Fleurs en Seine

Posted in France

Sunday we went to a plant show in Les Mureaux, a completely undistinguished suburb of Paris. Well, undistinguished until you get to the park that runs along the Seine. That was quite lovely and was where they had the show.

The show featured succulents. In general, we saw easy-care plants for people like me, who generally wake up one morning to find themselves surrounded by dead things in plastic pots. Even I am not likely to kill the dwarf and supposedly not aggressive nandina bamboo that we picked up. The photo below is more about cactus than succulents, but that’s about my level of gardening skill.

I was tempted to try a few. They are so cheap. Why not?

The surprise was lunch. Even the sandwich stand had plenty of shaded tables — I wish Paris Photo would do as well — but we headed to this truly impressive popup restaurant, complete with table service and multiple courses of very decent food.

Plant shows are among my favorite parts of life in France. Jacques likes them, too.

18 thoughts on “Fleurs en Seine”

  1. And OF COURSE there’s something to eat, served with stemmed glasses and multiple kinds of artisanal cheese. So French.
    You might want to check about the bamboo all the same, if it isn’t going into a pot. I’ve read that even the non-aggressive kind can spread.

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    1. Yeah, I worry about bamboo. This is going into a pot on the balcony, where we could use a bit of a screen. If it takes over the pot it’s no big deal. The really aggressive ones will send their roots right out the side of the pot but even then, there is no place for it to go. I have it in mind for a spot at the house, so this is a kind of a test run.

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      1. I see quite a lot of bamboo around here, in the parks and in plantings along the roads, and it doesn’t seem to have moved in 15 years. However, in each case, it’s enormous. I don’t know enough about plants to tell you what kind it is.

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        1. Supposedly it will grow to just over one meter in height. That will give is a screen to about the height of the balcony rail, plus a little, so it won’t block the light. We’ll see.

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    1. That’s Jacques saying’ what am I doing in this wheelbarrow?’ I think he jumped out right after I got the shot. He is a handsome devil, isn’t he, especially when he has had a decent haircut. I wish I could take credit.

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  4. I have a number of nandina and they are tough critters. In Japanese they are called “nanten” which is of possible interest only because the plant is native to Japan (the name nandina derives from nanten) and the Himalayas. Thing is, nandina is toxic – not so much to humans but the berries can be fatal to cats and can be real bad for doggos. The problem is the berries contain a cyanide compound. So keep Monsieur Jacques away from nibbling the plant, especially the berries. Oh, and not too much water on the nanten!

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  5. I forgot…the berries are OK for birds so don’t worry. If you plant in the ground, the nanten will send out runners underground and they can become a major P.I.T.A. to later remove.

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    1. Yikes. No nandina at the house, then. I’ll be putting them in a planter here and I guess I’ll expect them to take it over, which is fine. I’m not too worried about Jacques pillaging berries, not when there is coffee in the morning and a rotating diet of tasty edibles all day long. He’s getting a little tummy!

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        1. Yeah, coffee and yogurt, sometimes a little croissant or pain au chocolat, if I am having that. Of course. He takes his coffee with cream and prefers to wait for it to cool a bit. Also he’d like it if I shared more eggs, preferably scrambled with lardons. He’s a French dog; he has a discriminating palate.

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    1. Thank you! I think I know who, among my several friends in the Wine Country, might be Mrs. Potter. I’m glad you’re here. Come back any time. Of course I hope you have subscribed. I started the blog as a way to keep in touch with my friends in California. The more it does that job, the better.

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