WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

UPDATE ON MY CACTI AND SUCCULENTS

Cos of the storm today I couldn’t take any pictures of the garden but a while ago I promised you an update on my cacti and succulents, the collection I have indoors that is.

MY RHIPSALIS

THEY HAVE BEEN GROWING NICELY THIS SUMMER

HERE YOU CAN SEE THAT MY PINK PELARGONIUM IS STILL IN BLOOM

I water my collection about once a week with cold water that has been cooked before and they get a little bit of fertiliser just once in Spring or fresh soil, if they get fresh soil they don’t get fertilizer for a year. Each time I water them I inspect them to see if there are no bugs or illnesses and then after watering I give them a new place on another shelve so that they can sit in the sun once in a while and I turn them regularly so they won’t grow crooked. Some of these plants will soon go upstairs for a cooler overwintering ,unheated but frost-free, something they need  to produce flowers in Spring or Summer, others need a place arround 20 C° to stay happy.

Have a great week all and enjoy your garden ! Thanks for stopping by, it is much appreciated !

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

LA DOUCE FRANCE : LAST DAY

All too soon we had one last day to fill before we had to go back home. We looked for a zoo in the area of La Garde-Freinet where we stayed in a beautiful B&B called le Mouron Rouge, and we found one a few kilometers further, it was a little gem !

It was a small zoo and all we knew was that it was called “exotic zoo”, and it was exotic ! Most of the animals there were exotic birds but there were monkeys and kangaroo’s, goats and deer as well BUT what made it so special for me was that the planting there consisted of bamboo, cacti and succulents !!! My favorites !!! The sun was shining, there were only a few people there and we enjoyed every minute of it. We fought for the camera as my hub wanted to take a picture of all the birds !!! and I wanted a picture of all the cacti and   succulents ! We definitely need another good camera !

Here are some of the pictures we took.

THESE STATUES ARE MADE OF SPECIAL WOOD BY SOME AUSTRALIAN TRIBE WHO LIVE ON A SMALL AUTRALIAN ISLAND, THEY HAD QUITE A FEW OF THEM

A BALI SPARROW, THERE ARE MORE OF THEM IN CAPTIVITY THAN THERE ARE IN THE WILD AS THEY LIVE ONLY IN BALI IN THE WILD

THERE WERE LOTS AND LOTS OF HORNBILL BIRDS

THESE LITTLE GUYS WERE ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE !!!!!

THE CAGES WERE BIG AND CLEAN BUT I AM NOT A FAN OF CAGED ANIMALS ALAS NOT EVERY ONE HAS THE MONEY TO GO AND SEE ANIMALS IN THE WILD SO FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES IF THEY ARE WELL KEPT AND IN LARGE CAGES…..

I THOUGHT THIS SMALL REE HAD BEAUTIFUL FOLIAGE, A GUM TREE MAYBE , IT DIDN’T HAVE A NAME TAG

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO UNDERSTAND FRENCH :THIS WAS A FUNNY SIGN

BEAUTIFUL YELLOW BAMBOO STEMS

A BEAUTIFUL PHEASANT

LOVELY SILVER GREY FOLIAGE

BATHING IN THE SUN

AND THIS IS THE MOTHER OF SOME OF MY FUTURE OPUNTIA’S, THERE WERE A LOT OF FRUITS ON THE GROUND SO I TOOK ONE AND THE SEEDS ARE NOW DRYING AND WILL BE SOWN IN SPRING

THE END

I hope you enjoyed the series of La Douce France, I still have lots of pictures to show you but that will be for later.

Have a great weekend all and enjoy your gardens wether it is Spring or Autumn where you live !

And thanks for stopping by, I really appreciate it !

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY