Gardening in France

When we first came to France, we were not experienced gardeners, but we were enthusiastic. The previous owners told us that the soil was very good and that they had grown vegetables very successfully. We noticed that the soil was quite red and looked very rich. There was a vegetable patch already established, so the first year we decided to buy the seeds and have a go.

Veg. plot

We started with tomatoes, courgettes, potatoes, onions, and a few herbs such as basil, thyme, mint, sage, rosemary and oregano.  I can honesty say we had such a glutton of all these vegetables, we were well stocked for the whole winter. The tomatoes were made into tomato sauce, tomato soup, and tomato tarts and put into the freezer. The courgettes were also frozen for winter use. I blanched the potatoes and part sautéed them, then froze them for later use as well as mash. The onions I just used as I needed them.

As well as vegetables we have strawberries, rasberries, figs, peaches, cherries, pears, plums and apples. Because the apple tree is very young we didn't have a lot. I think there is nothing like going outside into your garden and picking own your vegetables and herbs for your dinner, especially when you have grown them yourself and you know they are organic. There is also a big walnut tree in the garden, and I love walnuts. As I make my own muesli with oats, bran, fruit and nuts, walnuts are great and full of nutrient.

Basket of fruit

At the front of the house there is a small patch for roses, which I love, there are also irises, lilies and geraniums. Around the sides there is four large bushes of lavender.

Rose garden at front of house

Our tomatoes this year

In the summer months it can get close to 40 degs, so water is crucial, here you have to pay for it. So we have three big water containers holding 6000 litres of water. So when it does rain, usually April and May it is very important to collect as much as you can.

A New Life in France

Deciding to move to France should not be taken lightly, there are a number of important issues to take into consideration. Whether you consider the cost of living in France to be higher or lower than the UK, depends very much on your circumstance. If for instance you have to renovate your house in France, you run two cars, you arrive with a sparse wardrobe, you may find the cost is excessively high.

Clothes for example, I find really expensive here, you don't have stores like Tesco's and Primark, or many of the high street stores like Topshop. A lot of the places you would buy clothes are boutiques and a plain t-shirt is around €40. I find a lot of the clothes are not as fashionable either, so if you like fashionable clothes they may not suit you. Most expats living here buy there clothes on-line, as I do, or I would wait until I go over to the UK and buy what I need.  You can buy cheaper clothes in supermarkets but the quality isn't very good.

Bills I would say utility bills in France are around about the same as in the UK, although you don't get the same competition. But there seems to be more competition in the more modern services like broadband and mobile phones.

Shopping I  do most of my shopping at the local supermarket, as do most of the French. On average a weekly shop would cost around €130 for my husband and myself and of course that includes the wine. I can buy a bottle of Bordeaux for €3.50. If you buy seasonal and local produce you can cut your costs and your getting quality produce. A lot of DIY products vary considerably, although the price of paint is really expensive compared to the UK.

Eating out It is much cheaper eating out if you live in rural area's in France. The food is simple but good quality. You can get a three course meal in a bistro cafe from 10€ to €15. which would include a carafe of house wine. It would consist of salade, soup, a terrine or pate for starters. Main course would be fish, chicken, or pasta with/or vegetables. A selection of cheese, and dessert, which is not usually listed on the menu. The waiter would usually advise you on the the dessert.

Services Such as health care and schools can be considerably more expensive than the UK, but they are widely considered far superior. Health care is available to all expats with the relative forms.

Recession in France Talking to friends and family, I would say the cost of living in France is definitely not as high. There doen't seem to be the same obsession of home ownership in France as in the UK. As the property market boom in the UK played a hugh role in the banking sector crash, you find the banking sector in France was not as exposed.