Opened our gardens to the public this weekend as part of the Journee du Patrimoine Heritage days

Our new Hens, Ruby & Joy, are already Laying Eggs

They have settled in with the rest of the flock and are enjoying a free range lifestyle at the Chateau

Whilst work continues on the interiors, work has begun reclaiming the drive

On a warm and Sunny February afternoon, we feel we are finally getting somewhere. Sunbathing Ponies, Pruned fruit trees and a kitchen ceiling nearing completion.

2 New laying hens arrived today. Meet Ruby & Joy !

A Trio of items from a Brocante updated with paint and decoupage

A Key Box before and after

Table Tops

Recent Brocante finds ready to work on

At last, the sun is out! After a very wet and cold winter it is time to get outside and do all those essential jobs that need to be done before spring.

We have neglected our orchard in recent years and we need to prune the apple and pear trees. These trees are about twenty years old and have not been pruned for at least ten years.

Some jobs can be a bit daunting at first, so I am following the “D” rules and starting with cutting out any wood that is Dead, Diseased, Damaged or Dangerous.

Next I have cut any branches that cross over. Finally cutting out branches or twigs that are growing inwards towards the centre. This opens up the crown for good ventilation and allows in sunshine to ripen the fruit. This is my favourite rule as you stand back to assess your work and decide if a pigeon can fly through!! Its an old fashioned rule that works. We don’t have many pigeons due to a lot of buzzards in the area. I will just have to use my imagination.

Finally it is important to clear away any cut pieces of tree to avoid any diseases. Ours will be moved away and left in the sun to dry. Then it will go through our chipper and make lovely wood chips for use in the stables. Nothing gets wasted.

Yes, just eight years into our “Ten Year Project” we are finally moving next door to begin work on our kitchen.

It seems our new kitchen is not quite as straightforward as we had hoped. The tower at that end of the chateau dates to the 1800’s (probably around the 1820’s). The huge stone walls are covered in a plaster that consists mainly of mud and the dust created by removing it has forced us next door.

Now we cook and eat in our cottage in the garden. Originally two rooms. One for a laundry room, with a large fireplace for heating the water. We have installed a cosy log burner there.

The other room used to be used for storing cider. This is now a lovely modern kitchen we installed a few years ago.

Normandy is famous for apples and pears.
Our orchard would not be complete without a couple of ponies to keep the grass in check.