Cyclamen Naturalisée

I've never seen cyclamen growing wild. I think of it as a pretty, if somewhat overly common, plant that people have in the house for a little color through the winter. When I went up to visit the house of a friend on the Montaigne Noir this week, there was a beautiful drift of Cyclamen Hederifolium, a hardy, miniature cyclamen, in bloom under the trees near the chateau on the property. Gerard, the owner of the chateau, said that he had planted the first corms 20 years ago and gradually spread them out. I love that he took the care to create this beautiful sight in the grounds around his large old house, but then I have often said that the French have a wonderful aesthetic.

Au Coeur de la Forêt

This walk starts just outside the restaurant À la Prise d’Alzeau which is in the forest up on the Montagne Noire near Saissac. We walked along the river Alzeau, one of the sources of the water for the Canal du Midi. The variety of fresh, new green was satisfying in a way that complemented the delicious meal we had just finished at the restaurant.