Plant exchange

Self sufficiency and sustainability is the mantra of our hosts this afternoon, a lovely French couple who are self sufficient and have a wonderful garden which provides food for their table, a habitat for all bugs and bees and also a sensational feel - welcoming and enchanting.  The plant exchange is the first I have been to and I took along some of my horseradish roots, cherry tomatoes and sweet corn - hoping that some of these plants would be attractive to the keen gardeners and growers who had also come along for the afternoon.  Freshly baked lemon and poppy seed muffins decorated with lemon icing and delicate elderflower heads was our gift to our hosts - I love the baking but also love spending time making the cakes look beautiful and simple elder flowers were perfect for these little cakes. 

 

Under the shade we meeted and greeted new and old friends, my kids capturing the heart of a lovely lady who could not take her eyes of them and told me what beautiful children I had.  Many of the people there were new faces to me but having a common interest (gardening) made it much easier to start conversations with people and have a good look round.  My horse radish roots were a great success and I should have taken more as it is a plant that not many French have in their garden - exchanges were quickly made and in return I got several Chinese lantern plants along with some morning glories and also a red grass which I was delighted with!

 

We explored the garden (me spotting some other plants that I have been wanting and not been able to find here) - one in particular - "phlomis" so with all the horse radish gone and none left for our host I hope that I will be able to dig more up from our garden and exchange it for some phlomis…….  The garden provided lots of inspiration - growing support structures made out of old fencing rolls of fencing wire - I might take a trip down to the tip to see what is about.  We returned home after some crepes and refreshments (Ruby eating her way through 4 crepes) and I spent the evening planting out my new beauties.

Comments

[minutepapillon]

What a nice exchange idea, though I wouldn't have had anything to exchange this year. Mado's girls are so grown up! I can't believe it! Is she here for long? I'd love to see them all. Fencing wire structures are a great idea. I was keeping from planting some of my nasturtium (capucines) seeds but now I just may, it might attract some of the aphids off my roses.