Flowers Everywhere
When I first arrived I thought the garden was a mess, I’m used to more order- but I took a deep breath and decided to wait and see how it would bloom before I started organizing it in a more strict fashion. It looks amazing. Wisteria, daffodils, irises, the most extraordinary camellias (of every variety), two fig trees and a fabulous wrought iron greenhouse which I’ve already started working on.
We have not stopped since we arrived. The dogs are happy with the new sofas for the study. We’ve managed to identify the original colours of the rooms and we’re repainting them to the designer’s original intent. I used to get absolutely ecstatic when I’d buy a little piece of furniture by Maison Jansen, so to actually get my hands on a whole house designed by them is a dream come true. Figuring out the furniture will take some time, but we’ll get there.
My Mazamet 
Glad to hear you didn’t just dive in and start ripping things out, it looks wonderful. Clearly the dogs are happy with the move too!
(And I’m very jealous of that huge greenhouse….)
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Isn’t it great? I just couldn’t believe it. Even better, all the mechanisms for ventilation still work. The long section gets a ton of sun, the shorter section is part shade- which gives me tremendous leeway 😀
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I can’t wait to see how the garden will look once you touch it.
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That greenhouse came with the property? Awesome!!
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Yes!!! And to be honest… I hadn’t actually noticed its presence until the day after we moved in. Same for the garage, which looks like an orangery as it has windows and glass doors.
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Superb! I could say I’m envious, but I can’t be envious of someone who will enjoy it, and appreciate it. Hope to see what wonders you produce in there… and I expect to also see straw hats, cords, long white cotton (or linen) bed shirts, and Wellingtons. One must dress the part, mustn’t they? 🙂
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lol – I’m with everyone else, Pinky – I want that greenhouse! And the garden looks lovely in its spring clothes too. Clearly this property was meant to be yours. Thanks for the pics.:)
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It’s like a ‘professional’ greenhouse 🙂 Almost 20 metres long by 3.5 wide which is why it doesn’t fit in the picture.
It really is starting to feel like home, forever home.
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-hugs- As beautiful as your old house was, this house is something special. And that greenhouse…can you imagine how much lettuce and tomatoes you could grow in there? -grin-
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I’m so glad you have been settling in so well. The yard has some beautiful features, and I love the flowers already planted. I will be eager to see how you tame the garden. And that greenhouse–it’s amazing. How is the social scene? Have you been out and about meeting the neighbors? It sounds like you are very happy with your new life in France.
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The transition period, where we were between houses, was tough. Living in a tiny cottage didn’t suit us very well at all; but now it’s like we’re getting our lives back.
The social scene seems laid back. We’ve been invited to drinks and also to dinner and everything was absolutely charming. But anyway, the only way Mike actually enjoys social things is if they’re at home, so once the dining room is ready we shall see…
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It’s nice when things start returning to ‘normal’.
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Wonderful.
My dad once cautioned me to wait a full season before doing anything in the garden as you never know what’s ‘lurking’ just below the surface.
The greenhouse looks awesome. You are going to have some fun there, I’m sure.
And that’s what it should be about – having fun.
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When you say a full season, do you mean spring, or should I wait until fall?
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Good point. Made me think a bit.
If I recall my dad’s advice, as he lives in England, I suspect he meant wait until spring.
In our first house I was a complete novice at gardening which included identifying plants and flowers, hence, in Autumn ( fall ) there was little colour in our (then ) small garden and what I thought were weeds were in fact flowers!
As Further example, when we moved here, which has a large garden, there were a great many bulbous plants that were dormant – indigenous winter flowering montbretia for one – that I had never encountered before.
I took my dad’s advice and did little for a number of months and what a pleasant surprise when, during autumn /winter these beauties began blooming all over the place.
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I suppose I should wait then, and just focus on resurfacing the lawn.
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Agreed. Get enthusiastic about one thing at a time. Based on what has ‘surfaced’ so far the wait will likely be worth it – a horticultural voyage of discovery.
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I’ve been so busy I had forgotten to comment….but I agree with Arkenaten about waiting a while to see what emerges in that gorgeous garden. My garden is small (a miserable 30 foot by 50 foot, but OK for us) & we’ve been here 30 years, but every year I’m surprised at some of the plants which come through in spring & summer. I swear some years a few plants hibernate for longer than they should, I think they’ve died only to find the next year they’ve popped up in their original home once more. In your new garden you could have a whole year of surprises. That greenhouse is lovely (though it’s going to have spiders, I just know it).
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Delightful surprises! A gardener’s paradise … a lifetime of congenial work.
I’m so glad your dogs like the sofas, and that they CAN like the sofas. I’m reminded of a BBC program on Dumfries House in Scotland. It has the most complete collection of Chippendale furniture, much of it crafted BY Thomas Chippendale on commission FOR Dumfries House. It was about to be sold piecemeal when the Prince of Wales stepped in to form a Trust to save it. There was a lot in the program, but the cogent part was the horror in the little German curator’s voice as she told how the Dowager Marchioness allowed her Labrador Retrievers to sleep on the priceless furniture. Go, Dowager! It’s a museum now, and beautifully restored, and a boon to mankind, but no dogs will ever sit on those sofas again. Nor any people.
I must say I prefer the “Great Estates” like Argyle Castle or Highclere, where a family is still living there, where tea is served every day, and the nobility loosens their corsets and puts up their feet once the paying visitors have left.
Does your “Petit Estate” have a name?
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Until now it was known as La Demeure Stanton, meaning Stanton House. The Stanton’s were the family who built it and lived here until we bought it from them. So the amazing work and taste is really all to their credit. All I’m going to do is restore it to the condition it was in when it was built 😉
BTW, if the dogs can’t sit on something it’s not coming into our house. I can’t imagine a life where I’m telling anyone where they can or can’t sit.
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Bravo for restoration. Bravo for pampered pooches (within reason. My brother breeds St. Bernards who think they are lap dogs.) Glad you honor the Stantons’ work… but that name is simply too mundane. I won’t offer any suggestions in my execrable French. You and Mike will have to come up with something more evocative of your experience. Perhaps after the house has had time to speak to you in all seasons.
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Dogs deserve to sit/lie where they want. They cause no problems and offer endless entertainment and unconditional love. Very comfy looking sofas. And, mmmmm, that greenhouse. So many veg to grow in there, you can easily leave the main garden alone for a while to see how it pans out. There’s a great French seed catalogue that does rare old varieties of veg seeds. That might be an interesting project.
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