Magnolia Seeds

We have a couple of magnolias in the garden;a Magnolia stellata and a Grandiflora, the latter having flowered particularly well this year....

Once the flowers die off we don't really pay much attention to it but the other day Colin noticed these strange orange bean-like seeds at various stages of "ripening"....

We have seen the closed up pod before...

and this photo shows how the pod starts to develop as the flower fades...

I've planted one or two of the strange beans, so now we wait (years perhaps??) to see what happens!

My, How They've Grown!

In February this year we did a post about where and from whom we source our wood for the fire. You can see it here

One point we made was the skill and accuracy with which Mr Bourreau, our woodsman, stacks the wood as he cuts it. There isn't a log out of line. He moved all the logs back to his woodstore and then cleared the area of all brushwood. There wasn't a twig or leaf out of place.

Today we walked through the same area of the wood and it was a very different picture. The whole area has grown up with ground cover and saplings, mainly False Acacia.

You would hardly think it was the same place with just under 9 months between the photos! More work for Mr Bourreau??

Raspberry Surprise...

The surprise being that by 12th November we can still pick enough raspberries, virtually on a daily basis, to have for our pudding...

Today's pickings came to 273g

We'll keep on enjoying them as long as they last!

We've even a few strawberries to throw in with them, too!

Roasting in November!

And it's not chestnuts we're talking about!

The temperature over the last 3 days has hit the 24C mark and it has been glorious. Yesterday we went walking with friends, Mary and Paul, to Ceaux-en-Loudun, about 10km north west of Braye.

The autumn colours should be on the wane by now but there were still enough leaves on the trees to make a real "autumn banquet" of colour.

The walk was about 8km but because of the heat that was long enough. So here are some of our photos of the walk..

Everywhere the leaves were thick on the ground

 Cyclamen grew profusely in the path...

This field crop surprised us. We are not sure what it is. The leaves were beetroot like but could be Merlot lettuce or similar???

 

The walk took us past Chateau Artigny...

This deep dyke by the path side would have had safety fencing round it in the UK!

We spotted several damsel and dragonflies but this was the only one to oblige by keeping still long enough for a photo - or two!

A good example of the mistletoe which is prolific in the area...

This wide avenue of trees gave a bit of shade...

This lane was better still..

And at the end of the walk we came to the etang..

We'd had a fantastic afternoon of sunshine and beautiful scenery. Let's hope this weather lasts!

Hot Water problem.

Our water heater is a 300 litre Sauter vertical cylinder mounted on the floor. 

For a few weeks now the hot water has appeared to be too hot and the safety valve has been putting out a little too much expansion water such that the drain would not take it and we have had to put a bowl under it. The heater only comes on when the electricity is cheap rate i.e. 14:30 to 16:30 and 02:30 to 08:30 so it never occurred to me to test it... 

However when we returned from the UK and switched the heater back on manually it was obvious something was not correct. A quick test identified a faulty thermostat, the heater is 3 phase star connected with the thermostat switching all 3 phases.

A quick internet search found a replacement (on Amazon.fr of all places) at €65 with free delivery... It was duly ordered and arrived this morning, a surprise on two counts, delivery was given as Monday and it is not very large... The box it came in was very large!!

It was carefully installed...

Ready for the afternoon cheap rate... 

Pleased to say things are back to normal with the new thermostat cutting the power after about 45 minutes heating...

Return to Braye...November 2015

The journey back to Braye after a stay in England is always a little tiring but the sight of strawberries and raspberries, still fruiting in the garden today, November 2nd, certainly cheered us up.

Guess what's for pudding?!

Delicious!!

The Garden in Colour - October

It may be approaching mid October but looking round the garden late this afternoon, there is still plenty of colour...

Long may it last.... but I think that's a bit of wishful thinking!!