we met upon our entry called this an English garden, although I think it has a very French twist.

 

In any case, it was an extremely pleasant outing.