Tag: garden

garden, gardening

brindille and a fun and sustainable activity + Winner of book giveaway!

Notice the flower bed to the right–filled with hand-picked brindilles! Twigs = free mulch, and they're fun to gather, too! (Had I to redo this picture, I'd put bright fluffy pillows in the garden chair, and hang beaded curtains across the cabanon's entry. Can you picture it?) une brindille (brein-dee)     : twig, stalk, sprig ramasser des brindilles = to gather, collect, or pick … Continue reading brindille and a fun and sustainable activity + Winner of book giveaway!

Kristin Espinasse48 Comments
Little Calamities

une mare

I didn't have the chance to run this by Mom and get her permission to post her photo… so I'm taking advantage of the fact that her computer is broken. She can kill me later (for the fabricated "rain dance" caption) when her laptop is repaired and she catches up on all the missed editions of French Word-A-Day. I know she misses the stories–and especially … Continue reading une mare

Kristin Espinasse82 Comments
garden, gardening

Le gazon (pelouse) – lawn, grass, turf in French

We lived and worked on this organic vineyard in Sainte Cécile-les-Vignes from 2007-2012. (See today's story column for a special memory about that time). Jean-Marc will be in SEATTLE soon, check out the latest stop in his USA wine tour, here. le gazon (gahzoh(n)     : lawn, grass, turf Audio File: listen to Jean-Marc pronounce today's French word as well as the list of … Continue reading Le gazon (pelouse) – lawn, grass, turf in French

Kristin Espinasse66 Comments
garden, gardening

semence

The melody of flower seeds, in today's story…. Why not forward this edition to a green thumb, or main verte? une semence (seuh mahnce)     : seed Audio File: Listen to Jean-Marc: Download MP3 or Wav file En agriculture, une semence est une graine sélectionnée pour être semée. In agriculture, a seed is a grain selected for sowing. –Wikipedia Improve your French now: buy a copy of The Ultimate French Verb … Continue reading semence

Kristin Espinasse29 Comments
French Destinations, garden, gardening, Jules

Little scissors in her pocket, Mom goes shopping for plantes in the municipal pots!

The author reflects on a day spent with her eccentric mother, who has a penchant for “swiping” plants. As they explore the town of Orange, the mother’s quirky behavior evokes both amusement and sadness in the author, especially with her upcoming departure for Mexico. Continue reading Little scissors in her pocket, Mom goes shopping for plantes in the municipal pots!

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Culture, Flowers, Traditions

The muguet tradition in France: Lily of the Valley sold on French street corners on May 1st

le muguet (mew-geh) n.m.  : lily of the valley Question: So what are the French doing today, the first of May, besides la grasse matinée? Answer: Waving snow-white porte-bonheurs through the air and wishing each other good luck! Along little cobblestone paths in the French hinterland, and at noisy intersections across the city, French vendeurs de muguet are taking over street curbs with buckets of lilies of the … Continue reading The muguet tradition in France: Lily of the Valley sold on French street corners on May 1st

Kristin Espinasse19 Comments