Our garden in Brittany - a sanctuary for birds...

Wow - what an amazing weekend for bird spotting here - I wonder what other people have experienced this year in terms of numbers of fleged birds around, as there seems to be an increasing amount of both Blue and Great Tit fledglings but yesterday was a real treat... whilst taking a break from some gardening I was sat on the grass below our Walnut tree with my camera and within the space of a couple of minutes had the wonderful company of a young family of Blackcaps, followed by an adult Nuthatch and two very fluffy babies, then a couple of newly fledged Robins (they have no colour on their breast but can be identified by the characterstic "bobbing" action that Robins do so well).  All quite gorgeous and if that wasn't enough well, a Tree Creeper arrived - it wasn't the time to start trying to get them on film but a time just to enjoy.... The female Blackbird in the photo was definately enjoying the cherries :-)

I did manage a photo of the baby Robin but not v. clear. 

The Great Spotted Woodpeckers have been very active in the garden and gobbling up all the peanuts that I've put in the feeders - more expensive than during the winter!!  The baby is rather cute don't you think!

I spent most of the day gardening yesterday especially in the light of today's forecasted (correct this time!!) rain, and rain it has done... but to be honest it's great news for the garden as it is desperately needing it and the rain is still pelting down now.

Hope you enjoy the photos of some of the plants out in our garden at the moment which I'm sure will benefit from a really welcome soak today - sadly - I'm sure the weeds will also benefit :-(

Have a fun filled week!



Everything arrives early in our Brittany garden

Since the beginning of 2011, I cannot believe how difficult it has been to find time to write my blog... following my back injury last year where I managed to herniate one of my lower discs I had a good bit of gardening work both here and for clients to catch up on.

In many respects the weather has been very kind to us this year and we've more recently experienced one of the driest periods at this time of year I can remember - until.... this weekend arrived!!  We've had quite a wet day today which has been SO welcome and to be honest would love it to carry on a bit which it's forecast to do but you can never tell from the forecast... even in France!

Everything this year had been early - the Lily of the Valley was almost over by the 1st May when traditionally in France you give bunches of it to your friends and neighbours to wish them well for the rest of the year.  So following on from that everything else has come early too including nesting birds - the quantity of fledglings this year so far has been incredible... loads of Great Tits and Blue Tits and not to forget our regular visitor - a rather gorgeous baby Great Spotted Woodpecker with its' parents!

I can also report that we've had our earliest fledged swallow babies too and more on the way I think!  Despite the reports of swallow numbers being down we seem to have more nesting here this year which is fabulous.

With Mummy!

So cute!

Being fed at last!

Note the little one at the bottom..."Me.. me...what about me?"

I couldn't resist this one of one of the faithful Blue Tit parents - this large family fledged some weeks ago ... just waiting for the next brood to arrive now!  This box has been used every year since this box was put up on our Walnut tree.

The garden this year has done well but with the dry weather was starting to suffer a bit for lack of water - I can see I shall be out there this week getting things planted whilst the soil is damp again and filling in the gaps in the vegetable garden too.

The lovely Rosa Jacques Cartier which a friend gave to me before I left the UK.

Rosa Madame Hardy - another favorite.

This is a beautiful rose and this plant was grown by one of my clients and given to me as a gift - Rosa Sourire Orchidee.

This is our wonderful resident toad - he's set up home among my Box cuttings which had been recently potted on - he'd been burying himself in the lovely compost - I guess he realised how well disguised he was in there...  however, imagine my surprise whilst watering when he climbed out!!

I do hope that it wont' be too long again till my next posting and that I'll have even more to share with you by then, but hope these photos give you a brief update on my garden here... have a great week and much look forward to having some time to rediscover all my favorite blogs that I know I've somewhat abandoned over the last months - I've really missed the contact with other like minded people and hearing all the wonderful stories from far and wide... a bientot! Miranda