Sharon Moncur
@sharonmoncur.bsky.social
Occasionally write a blog at renaissancegardener.org
Natural world gardens plants family
Sussex & France
Travel music books laughter
Christian
Late diagnosed autistic
OH has Parkinson’s
Natural world gardens plants family
Sussex & France
Travel music books laughter
Christian
Late diagnosed autistic
OH has Parkinson’s
The annual visit from the pompiers just now where we hand over a banknote, and they hand back a receipt and a calendar and we all shake hands, smile, and wish each other bon Nöel, bon fete, bon soirée … you name it! Charming.
December 18, 2025 at 5:02 PM
The annual visit from the pompiers just now where we hand over a banknote, and they hand back a receipt and a calendar and we all shake hands, smile, and wish each other bon Nöel, bon fete, bon soirée … you name it! Charming.
I started writing a first draft of the handover document for this house and garden. I’m on page 8 (single spaced) and am only a small part way through the garden section before even beginning the house. Even after editing it is going to be long!
December 18, 2025 at 4:55 PM
I started writing a first draft of the handover document for this house and garden. I’m on page 8 (single spaced) and am only a small part way through the garden section before even beginning the house. Even after editing it is going to be long!
This resonated given that I ate meatballs in ikea in Bordeaux on Monday!
December 18, 2025 at 11:07 AM
This resonated given that I ate meatballs in ikea in Bordeaux on Monday!
The first of the chandeliers to come down; bought more than 35 years ago in Murano.
December 18, 2025 at 8:44 AM
The first of the chandeliers to come down; bought more than 35 years ago in Murano.
Good morning
A rather cute photo screenshotted from today’s Times (read the caption). I’m a sucker for cute dog pics! I hope you enjoy it too.
Electrician coming today to take chandeliers down and replace with ordinary light fittings so we can pack them to take with us.
Hope your day goes well.
A rather cute photo screenshotted from today’s Times (read the caption). I’m a sucker for cute dog pics! I hope you enjoy it too.
Electrician coming today to take chandeliers down and replace with ordinary light fittings so we can pack them to take with us.
Hope your day goes well.
December 18, 2025 at 6:37 AM
Good morning
A rather cute photo screenshotted from today’s Times (read the caption). I’m a sucker for cute dog pics! I hope you enjoy it too.
Electrician coming today to take chandeliers down and replace with ordinary light fittings so we can pack them to take with us.
Hope your day goes well.
A rather cute photo screenshotted from today’s Times (read the caption). I’m a sucker for cute dog pics! I hope you enjoy it too.
Electrician coming today to take chandeliers down and replace with ordinary light fittings so we can pack them to take with us.
Hope your day goes well.
We had to let a flight go yesterday as plans changed after we booked it. You’d have thought the airline might have sent a “You Ok hun?” message wouldn’t you.
December 17, 2025 at 5:13 PM
We had to let a flight go yesterday as plans changed after we booked it. You’d have thought the airline might have sent a “You Ok hun?” message wouldn’t you.
Reposted by Sharon Moncur
The media/press and a significant number of online posters are against ALL of this, not to mention free school meals for Primary School children, increases in min wage, swift boxes on all new builds etc.
So in the past 24 hours ‘blue’ Labour have delivered:
The employment rights bill
The planning and infrastructure bill
Rejoining Erasmus
The Johnson/Farage Russian investigation
Inflation at 3.2%
It’s all over the headlines
but Starmer or something
The employment rights bill
The planning and infrastructure bill
Rejoining Erasmus
The Johnson/Farage Russian investigation
Inflation at 3.2%
It’s all over the headlines
but Starmer or something
December 17, 2025 at 11:32 AM
The media/press and a significant number of online posters are against ALL of this, not to mention free school meals for Primary School children, increases in min wage, swift boxes on all new builds etc.
This is my annual complaint about people who like to tell you two things :
That they are making a donation to charity, and they are not sending you a Christmas card, as if these two things are inexorably linked …
Can’t they do both?
Or at least make their charitable donations quietly and privately?
That they are making a donation to charity, and they are not sending you a Christmas card, as if these two things are inexorably linked …
Can’t they do both?
Or at least make their charitable donations quietly and privately?
December 17, 2025 at 11:41 AM
This is my annual complaint about people who like to tell you two things :
That they are making a donation to charity, and they are not sending you a Christmas card, as if these two things are inexorably linked …
Can’t they do both?
Or at least make their charitable donations quietly and privately?
