Walt picked these in the yard yesterday. They are fraises des bois — "woodland" or wild strawberries. They're very small, but they are also very sweet and tasty. Walt baked them into a cake yesterday afternoon.
Just on the south side of our hedge, along the road, red poppies — coquelicots — are growing. We didn't plant them; they just came up. Wildflowers are like that.
Finally, these are petunias, which we did plant. They're in jardinières on the terrace. They haven't had time to grow much yet, but they are going to give us good color all summer, I think.
The area just north and west of us is experiencing violent thunderstorms this morning. Walt found a photo on a weather site showing one- to two-inch hailstones that fell on Vouvray this morning. The storm cells are moving toward Paris over Vendôme and Chartres, and all the way up to Rouen and the Channel coast. So far, we are in the clear and the temperature here is supposed to hit the mid-80s ºF (28 to 30 ºC) this afternoon.
Ken, I used to use "fraises des bois" as ground cover on my permanent flowerbeds...
ReplyDeletemade weeding a pleasure!
None ever got to the kitchen...
Our bedroom windows face North and, although I could see the lightning, I couldn't hear the thunder...
it looked spectacular, although I feel very sad for the gardeners, vintners and other producers who received those hailstones...
those would have caused serious damage!
Ken, I just found that picture myself on Meteociel... the ground is heavily covered in the stuff!! And looking at it's passage on Meteox's animated rainfall, it only just missed us!!!!!
ReplyDelete[for others, if you are interested...
use the link below...
cut and paste
http://www.meteociel.fr/cartes_obs/metardesc.php?pheno=tous®ion=france&heure=9
into your browser...
go to 06.28...
there is a camera picture on the Vouvray entry...
click on it for the picture]
Love wild strawberries! They are a real delicacy and so hard to come by. You're really lucky to find them in the wild... and for free. Enjoy them... while they are there and before the birds get to them. Have a nice evening! Martine x
ReplyDeleteMaybe the poppies are courtesy of your local flying insects. I've never seen wild strawberries.
ReplyDeleteWe've been reading about the devastating hail storm that hit only 35 miles or so from you in Vouvray. We're amazed (and very relieved) that it's 80 degrees and clear where you are. "Touchez du bois", or in this case, find some wood and knock the hell out of it!
ReplyDeleteThe pictures of the poppies are magnificent, thank you! I also love strawberries. They look wonderful.
ReplyDeleteMy best wishes