Wild Things



Vineyard near St Seurin d'Uzet

 Well the sun might be warm and the sky might be blue, but that old north wind is still blowing cold and our 'blackthorn winter' is very much in evidence.  The top picture is pretty typical of our region: undulating hills of limestone, some of which are ploughed for crops like spring wheat, and many of which are laid to vines for making wine and pineau.

Fields that were soggy and black with mud last month have now been scoured white by this wind... some days the air around us seems dusted by chalk blown off the hills.  I can't take a walk without reaching for my camera to try and capture the changing light.



Storks produce up to 3 chicks in April



Yesterday we went to a nearby salt marsh in search of avocets.  We'd seen some on a pond last March, but this time the lakes were being disturbed by hunters with dogs looking for wildfowl.  Instead we were rewarded by the sight of a couple of storks on a platform, waiting patiently for their eggs to hatch.

Getting out of the car near one of these ponds, we were struck by the heady scent of something unusually sweet in this bare landscape of reeds and blackthorn bushes. 

The nearest pond appeared to be covered in a snowy mass of blooms, piled up at the edges like real snow.  Could this be water hyacinth, one of the most invasive species in warmer climes..?

Heavenly-scented and not a bird in sight

We couldn't get close enough to photograph the individual flowers but I have to say the overall effect was lovely, especially with that fabulous perfume!

The marshland or marais is criss-crossed with drainage channels which have been invaded by another 'foreign' species - the coypu or ragondin, which is considered a pest because its nesting habits destroy the riverbanks.  This time of year you often come across a little family out for a swim, enjoying the spring sunshine and blissfully unaware of the traps which may await them. 

Not unlike 'Ratty' but with big front teeth!

What does all this talk of pests have to do with gardening you might wonder?  Well, it takes time to appreciate that plants which might need careful nurturing in the UK sometimes turn into rampaging thugs when let loose in this climate.  (I'm sure I'll gradually compile a long list as this blog develops...)

Meanwhile, my current preoccupation with rampant garden weeds has received a timely reminder that these are just 'flowers in the wrong place' and shouldn't be wholly disparaged.

Vines are carefully pruned during the winter months

During a rare spell of sunshine, we came across vineyards that were striped yellow with a thick crop of Smooth Hawksbeard - much prettier and less thuggish than the dandelions in my lawn.

Hawksbeard mixed with Star of Bethlehem

Mingled amongst them were dark blue muscari neglectum and a few wild marigolds, which have been flowering all through winter.  Vineyards, generally, are a great place for wild things in spite of weed-killers and the spraying of Bordeaux mix. 

In fact, my book tells me that Grape Hyacinths were once ubiquitous in vineyards but have tended to die out because the ground is ploughed much deeper these days.  (Well, well - and there was me thinking the term 'grape' referred to the shape of their flowers!)

I must say that writing this blog, as opposed to just keeping a personal gardening diary, has prompted me to look up plants and check my references before committing the words to print.  I'm sure I'll still make mistakes but at least I'm learning some new things in the process.  (It's also a great way of keeping my hands occupied when it's too cold or wet to be outside... )