That they are making a donation to charity, and they are not sending you a Christmas card, as if these two things are inexorably linked …
Can’t they do both?
Or at least make their charitable donations quietly and privately?
Good morning
Today I’m going to tackle the final version of the inventory which will enable me to apply for the appropriate customs permissions for cross-border transport of our house contents. Wish me well!
What are you up to?
Today I’m going to tackle the final version of the inventory which will enable me to apply for the appropriate customs permissions for cross-border transport of our house contents. Wish me well!
What are you up to?
December 17, 2025 at 6:36 AM
Good morning
Today I’m going to tackle the final version of the inventory which will enable me to apply for the appropriate customs permissions for cross-border transport of our house contents. Wish me well!
What are you up to?
Today I’m going to tackle the final version of the inventory which will enable me to apply for the appropriate customs permissions for cross-border transport of our house contents. Wish me well!
What are you up to?
Apparently charity place went through every item individually, were pleased with most, but rejected some
I would have found that excruciatingly embarrassing but fortunately OH didn’t
We make a great team!
In the meantime I’ve been out and about drinking coffee with one friend and tea with another
I would have found that excruciatingly embarrassing but fortunately OH didn’t
We make a great team!
In the meantime I’ve been out and about drinking coffee with one friend and tea with another
December 16, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Apparently charity place went through every item individually, were pleased with most, but rejected some
I would have found that excruciatingly embarrassing but fortunately OH didn’t
We make a great team!
In the meantime I’ve been out and about drinking coffee with one friend and tea with another
I would have found that excruciatingly embarrassing but fortunately OH didn’t
We make a great team!
In the meantime I’ve been out and about drinking coffee with one friend and tea with another
Good morning
A few things going on here today: final cull of wardrobes to take rejects to the charity place, coffee with a brave friend on her fourth round of chemotherapy, garden helpers here for one of their final sessions
Hoping for no fog
Mild
I hope your day is a good one
Arbutus in flower
A few things going on here today: final cull of wardrobes to take rejects to the charity place, coffee with a brave friend on her fourth round of chemotherapy, garden helpers here for one of their final sessions
Hoping for no fog
Mild
I hope your day is a good one
Arbutus in flower
December 16, 2025 at 5:57 AM
Good morning
A few things going on here today: final cull of wardrobes to take rejects to the charity place, coffee with a brave friend on her fourth round of chemotherapy, garden helpers here for one of their final sessions
Hoping for no fog
Mild
I hope your day is a good one
Arbutus in flower
A few things going on here today: final cull of wardrobes to take rejects to the charity place, coffee with a brave friend on her fourth round of chemotherapy, garden helpers here for one of their final sessions
Hoping for no fog
Mild
I hope your day is a good one
Arbutus in flower
Good morning
Off to the big city (Bordeaux) with a car load of documents for secure shredding. This marks the final end of my long working career, other than the head full of memories.
Have a good day and an outstanding week!
Off to the big city (Bordeaux) with a car load of documents for secure shredding. This marks the final end of my long working career, other than the head full of memories.
Have a good day and an outstanding week!
December 15, 2025 at 5:46 AM
Good morning
Off to the big city (Bordeaux) with a car load of documents for secure shredding. This marks the final end of my long working career, other than the head full of memories.
Have a good day and an outstanding week!
Off to the big city (Bordeaux) with a car load of documents for secure shredding. This marks the final end of my long working career, other than the head full of memories.
Have a good day and an outstanding week!
Having been awake since 3.58am I am more tired than a very tired
person
person
December 14, 2025 at 8:13 PM
Having been awake since 3.58am I am more tired than a very tired
person
person
Still going strong on the grass borders, two long flowerbeds with planting inspired by Piet Oudolf
December 14, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Still going strong on the grass borders, two long flowerbeds with planting inspired by Piet Oudolf
Anisodontea in the garden yesterday
Flowers virtually all year
Does need space though
Flowers virtually all year
Does need space though
December 14, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Anisodontea in the garden yesterday
Flowers virtually all year
Does need space though
Flowers virtually all year
Does need space though
And another beauty from the walk around the garden yesterday afternoon -
The fruits of Melia azadarach, a fabulous small tree. Late spring blossom is very pretty and very fragrant. The leaves are pinnate and v attractive throughout summer, and then turn beautiful autumn colours
The fruits of Melia azadarach, a fabulous small tree. Late spring blossom is very pretty and very fragrant. The leaves are pinnate and v attractive throughout summer, and then turn beautiful autumn colours
December 14, 2025 at 8:58 AM
And another beauty from the walk around the garden yesterday afternoon -
The fruits of Melia azadarach, a fabulous small tree. Late spring blossom is very pretty and very fragrant. The leaves are pinnate and v attractive throughout summer, and then turn beautiful autumn colours
The fruits of Melia azadarach, a fabulous small tree. Late spring blossom is very pretty and very fragrant. The leaves are pinnate and v attractive throughout summer, and then turn beautiful autumn colours
Not sure I’ve seen either of these fungi in the garden before. Single one was very large. Group of three growing in a split in the trunk of a young acacia dealbata tree
December 14, 2025 at 8:32 AM
Not sure I’ve seen either of these fungi in the garden before. Single one was very large. Group of three growing in a split in the trunk of a young acacia dealbata tree
As I was walking round the garden yesterday afternoon, enjoying various highlights including those plants currently flowering, I had a profound sense of loss as I looked at plants whose flowering and peak
moments of glory I shall never see again.
