Spring has arrived, get out the gardening tools and enjoy the sunshine

Spring has finally arrived and the weather is already milder, something to be positive about for the months ahead! What to do when the sun is shining and you don’t want to stay indoors… what do you say to gardening?

This pleasant and relaxing activity in the sunshine provides a unique sense of well-being, almost like therapy. You are free to fully enjoy your garden, to exercise at your own pace in a natural environment, and to freely grow your vegetable patch.

Tulips, daffodils and hyacinths are the first flowers of spring, bringing the first colours and brightening the days following the cold winter season. Begonias are also beautiful flowers to grow for the new season; simply place the bulbs in pots, add a little water, and position them in a warm room without too much light; at the end of April, you can move them to a shaded spot in the garden.

Thanks to its oceanic climate, the Dordogne, located in the south-west of France, is an ideal place for gardening throughout the year. For food lovers, the region’s culinary specialities are foie gras and ceps, and vegetables grow without any problems. Unlike the Midi region, citrus trees such as orange and lemon trees do not grow very well in the Dordogne; it is more worthwhile to grow berries such as strawberries and raspberries, or certain fruits like cherries and plums.

The Dordogne is full of magnificent castles and flower gardens; in spring, don’t forget to prune the shrubs to encourage new flowering; it is easy to remove dead branches with a sharp pair of secateurs.

Sextant is pleased to present many properties ideal for gardening, such as this charming fully renovated 17th-century stone house, typical of the Dordogne department.

This house offers a living space of 460m2, comprising an entrance hall with exposed stone, a sitting room with a large fireplace and two bay windows with panoramic views over the hills and the swimming pool, a large office space with private access onto an east-facing terrace (very pleasant for having a coffee at sunrise!), a large kitchen with a large 15th-century terracotta fireplace and a dining area (easily accommodating a dozen people). On the first floor there is a master bedroom suite (bedroom with bath and home cinema) and a second large bedroom. The top floor is a real paradise for children, renovated by the owner himself, the entire floor can accommodate nearly 10 children; additionally, a bathroom and toilet are accessible on this floor.

The barn contains two rooms, a piano and a painting studio with access to the terrace offering a unique panorama over the entire countryside.

Over 8,800m2 of land offers a dream garden… the latter contains fruit trees, a vegetable patch, sculptures from across the world, a very well-maintained lawn, a heated swimming pool and a tennis court.

Located just 12km from Bergerac, the latter is the largest town in the Dordogne. The region is famous for its wine, wine tourism is a real economic driver with its many vineyards, with Monbazillac being the most well-known wine of the region.

Located along a river, Bergerac was once a trading port and supplied all the surrounding villages, notably providing wine to today’s producers. The town of Bergerac offers a variety of sporting and cultural activities; also many events are organised throughout the year. The town market takes place 5 days a week, where you can find fresh produce as well as many regional products. Bergerac is above all a town of history thanks to the many castles in the region, the town is classified as a town of art through its architectural heritage, as well as through theatrical art with one of the most famous French plays which takes the name of the town, ‘Cyrano de Bergerac’.

Bergerac is very well served in terms of transport, an international airport is located just a few kilometres away and a national road reaches Agen and Périgueux within an hour as well as the town of Bordeaux via the motorway.

If you are interested in buying in a property in the Dordogne, you can view our list of properties in this department by clicking on this link.