Time to introduce myself: I am French and I have lived in the UK for over 18 years. I am now in Berkshire, but I 1st arrived in London. I came from a small farm in a small village in the center of France, in the region called Sologne, and I just couldn’t wait to live in the big city…
Today, after many ups and downs, I just want to go back to the farm, forage, grow ancient vegs, grow medicinal plants, have some chickens, maybe a couple of other animals and eat some home made honey. My husband will deal with the bees. A lot of this will also be produced to get a small income to pay the unavoidable bills... As the farm is old and falling apart, we also want to improve its green cred, make our own electricity, collect and re-use rain water, etc… Well this is a big project and I would love to be ready in a couple of years to get back there and get on with it. There is a lot of work to do and we have not even yet tackled the French bureaucracy for all the things we want to do…
In the mean time I grow some vegs in my little suburban garden, tomatoes, potatoes, courgettes, beetroots, lettuces, beans (I think that is it). We also managed to plant a cherry tree, an apple tree and an apricot tree which are all producing well especially the cherry tree. We go foraging for sloes, elderflowers, elderberries, nuts, mushrooms and a few other bits. We make our own soap and I just got myself a book to really start making my own beauty products. I am also trying to find the perfect natural cures for my many headaches and sleepless nights. With all of this going on, I spend way too much time on the internet hunting for information about plants and being green and so on…
But when I am not in front of my PC or in the garden, I am cooking and brewing in the kitchen… Ho, I forgot; I also have a full-time job to pay the bills… Anyway, I stumbled onto this place during my forever hunting for info and I decided to join the forum, to meet some people interested in gardening, foraging, being greener, recycling...
Finally in case you have not noticed yet, I can talk for Britain and France put together (with or without a computer)!!
I hope to learn plenty and pass on any knowledge I have already managed to learn myself, so I will see you all around.
(thanks)
I don't live in the prettiest part of Brittany - I'm in inland Ille et Vilaine about 32km northish of Rennes. I've only done one tour around coastal Brittany as it's too far away to do in a day trip and it is like a different world from where I live, lovely whitewashed cottages with blue shutters and beautiful beaches and coastline. I still have more to see of coastal Finistere. Still got more of France to visit as well especially the French Pyrenees (we were mostly Spanish side this last hol) and I want to explore the French basque country (the Spanish side was hard work as I know neither language!!). 