moments of glory I shall never see again.
December 14, 2025 at 7:50 AM
As I was walking round the garden yesterday afternoon, enjoying various highlights including those plants currently flowering, I had a profound sense of loss as I looked at plants whose flowering and peak
moments of glory I shall never see again.
moments of glory I shall never see again.
Our young crab apple trees shining bright
December 14, 2025 at 7:48 AM
Our young crab apple trees shining bright
Berries in the garden
December 14, 2025 at 7:40 AM
Berries in the garden
Good morning on this 3rd Sunday of Advent
The first hellebore flowers are about to open
This plant is the earliest to flower in the garden
I would never have expected hellebores to do well here in SWFrance but they do which is a real joy, just needing a little extra water in high summer
The first hellebore flowers are about to open
This plant is the earliest to flower in the garden
I would never have expected hellebores to do well here in SWFrance but they do which is a real joy, just needing a little extra water in high summer
December 14, 2025 at 5:46 AM
Good morning on this 3rd Sunday of Advent
The first hellebore flowers are about to open
This plant is the earliest to flower in the garden
I would never have expected hellebores to do well here in SWFrance but they do which is a real joy, just needing a little extra water in high summer
The first hellebore flowers are about to open
This plant is the earliest to flower in the garden
I would never have expected hellebores to do well here in SWFrance but they do which is a real joy, just needing a little extra water in high summer
Reposted by Sharon Moncur
Time to gather your flock and get them following us over here on Bluesky 🙌
Make sure to let your followers know we're now active on this platform 📱
Make sure to let your followers know we're now active on this platform 📱
December 13, 2025 at 8:46 AM
An accidental photo of the sky taken while I was having a wander around the garden
Rather appropriate for this place don’t you think?!
Rather appropriate for this place don’t you think?!
December 13, 2025 at 4:32 PM
An accidental photo of the sky taken while I was having a wander around the garden
Rather appropriate for this place don’t you think?!
Rather appropriate for this place don’t you think?!
How shockingly awful :
Have just read that less than 43% of U.K. NHS staff have had a flu jab
Unbelievable lack of care and consideration
Have just read that less than 43% of U.K. NHS staff have had a flu jab
Unbelievable lack of care and consideration
December 13, 2025 at 6:53 AM
How shockingly awful :
Have just read that less than 43% of U.K. NHS staff have had a flu jab
Unbelievable lack of care and consideration
Have just read that less than 43% of U.K. NHS staff have had a flu jab
Unbelievable lack of care and consideration
Good morning
Sunrise yesterday looking south
When we bought this place ten years ago we didn’t really notice how well it sat within the landscape
I guess there’s so much to see when you view a property
What a fab surprise it was when we noticed
We are going to miss the stunning countryside views
Sunrise yesterday looking south
When we bought this place ten years ago we didn’t really notice how well it sat within the landscape
I guess there’s so much to see when you view a property
What a fab surprise it was when we noticed
We are going to miss the stunning countryside views
December 13, 2025 at 6:14 AM
Good morning
Sunrise yesterday looking south
When we bought this place ten years ago we didn’t really notice how well it sat within the landscape
I guess there’s so much to see when you view a property
What a fab surprise it was when we noticed
We are going to miss the stunning countryside views
Sunrise yesterday looking south
When we bought this place ten years ago we didn’t really notice how well it sat within the landscape
I guess there’s so much to see when you view a property
What a fab surprise it was when we noticed
We are going to miss the stunning countryside views