I returned three weeks ago from a one-in-a-lifetime trip to the south of France for my cousins wedding. I started the trip by staying with my relatives for five days in a sixteenth century villa near the Spain border. During the day we commuted to neighboring villages, like Tarbes and Mirande, to check out the markets and architecture. It certainly had the French charm of romantic effortless beauty, rambling vines and a large expanse of vineyards and farmland. Drooping seedheads of sunflowers massed the hillsides. It would have been such an incredible sight to have arrived a month earlier, when the sunflowers were in full bloom, to witness the shock of yellow. Walking through the villages it seemed as if flower seeds were deposited in every crack in the pavement- bright blooming annuals sprung out of any available vacant space. It made me scratch my head. I spend so much time creating the perfect environment for plants to grow and in France gardening seems so effortless.
I questioned if anything could top that relaxing
escape to the French countryside. But, as we drove up to our next accommodation I knew we had reached the plateau. We took the turn off down a long winding driveway and arrived at a massive stone castle covered in lush green vines. We spent three glorious days at the Chataeau de Lisse, a castle in the Gascony region, just a short drive from Toulouse. Some parts of the castle date back the the twelve century. The chataeau resides on 550 hectares of land, consisting of a swimming pool, a lake, vineyards, hedgerows and an expanse of forest. My day consisted of walking through the grounds, chatting with people and deciding when I should eat my next course of cheese and wine. I felt like a Princess, which doesn't happen often for a Gardener. The grounds were well maintained within walking distance from the castle and left to naturalize beyond the boundaries. Large canopy trees and lush green grass were the main attractions to this landscape and vines and groundcovers hugged any available stone wall or pathway. I went for a walk around the grounds and came across fresh figs, peaches, pears, rosehips and herbs. It was a beautiful surprise.
Gardens in France don't seem to be observed from afar but rather worked into every facet of life - edible plants on the dining table, vases filled with flowers, floral perfumes, botanical images painted on ceramics and woven into tapestries. I noticed that a big part of French culture is the appreciation of nature and the inclusion of its beauty everywhere. That's the French garden design style and I will try to implement that into my own life.
Boy, is it cold this morning...and dark.
Yes, we all know what that means. Fall is here!!!! Over the last couple of
weeks, I've been buying Fall and Winter appropriate plant material to put in
some of the key focal gardens around the course. The front door entrance got a little fancied up with hay, corn stalks and brightly coloured squash. The surrounding beds have a splash of burgundy, silver and purple in the form
of pansies, dusty miller and ornamental kale. I also paid a visit to Westham
Island Herb Farm in Ladner. What an incredible place with all its seasonal
goodies. Plus, my Spring bulbs just arrived from Van Noort. Could it get any better? It truly is the season of bounty! 
