Tag Archives: spring

Simple Pleasures

Posted on 29/03/2020 by nessafrance

The past 12 days have afforded plenty of time for reflection. Too much, no doubt. Nonetheless, beneath the negative emotions that most of us have been feeling, there are flickers of a deeper process at work: one of re-evaluating and … Continue reading →

Posted in French life, Walking in France | Tagged Château de l'Astorguié, Parisot, Phylloxera cross, signs of spring, spring, spring flowers, SW France, Wayside crosses | 11 Comments

Getting the Garden Back in Trim

Posted on 18/04/2018 by nessafrance

What a lovely time of year this is when the weather is fine! At last, after months of gloom and damp, the past few days have been not just spring like, but summery. It’s forecast to continue for the … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Nature | Tagged garden tools, gardening, gardening in France, geraniums, spring, spring flowers, weeds | 20 Comments

Can Spring be far Behind?

Posted on 12/03/2017 by nessafrance

The literary-minded will notice that the title is a quotation from Percy Bysshe Shelley’s ‘Ode to the West Wind’, written in 1819 while the poet was staying in Florence. The poem can be interpreted in various ways, the most simplistic … Continue reading →

Posted in Weather | Tagged frost, rainfall, Shelley Ode to the West Wind, signs of spring, spring, SW France, Weather, winter weather | 7 Comments

The First Cuckoo?

Posted on 27/03/2016 by nessafrance

Happy Easter, Joyeuses Pâques à tout le monde. Easter this year has coincided with the clocks going forward for summertime and, I think, the first cuckoo. When I hung out of the window this morning listening to the birdsong, I … Continue reading →

Posted in French life, Nature | Tagged birds' eggs, birdsong, brood parasites, cuckoo, first cuckoo, migratory birds, spring, summertime, SW France | 14 Comments

Cuckoos, Birdsong and SW France Weather March 2015

Posted on 05/04/2015 by nessafrance

Bonnes Pâques à tout le monde. I had hoped to report the cuckoo’s arrival, but it’s dragging its heels (or whatever cuckoos have) this year. A friend 10 km to the south said it had arrived over a week … Continue reading →

Posted in Nature, Weather | Tagged cuckoo, first cuckoo, frost, hoopoe, rainfall, spring, SW France, Weather, Weather in SW France March 2015 | 11 Comments

Seasonal Treats: Asparagus and Strawberries

Posted on 29/03/2015 by nessafrance

When we first moved here, it was frustrating not to find strawberries or asparagus in the French shops in the winter. I completely changed my mind a long time ago. There is a lot to be said for enjoying produce … Continue reading →

Posted in Food/drink/recipes | Tagged asparagus, food, Gariguettes, seasonal produce, seasonal treats, spring, strawberries, SW France | 14 Comments

Signs of Spring and Southwest France Weather February 2015

Posted on 01/03/2015 by nessafrance

The SF (Statistics Freak to the uninitiated) tells me that winter runs from November to February. Personally, I feel it’s longer than that, but it’s better not to argue with the expert. Even so, by the end of February, I … Continue reading →

Posted in French life, Weather | Tagged climate, frost, rainfall, signs of spring, spring, SW France, Weather, weather in southwest France, winter, winter weather | 6 Comments

Spring in Southwest France

Posted on 14/04/2014 by nessafrance

Well, this year it’s easy to tell it’s arrived. The weather has generally been lovely in April – with the occasional off-day. More often, April is cold and windy. The fine weather has brought everything out early and many … Continue reading →

Posted in French life, Nature | Tagged asparagus, cuckoo, garriguettes, hoopoe, nightingale, respounchous, spring, SW France | 19 Comments

First Cuckoo and Weather in Southwest France March 2014

Posted on 04/04/2014 by nessafrance

Today we heard a cuckoo for the first time this year. It’s late: normally we hear one on 29th March +/- three days. And it’s a full week after some friends who live 15 km south of us told us … Continue reading →

Posted in Weather | Tagged climate, first cuckoo, frost, rainfall, spring, SW France, SW France weather, Weather | 10 Comments

