Take Another Look

 

Take Another Look - Podcast 

I am trying to stay positive, to see the best in life, and today I turned my attention to our garden. 

Our dry, desperately thirsty garden, which should be full of colour and flowers for pollinating insects but instead is barely surviving. Our soil is solid, with cracks, and there have only been two small light rain showers in almost three months. It has been over thirty degrees in the shade for two months, okay I tell a lie, we’ve had three days in the high twenties. The southerly wind, which thankfully doesn’t blow every day, sucks any moisture that dares to appear up into the beautiful blue skies to make clouds, which then blow away to another region of France. Some plants have shrivelled to dust and others are dropping dry leaves. 

But I am going to be positive. 

We have many insects taking advantage of our pond so there must be something in the garden for them.  I looked again and found the following flowers amongst the dry, taking photos as I went. I was amazed at the number and variety of flowers. Some there were very few of, but now I know what plants to propagate and encourage for they withstood the harsh Jura winter with snow and temperatures down to minus twenty and are surviving the summer with its relentless heat and no rain. Miraculous, clever plants. 

Edible plants for salads, teas, soups, and baking -

Amaranthus, Clover, Hosta, Fireweed, Goldenrod, Plantain, Sweet Clover, Sunflower, Wild Carrot, Mallow, Hollyhock, and Dames Rocket.

Vegetables-

Tomato, Radish, Bell Pepper, Onion, and Green Bean.

Herbs-

Wild Mint, Spearmint, Lavender, Fennel, Lemon Balm, Marjoram, and St John’s Wort

Plants for prettiness, insects, and birds

Sweet William, Stonecrop, Storksbill, Harebell, Pinks, Scabious, Bladderwort, Echinacea, Michaelmas Daisy, Buddleia, and Hibiscus

That’s thirty-five, and I’ve seen three more plants with flowers since I took the photos - a gladioli, nasturtium, and courgette.

That makes thirty-eight flowering plants. 

Amazing.

I can see blackbirds, magpies, finches, and sparrows scurrying and foraging in the dry bark and fallen leaves, they are finding some bugs and ants to eat, plus seeds from dried flowerheads, fallen apples, and plums. 

While I was taking the flower photos, waiting for the wild mint to stop swaying in the wind the bark next to me lifted and shifted. I didn’t see the creature beneath but I’m guessing it was a shrew. 

Wall lizards scurry across the hot stones, enjoying the heat.

Beetles, bees, wasps, and flies enjoy the pollen.

Our edible forest garden is trying very hard to live up to its name and I am, once again, proud of it and determined to persevere. 

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