The self-seeded grapevine is coming on nicely but I had to knock some fruit off the plum tree because it looks like there will be a bumper crop this year. The plum tree has a 'sport' and throws up sweet yellow plums a couple of weeks before the main purple crop is due. Problem is that most visitors to the Garden Apartment do not eat enough of the plums and they drop and squish. I'm hoping that between my culling of the young fruit and the work of Franck, our gardener, there will be less fallen fruit this year. My intention is for any fruit that is not eaten to be given to Louisa to be made into confiture. MMM
Sunday, June 09, 2013
May-June 2013:
I arrived in Port Vendres via Eurostar & TVG on May 25th for an 11 day stay alone to rest, work and do a bit of gardening. Intending to start well, I began at Port Peche with gambas, garlic mayo and crisp white wine.
The garden was a riot of roses - the tall sweet white ones, deep red, wild orange and flamboyant pink. Despite fact that Dan had hacked back the undergrowth only one month previously, the garden had quickly gone wild again. We've had inclement weather in London and apparently, just as unseasonal weather in Port Vendres. Here it has been raining heavily and during the 11 days there were 3 storms. The wind was up for 3 days and at times I didn't head out along the coast because the wind was so strong I could barely walk. But the difference between London and Port Vendres is that in PV the sun WILL come out, the sky WILL be blue and the wind subsides - and when it does it was blissfully hot. I swam in the crique most days despite fact that water isn't really warm by late May.