Monthly Météo: SW France Weather May 2013

Posted on 03/06/2013 by nessafrance

What can I say about the weather down here in May that is repeatable in polite company? Judging by the number of people who landed on my blog asking, “Why is the weather so bad in SW France?”, many others … Continue reading →

Posted in French life, Weather | Tagged rainfall, spring, SW France, Weather, Weather in SW France | 8 Comments

Geraniums

Posted on 20/04/2013 by nessafrance

Wrought iron balconies decked with glowing geraniums are evocative of France for me – and for many others, I suspect. So after such a grey and damp winter, it was nice to introduce a touch of summer by making our … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Nature | Tagged gardening, geraniums, hummingbird hawk moth, pelargoniums, spring, SW France, white grubs | 28 Comments

Seven Signs of Spring in SW France

Posted on 14/04/2013 by nessafrance

Spring has taken a long time to arrive this year. Everything is coming out very late and the weather – up till this weekend – has generally been cooler than normal. However, we saw incontrovertible signs that spring is here … Continue reading →

Posted in French life, Gardening, Nature | Tagged Choeur de Parisot, cuckoo, hoopoe, migratory birds, nightingale, spring, spring flowers, SW France, swimming pool | 11 Comments

Monthly Météo: Weather in SW France May 2012

Posted on 02/06/2012 by nessafrance

Contrary to popular opinion, this May was one of the best we’ve had in 14 years. However, temperatures were very variable. This, in my opinion, contributed to “the cold”, which has been around most of our acquaintances and landed up … Continue reading →

Posted in Nature, Weather | Tagged rainfall, spring, SW France, Weather, wild flowers | 10 Comments

Monthly Météo: Weather in Southwest France April 2012

Posted on 30/04/2012 by nessafrance

We wanted rain. We got rain. This April has almost beaten our record for rainfall and it has certainly been the worst month weather-wise since we started recording our statistics 14 years ago. Everyone is thoroughly fed up. A number … Continue reading →

Posted in French life, Weather | Tagged frost, rainfall, spring, SW France, Weather, Weather statistics | 14 Comments

Nature Comes Back to Life

Posted on 29/03/2012 by nessafrance

I am constantly amazed at nature’s ability for regeneration. Following the longest and most rigorous cold snap in 25 years, everything outside looked dead. I gazed out glumly on the brown, seared leaves of my shrubs and anticipated having to … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Nature, Weather | Tagged drought, gardening, nature, spring, SW France | 11 Comments

Weather in southwest France: March 2011 update

Posted on 05/04/2011 by nessafrance

Every month I post an update on how the weather has been, based on the statistics we have kept since 1998. Only this month I’m late with it and the Statistics Freak (aka my husband), whose baby all this is … Continue reading →

Posted in French life, Weather | Tagged France, frost, living in France, rainfall, rural life, spring, SW France, Weather | 6 Comments

Two BBQs in two days – not bad for early April

Posted on 03/04/2011 by nessafrance

Not an April fool, either. The first two days of April were glorious, with temperatures well over 20ºC. We made a good start on all those outdoor tasks that hung over us last year because the weather was so bad. … Continue reading →

Posted in French life, Weather | Tagged barbecue, France, living in France, spring, SW France, swimming pool | 6 Comments

The First Cuckoo

Posted on 19/03/2011 by nessafrance

One of the harbingers of spring has arrived. The cuckoo has already been heard – if not seen – in this corner of southwest France. This year it has arrived early.

Posted in French life, Nature, Weather | Tagged cuckoo, first cuckoo, France, spring, spring flowers, SW France | 7 Comments

Signs of spring

Posted on 30/03/2010 by nessafrance

The signs of spring are tentatively appearing, despite the cold and gloomy winter and today’s near-gale force winds and driving rain. Late though they are this year, cowslips now carpet the fields and there are vibrant patches of violets in … Continue reading →

Posted in French life, Nature, Weather | Tagged blogs about France, countryside, France, migratory birds, nature, rural life, spring | 4 Comments