The French have a very unique gardening style that is very luminous and highly distinguished. To create a French Herb Garden you will need to capture the contemporary feel that the French are renowned for in their Gardening. Intricate patterns litter their vast parks in such a manner that takes your breathe away. To create anything short of that would not sum up to a French Garden.

‘I have no intention of continuing to provide support for the construction of dwellings that are a sieve in terms of their energy consumption’, said President Sarkozy last month.
 Accordingly, the deductibility of mortgage interest for new dwellings will progressively be reserved for very low energy consumption properties.

On average, in the south of France, we receive 300 days of sunshine every year. A huge environmentally friendly power station beaming down on our roofs, pools and gardens begging to be used for something more than a sun tan! We’ve all felt the temperature of water from a garden hose left in the sun, enjoyed the gentle heat radiating from a sunbathed evening wall, or moved a pocket calculator into the light to help the tiny solar cell power it sufficiently.

Using these tanks to collect rainwater has been around since man learned to take advantage of the rain. Although technology and materials have changed throughout time, the strategy and the goals remain the same: to collect rain water for human use.

It may seem rather intimidating to think about decorating your own home. Lots of people just live with things the way they find are. Others get the help of professionals, since they have no clue what they like or what approach to take!

Few experiences can match the pleasure of savouring your own home grown vegetables. The process is almost magical, especially when raised from a seed or seedling. The flavour and texture of varieties you can grow far exceed anything you can buy in a shop. Growing vegetables is also a pleasurable activity in its own right, giving you an excuse to spend time outdoors.

Everyone should be aware of the law governing pool security in France. It is the law and despite many arguments against it, all in-ground pools in France must now have one of the four approved methods of security system in place. The fine for not complying with the law is €45,000.

Security is obviously an important consideration for anyone buying a home in France (or anywhere else), particularly if it’s a holiday home that will be unoccupied for long periods. While it’s important not to underestimate security risks, even in rural areas of France, where crime rates are generally low, you should avoid turning your home into a fortress, which will deter visitors as well as would-be thieves! Bear in mind that your home is generally more at risk from fire and storm damage than from burglary.

Miss “Petite Assistante” your personal French renovation dictionary, translater and all round life saver. The app is a dedicated English to French to English translation dictionary however this IS NOT your normal batch of French words. You’re not going to be flirting with the ladies or buying groceries but these 6,000+ dedicated building/renovating words covering everything from fractions in English to French to tools, materials and so so much more.

Given that summer is here at last…I thought I’d take a look at the best ways of heating your house in France. Better late than never, and it might just help reduce the cost of fuel / oil next year – which I’d guess won’t be any less than it is now. There are now several more environmentally friendly alternatives for heating a property, which may also be cheaper, though until now I’ve been unconvinced.